Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

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

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

1:36

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

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

3:26

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

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

2:13

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

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

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)

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

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

1:29

"What Harbour Shelters Peace" (Peter)

Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink, 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)

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

4:39

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

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

2:12

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

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

1:37

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

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

3:42

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

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

2:18

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

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

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

5:34

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

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

3:28

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

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

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, Sir Thomas Allen, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Neil Jenkins, Tom Cregan, Simon Keenlyside, Stafford Dean, Bernard Haitink, Karen Robertson, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker

3:20

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

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

2:01

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

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

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, Stuart Kale, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Neil Jenkins, Sarah Walker, Bernard Haitink

2:21

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

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

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

5:20

"Go There!" (Peter)

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

3:14

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

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

3:57

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

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

2:09

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

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Neil Jenkins, Simon Keenlyside, 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)

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

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

5:07

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

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

1:59

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

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

3:44

Interlude II. Fog

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

2:34

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

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
David Wilson-Johnson

Bass-Baritone

Simon Woods

Producer