Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Orchestra 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)

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

1:36

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

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

3:26

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

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

2:13

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

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

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)

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

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)

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

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

4:39

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

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

2:12

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

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

1:37

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

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

3:42

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

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

2:18

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

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

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)

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

5:34

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

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

3:28

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

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

3:20

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

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

2:01

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

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

3:04

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

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

2:21

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

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

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, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink

3:57

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

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

2:09

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

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

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

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

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

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

5:10

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

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

2:47

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Orchestra
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano

Simon Woods

Producer