Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Chorus 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)

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

1:36

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

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

3:26

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

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

2:13

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

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

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

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

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)

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

4:39

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

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

2:12

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

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

1:37

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

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

3:42

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

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

2:18

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

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

1:45

Interlude I. Sunday Morning

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

2:28

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

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

5:34

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

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

3:28

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

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

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

3:20

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

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

3:04

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

Bernard Haitink, Stafford Dean, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Sarah Walker, Simon Keenlyside, 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, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Dame Felicity Lott

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

5:20

"Go There!" (Peter)

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

3:14

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

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

3:57

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

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

2:09

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

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

3:17

Interlude I. Moonlight

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

4:21

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

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

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

5:07

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

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

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)

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

5:10

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

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

2:47

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
Anthony Rolfe Johnson

Vocals, Tenor

Simon Woods

Producer