Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

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

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, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Stafford Dean

1:36

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

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

3:26

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

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

2:13

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

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

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

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)

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

4:39

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

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

1:37

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

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

3:42

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

Simon Keenlyside, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, 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)

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

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)

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

5:34

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

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

3:28

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

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

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

3:20

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

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

2:01

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

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

3:04

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

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

2:21

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

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

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

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, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink

3:57

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

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

2:09

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

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

3:17

Interlude I. Moonlight

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

4:21

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

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

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

5:07

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

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

1:59

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

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

3:44

Interlude II. Fog

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

2:34

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

Bernard Haitink, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, 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)

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

2:47

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
David Wilson-Johnson

Bass-Baritone

Simon Woods

Producer