Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

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

1:36

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

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

3:26

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

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

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

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

1:29

"What Harbour Shelters Peace" (Peter)

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

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)

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

4:39

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

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

2:12

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

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

1:37

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

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

3:42

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

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

2:18

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

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

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

5:34

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

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

3:28

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

Dame Felicity Lott, Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, 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, Simon Keenlyside, Karen Robertson, Sir Thomas Allen, Tom Cregan, Maria Bovino, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Stuart Kale, Gillian Webster, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Neil Jenkins

3:20

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

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

2:01

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

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

3:04

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

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

2:21

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

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

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

5:20

"Go There!" (Peter)

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

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)

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

2:09

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

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

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, Bernard Haitink, Stafford Dean, Simon Keenlyside, Maria Bovino, Gillian Webster

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

5:07

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

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

1:59

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

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, 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)

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, Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Felicity Lott, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink

2:47

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
Stafford Dean

Vocals, Bass Guitar, Bass

Simon Woods

Producer