Customer Reviews

Britten - Peter Grimes / Pears · C. Watson · Pease · Brannigan · J. Watson · Elms · Studholme · Kells · R. Nilsson · Lanigan · G. Evans · D. Kelly · ROH Covent Garden · Britten

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It is a rare privilege, in classical music, to hear a work performed the way the composer actually wants it to. Here is your chance. Not only does Britten conduct himself but also the wonderful Peter Pears for whom it was written (and who actively participated in the writing of the libretto) sings it.

This opera, like others of the 20th century really marries theater and music. Unlike Puccini or Verdi where appalling librettos are made acceptable by wonderful music (can you get any worse than the words to "Che gelida mannina"?), Peter Grimes is a full blooded story, and the music accompanies it wondefully.

The atmospheres of fear (the storm) or complacency (the final dawn) are depicted in the music in a way difficult to match.

Britten is one of those underrated allrounders who builds the sounds to match the action and the feelings like few people do.

This rendition is impeccable and well rehearsed and the sound bears the Decca quality of the 50s which is really hard to find.

Pears gives a heartbreaking rendering of a misunderstood and isolated man who finds himself the victim of his own ambition to prove himself worthy of the society that despises him.

Vickers' more recent version is very good. But get the real masters and see what they really wanted. This recording will make your hairs stand on end and make you regret that you weren't in Saddler's Wells back in the 50s.

This, the first and in my view the best complete recording of Peter Grimes, is unforgettable for a number of reasons, but two in particular. First is that Britten corrects here a number of scoring errors that appeared in the early Boosey & Hawkes edition of his opera (and, sad to say, the one that Jon Vickers insisted on using into the 1980s), and some of these orchestral changes have a marked effect on the music, making it more colorful and interesting. Second is the fact that it is conducted by Britten himself. Other reviewers have pointed out the value of having the composer conduct his own work, and of course that is important; but the other factor to consider is that Britten, though a part-time and often reluctant conductor, was one of the great masters of the baton. The BBC recently issued a series of CDs taken from live broadcasts of the '60s, including marvelous versions of Bridge's "The Sea," Handel's "Ode to St. Cecilia" and the Mahler 4th Symphony, which when heard alongside his commercial recording of the Bach Brandenburg Concertos (still a best-seller and one of the preferred versions after 40 years), testify that this was a conductor who could stand comparison with Walter, Toscanini, Szell and other acknowledged masters. The only known video of Britten in rehearsal (of his own "Nocturne") reveals why: like them he was a nit-picker for detail, accent and phrasing, and if he was not as outwardly temperamental as Toscanini he was just as grueling in working sections or individual players until they got it the way he wanted it.

As for the cast on this recording, they are quite fine, even if Peter Pears' voice was more solid and more beautiful on the 1946 excerpts conducted by Reginald Goodall (EMI). At the time this recording was issued, several critics jumped on Claire Watson, knowing that she was a last-minute substitute for Britten's preferred Ellen of the time, Heather Harper (who sings so beautifully opposite Vickers); but with digital remastering, Watson's voice sounds far less shrill here than it did on LP, and she has the advantage of really clear and distinct English diction....something that cannot be taken for granted even in English-speaking singers (just think of Leontyne Price or Frederica von Stade). As a result of this (mostly) hand-picked cast and Britten's perfectionism, you get a performance that sounds both "live" in the theatrical sense and beautiful in the superb balance of soloists, chorus and orchestra. In short, this is not a performance to be missed, and I highly recommend it to all opera-lovers but especially those who enjoy Grimes.

As beautiful as they are, even DIDO AND AENEAS and Britten's own BILLY BUDD are just not up to the level of this, Britten's first "major" opera. The theme of an individual hounded by the community is timeless, but the possibility of Grimes's homosexuality makes the opera especially timely for the twentieth century. And have there ever been such beautiful and appropriate interludes, or as sophisticated muscial characterization in ANY national operatic tradition? The great gossip scene in Act II is a case in point: ever striking Ellen, Grimes cries out the phrase, "And may God have mercy upon me" and exits, as his phrase is taken up in a round through the different sections of the orchestra, mirroring the way the gossip is about to spread. Then the other characters exit their houses to address Ellen and one another, each using the same musical phrase as Grimes's, but using it severally to express eloquently all manner of things. First we hear it as frightened chiding at Ellen's indulgent behavior towards Peter, then as a sarcastic commentary on the town's likely propensity to gossip, then (finally) as the gossip itself about the attack, which gathers greater and greater momentum until the townspeople are almost hysterical with indignation.

On the only other major recording of this opera (with Jon Vickers in the title role), this stunning sequence is bizarrely interrupted between CDs; although this set is considerably more expensive, its more proper distribution among CDs makes it infinitely preferable. Also, although the other set has a superbly romantic Grimes in Vickers, the role nonetheless was specifically written for Peter Pears, who sings here with great purity of tone. This is a famous historic recording: no 20th-century opera buff's collection is complete without it.

Peter Pears had a voice that you either loved or hated, but all of the major Britten tenor roles were written for him, and to my mind, that makes him the definitive Grimes. Pears only other real competition is Jon Vickers on the Phillips twofer. Both are masterful interpretations, but where Vickers makes his Grimes completely unhinged, Pears brings out more of the humanity in the role than any other performance that I've heard. Pears Grimes is odd, and a definate outsider, but he doesn't become totally nuts till the end of the work. As a result, there is more depth in the portrait than in the Vickers version, marvelous though that is as well.

Britten is a supreme interpreter of his own work, something that few other composers have been able to do well. (Only Stravinsky and Boulez come to mind as comparable.) And the work itself is a milestone in contemporary opera. If you are new to this opera, this CD is a good place to start, though I do also highly recommend the Vickers twofer on Phillips with Colin Davis conducting.

This is probably the greatest British opera of the 20th century, and this recording features a majority of the artists for whom Britten wrote the opera, most notably his partner Peter Pears who originated the title role. Pears singing is an aquired taste--the voice can be reedy and even strident at times. But the commitment and passion of his performance are undeniable, and coupled with Watson's heartfelt Ellen Orford, it is hard to beat. The orchestral playing is sometimes spotty (it was said that Britten was not a particularly "clean" conductor), but the sound captured on this CD is infinitely better than the LP. You can hear the players breathing, even the occasional footfall as a performer steps up to the mic. There is a real theatricality to the performance that gathers momentum and excitement as the opera progresses. The now-famous "Sea-Interludes" that separate some of the scenes have received better recordings elsewhere, but it is exciting to hear them in context. A different kind of theatrical brilliance (and a better sung version of the title role) can be found on the other major recording of this work, which features Jon Vickers--the other great proponent of this amazing role. An absorbing, listenable and moving opera.

As a musician myself I feel that sometimes I overly criticise performances and recordings, perhaps digging a little too deep to try and find hidden weaknesses which detract from its overall success. With this recording of Peter Grimes I have to hold my hand up and once again shout from the dock "GUILTY!!!!". I picked away and very much enjoyed doing it. And after all this I can happily say that this recording of Peter Grimes is THE definitive recording. If you are looking for better then all I can say is give up, you will not find one.
The music of Benjamin Britten combined with the wonderful tenor voice of Peter Pears has always been a celebrated partnership. This performance of PG I feel has now cemented this fact for all time. Pears sings with a passion one can only achieve from knowing that the part was written for you. His sincere and expressive portrayal of Grimes together with his flawless technical accuracy and rich full tone make his performance a credit to British music making - truly breathtaking. Claire Watson too provides a quite brilliant performance as Ellen. This list could go on throughout the entire cast even crediting Marcus Norman for his part as John, Grimes' apprentice, no matter how silent he is! And how can we forget the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden? They were one of this country's best instruments at the time, just as they are today. Their red blooded, exciting playing, coupled with sensitivity where required, is ideally suited. It ensures that this is the definitive recording of Peter Grimes.

There have been many productions of Grimes around the world and a good few recordings made since this first one was committed to disc nearly half a century ago. From our perspective in the 21st Century it is hard to recall the huge impact made by the first production at Sadlers' Wells in 1946 and by this recording just a decade or so later. It's now easier to see the antecedents and ancestors of the piece - Verdi, Mahler, even Mozart. At the time it seemed a really revolutionary piece, not only for British but also for worldwide opera.

The recording, too, was something new. This was the first time that John Culshaw and his Decca team had fully implemented their ideas for making a real production out of a stereo opera recording. The original booklet proudly showed the grid laid out on the floor that allowed singers to move about the imaginary set as they would in a real theatrical production. And the recorded sound was absolutely state-of-the-art for its time, then still in the early days of stereo. These digital transfers still shine almost as brightly as any of the more modern recordings.

The performance itself has rightly become a classic. The composer conducting his own work, of course, has a special authenticity. And more. Britten, unlike many conducting composers, was a highly professional, totally convincing and usually revelatory conductor - of other composers' works as well as his own. So it is here. Working with an opera house chorus and orchestra (Covent Garden), there is still something of the 'shock of the new' about this performance. The drama of the interludes - particularly the Passacaglia and the one before the final scene which is not included in the concert set - has enormous impact and, in these two cases, is probably more moving than any. The reprise of the Dawn Interlude at the end of the opera as the villagers return to their work as though nothing has happened, closing over the incident as disinterestedly as the sea closes over Grimes himself, carries true tragic weight. And, with its pp ending, seems to look forward to another seascape at the end of Britten's final opera, Death in Venice.

Grimes was, of course, the first of Britten's great operatic gifts to his lover and muse, Peter Pears. The role is written for that specific voice and it sits inimitably within its range and capabilities. Whether it's the dreamy head-tones of the 'Great Bear and Pleiades', the motivically vital and dramatic plunge of 'God have mercy upon you', the great yearning leap of a ninth on 'What harbour shelters peace' or the highs and lows of the mad scene (melodic and emotional), the phrases sit perfectly and naturally in the voice. Pears sings the role as no other tenor could and it remains the yardstick for all future performances. If I have a hesitation, it is over the characterisation of Grimes. Pears just seems a little urbane and sophisticated for this uncouth, unsophisticated, violent outsider (albeit one with dreams). Vickers sits at the opposite pole in a performance Britten was said to have hated: he is a raw brute of a man, aurally on disc as much as physically in the theatre. It is a great performance, too - proof that the role is more than big enough to take radically different interpretations. If you want another great reading that sits somewhere between the two, then Langridge on the Hickox discs is probably your man.

As for the rest, this recording was made before all parts in Britten recordings were reserved for the Aldeburgh coterie. Ellen and Balstrode are both taken from Decca's roster of American singers. Both are more than adequate, but probably bettered elsewhere - Heather Harper is arguably the finest Ellen on disc; sadly the best Balstrode in my experience, Norman Bailey, should have been on the first Davis recording but was indisposed at the time. Owen Brannigan (who was a member of the coterie) is probably the finest Swallow on disc. For the rest of the wonderful gallery of Borough villagers, it's a matter of swings and roundabouts between the various recordings.

Nevertheless, this remains a classic recording. The touchstone for your choice of recording is probably the singer playing the title role where the choice lies between Pears, Vickers and Langridge. But then again, Haitink on EMI also provides a highly memorable performance, more international and mainstream in outlook, despite a slightly weaker Grimes in Rolfe-Johnson. Ah, decisions, decisions!

This particular recording is a must have for all opera lovers. Being conducted by Benjamin Britten himself and sung by Peter Pears, there's a lot that one can learn from this recording.

This recording proves there is great 20-century opera and great opera in English.