Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Dame Felicity Lott, Chorus of the Royal Opera House

1993

In a storm-swept fishing village on the east coast of England, the fisherman Peter Grimes is an outsider—a loner who seems to attract trouble. Benjamin Britten’s breakthrough opera is all about atmosphere and sense of place, but it’s also a portrait of a community. And in this compelling 1993 recording from Bernard Haitink and the forces of London’s Royal Opera House, that’s precisely the sense you get: a team of performers thoroughly immersed in Britten’s musical world, singing together as a true ensemble cast. Felicity Lott (Ellen Orford), Thomas Allen (Balstrode) and Anthony Rolfe Johnson (Peter Grimes) were all supreme interpreters of these roles, and with the whole experience captured in pristine sound, you’ll soon hear why one critic described this as an “inspired performance in a superbly lifelike recording”.

"Peter Grimes" (Hobson, Swallow, Peter)

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, David Wilson-Johnson, Stafford Dean

1:36

"You Sailed Your Boat" (Swallow, Peter, Mrs Sedley, Chorus, Hobson, Ellen)

Stafford Dean, David Wilson-Johnson, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Sarah Walker, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Dame Felicity Lott

3:26

"Peter Grimes, I Here Advise You!" (Swallow, Chorus, Hobson, Peter)

Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, David Wilson-Johnson, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Stafford Dean

2:13

"The Truth, the Pity" (Peter, Ellen)

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink, Dame Felicity Lott

1:57

Interlude. Dawn

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

3:19

"Oh Hang at Open Doors the Net" (Chorus, First Fisherman, Auntie, Boles, Balstrode, Second Fisherman, Rector, Nieces, Mrs Sedley, Swallow)

Sir Thomas Allen, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Christopher Lackner, Maria Bovino, Stuart Kale, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, Stafford Dean, Neil Jenkins, Bernard Haitink, Gillian Webster, Richard Hazell

5:01

"Hi! Give Us a Hand" (Peter, Boles, Balstrode, Ned, Auntie, Hobson)

Bernard Haitink, Patricia Payne, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Sir Thomas Allen, Stuart Kale, David Wilson-Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Simon Keenlyside

3:33

"I Have to Go from Pub" (Hobson, Chorus, Ellen, Ned)

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Dame Felicity Lott, Simon Keenlyside, Bernard Haitink, David Wilson-Johnson, Chorus of the Royal Opera House

1:57

"Let Her Among You" (Ellen, Hobson, Mrs Sedley, Ned)

David Wilson-Johnson, Sarah Walker, Bernard Haitink, Dame Felicity Lott, Simon Keenlyside, Tom Cregan, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

2:56

"Look! The Storm Cone!" (Balstrode, Chorus, Ned, Boles)

Bernard Haitink, Sir Thomas Allen, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Simon Keenlyside, Stuart Kale, Chorus of the Royal Opera House

2:42

"And Do You Prefer the Storm" (Balstrode, Peter)

Bernard Haitink, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Sir Thomas Allen, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

Sir Thomas Allen, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

1:29

"What Harbour Shelters Peace" (Peter)

Bernard Haitink, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

1:06

Interlude. Storm

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

4:20

"Past Time to Close!" (Auntie, Mrs Sedley, Balstrode, Boles, Nieces, Fisherman)

Maria Bovino, Stuart Kale, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Gillian Webster, Christopher Lackner, Sir Thomas Allen, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker

4:39

"Come on, Boy!" (Balstrode, Chorus)

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Sir Thomas Allen

2:12

"Have You Heard? The Cliff Is Down" (Ned, Auntie, Mrs Sedley, Balstrode, Chorus)

Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Sir Thomas Allen, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, Simon Keenlyside

1:37

"Now the Great Bear and Pleiades" (Peter, Chorus, Nieces, Boles, Balstrode, Auntie)

Gillian Webster, Sir Thomas Allen, Patricia Payne, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Maria Bovino, Stuart Kale, Chorus of the Royal Opera House

3:42

"Old Joe Has Gone Fishing" (Ned, Chorus, Peter)

Simon Keenlyside, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Anthony Rolfe Johnson

2:18

"The Bridge Is Down" (Hobson, Ned, Ellen, Boles, Auntie, Nieces, Peter)

Patricia Payne, Simon Keenlyside, Dame Felicity Lott, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Maria Bovino, Stuart Kale, David Wilson-Johnson, Bernard Haitink, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Gillian Webster

1:45

Interlude I. Sunday Morning

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

2:28

"Glitter of Waves and Glitter of Sunlight" (Ellen, Chorus, Rector)

Dame Felicity Lott, Bernard Haitink, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Neil Jenkins, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

5:34

"Child You're Not Too Young" (Ellen, Chorus, Rector, Peter)

Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink, Neil Jenkins, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Dame Felicity Lott

3:28

"This Unrelenting Work" (Ellen, Peter, Chorus)

Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Dame Felicity Lott, Chorus of the Royal Opera House

4:42

"Fool to Let It Come to This!" (Auntie, Ned, Boles, Chorus, Mrs Sedley, Balstrode, Lawyer, Swallow, Fisherwoman, Nieces, Rector)

Maria Bovino, Stuart Kale, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Gillian Webster, Simon Keenlyside, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, Karen Robertson, Sir Thomas Allen, Neil Jenkins, Tom Cregan, Bernard Haitink, Stafford Dean, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

3:20

"People! No! I Will Speak!" (Boles, Chorus, Balstrode, Rector, Auntie, Ellen)

Stuart Kale, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Neil Jenkins, Patricia Payne, Dame Felicity Lott, Sir Thomas Allen, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

2:01

"We Planned That Their Lives" (Ellen, Rector, Mrs Sedley, Boles, Ned, Nieces, Auntie, Balstrode, Hobson, Swallow)

Simon Keenlyside, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Dame Felicity Lott, Neil Jenkins, Sir Thomas Allen, Maria Bovino, Stuart Kale, David Wilson-Johnson, Bernard Haitink, Stafford Dean, Gillian Webster

3:04

"Now Is Gossip Put on Trial" (Chorus, Mrs Sedley, Boles, Rector, Ned, Swallow)

Stafford Dean, Simon Keenlyside, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Sarah Walker, Bernard Haitink, Neil Jenkins, Stuart Kale, Chorus of the Royal Opera House

2:21

"From the Gutter" (Nieces, Auntie, Ellen)

Patricia Payne, Gillian Webster, Bernard Haitink, Maria Bovino, Dame Felicity Lott, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

5:20

"Go There!" (Peter)

Bernard Haitink, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

3:14

"In Dreams I've Built Myself" (Peter)

Bernard Haitink, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

3:57

"Now! Now!" (Chorus, Peter, Boles, Rector, Swallow, Ned)

Neil Jenkins, Simon Keenlyside, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Stuart Kale, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Stafford Dean, Bernard Haitink

2:09

"Peter Grimes! Nobody There?" (Rector, Swallow, Ned)

Simon Keenlyside, Neil Jenkins, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Stafford Dean, Bernard Haitink

3:17

Interlude I. Moonlight

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

4:21

"Assign Your Prettiness to Me" (Swallow, Nieces, Ned)

Bernard Haitink, Maria Bovino, Stafford Dean, Simon Keenlyside, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Gillian Webster

2:57

"Mister Keene! Can You Spare a Moment" (Mrs Sedley, Ned)

Simon Keenlyside, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Sarah Walker, Bernard Haitink

2:45

"Come Along, Doctor!" (First Burgess, Burgesses, Rector, Mrs Sedley, Ellen, Balstrode)

Sarah Walker, Jonathan Fisher, Edward Parry, John Winfield, Bernard Haitink, Christopher Keyte, Sir Thomas Allen, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Jonathan Coad, Neil Jenkins, Dame Felicity Lott, Donald Bell

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Felicity Lott

5:07

"Mister Swallow! Mister Swallow!" (Mrs Sedley, Auntie, Swallow, Hobson)

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Stafford Dean, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, David Wilson-Johnson, Bernard Haitink

1:59

"Who Holds Himself Apart, Lets Pride Rise" (Chorus)

Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

3:44

Interlude II. Fog

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

2:34

"Grimes! Grimes! Steady, There You Are" (Chorus, Peter)

Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

5:10

"Peter, We've Come to Take You Home" (Ellen, Peter, Balstrode)

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Dame Felicity Lott, Sir Thomas Allen, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink

2:47

"To Those Who Pass the Borough" (Chorus, Swallow, Fisherman, Auntie, Boles)

Stafford Dean, Bernard Haitink, Stuart Kale, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Patricia Payne, Christopher Lackner

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Anthony Rolfe Johnson

Vocals, Tenor

Simon Woods

Producer