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)

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

1:36

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

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

3:26

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

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

2:13

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

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

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)

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

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

1:29

"What Harbour Shelters Peace" (Peter)

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

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)

Christopher Lackner, Sir Thomas Allen, Gillian Webster, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, Maria Bovino, Stuart Kale, Bernard Haitink, 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, Sir Thomas Allen, Bernard Haitink

2:12

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

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

1:37

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

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

3:42

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

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

2:18

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

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

5:34

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

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

3:28

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

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

4:42

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

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

2:01

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

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

3:04

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

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

2:21

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

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

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)

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

3:57

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

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

2:09

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

Neil Jenkins, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, 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)

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

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

5:07

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

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

1:59

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

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

5:10

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

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

2:47

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
Stafford Dean

Vocals, Bass Guitar, Bass

Simon Woods

Producer