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Home , Arabella, Benjamin Britten, Chandos Records, Claire Watson, Dimitrij (opera), Dmitri Kitayenko

SUPER AUDIO CD

Stuart Skelton Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and EdwardEdward Gardner Gardner ,athishome,Crag House,inAldeburgh,late1940s

Photograph by Roland Haupt / Lebrecht Music & Arts Photo Library / Bridgeman Images Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976)

Peter Grimes, Op. 33 (1944 – 45)

An in a Prologue and Three Acts

Libretto by (1902 – 1956) after the poem of the same title, published in the collection The Borough (1810), by (1754 – 1832)

Peter Grimes, a fisherman...... tenor Boy (John), his apprentice...... Samuel Winter Ellen Orford, a widow, schoolmistress of the Borough...... Erin Wall soprano Captain Balstrode, retired merchant skipper...... Auntie, landlady of ‘The Boar’...... Susan Bickley mezzo-soprano Niece 1 ...... Hanna Husáhr soprano the main attractions of ‘The Boar’ Niece 2 } .} ...... Vibeke Kristensen soprano Bob Boles, fisherman and Methodist...... Robert Murray tenor Swallow, a lawyer...... Neal Davies -baritone Mrs (Nabob) Sedley, a rentier widow of an East India Company’s factor ...... Catherine Wyn-Rogers mezzo-soprano Reverend Horace Adams, the Rector...... tenor Ned Keene, apothecary and quack ...... Marcus Farnsworth baritone Hobson, carrier...... Barnaby Rea bass Dr Crabbe...... Silent role

3 First Fisherman ...... Francis Brett bass Second Fisherman ...... David Hansford bass A Lawyer ...... Vernon Kirk tenor A Fisherwoman ...... Catherine Backhouse mezzo-soprano First Burgess ...... James Berry bass Second Burgess ...... Peter Brooks baritone Third Burgess ...... Andrew Masterson tenor Fourth Burgess ...... George Butler bass Fifth Burgess ...... Samuel Knock tenor Sixth Burgess ...... James Holt baritone Choral Soprano ...... Catrin Woodruff-Abel soprano Townspeople and Fisherfolk

Scene: The Borough, a small fishing town on the East Coast Time: towards 1830

Bergen Philharmonic Edvard Grieg Kor Royal Northern College of Music Chorus Choir of Collegium Musicum Håkon Matti Skrede chorus master Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Melina Mandozzi leader Edward Gardner

4 From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 © Benjamin Ealovega Photography©

Edward Gardner COMPACT DISC ONE

Prologue 8:30 1 Hobson: ‘Peter Grimes! Peter Grimes!’ – 6:40 2 Peter: ‘The truth – the pity – and the truth’ – 1:50

3 [Interlude I] 3:12 Lento e tranquillo –

Act I [41:15] Scene 1 21:53 4 Chorus of Fishermen and Women: ‘Oh hang at open doors the net, the cork’ – 5:14 5 Peter: ‘Hi! Give us a hand!’ – 3:18 6 Hobson: ‘I have to go from pub to pub’ – 4:53 7 Balstrode: ‘Look! The storm cone!’ – 2:27 8 Balstrode: ‘And do you prefer the storm’ – 6:01

9 Interlude II 4:28 Presto con fuoco –

7 Scene 2 14:54 10 Auntie: ‘Past time to close!’ – 4:43 11 Balstrode: ‘Pub conversation should depend’ – 2:58 12 Peter: ‘Now the Great Bear and Pleiades’ – 2:27 13 Chorus: ‘He’s mad or drunk’ – 1:02 14 Keene and the Others: ‘Old Joe has gone fishing’ – 2:13 15 Hobson: ‘The bridge is down, we half swam over’ 1:31

Act II [47:49] 16 Interlude III 2:12 Allegro spiritoso –

Scene 1 29:33 17 Ellen: ‘Glitter of waves’ – 3:40 18 Rector: ‘Wherefore I pray and beseech you’ – 3:35 19 Chorus: ‘O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord’ – 5:17 20 Auntie: ‘Fool! to let it come to this!’ – 3:08 21 Boles: ‘People – ...No! I will speak!...’ – 1:56 22 Ellen: ‘We planned that their lives’ – 2:19 23 Rector: ‘Swallow – shall we go and see Grimes in his hut?’ – 3:05 24 Nieces: ‘From the gutter’ 4:21 TT 82:39

8 COMPACT DISC TWO

1 Interlude IV 5:51 . Andante moderato (sempre un poco rubato) –

Scene 2 12:32 2 Peter: ‘Go there! Go there!’ – 3:05 3 Peter: ‘In dreams I’ve built myself some kindlier home’ – 3:16 4 Peter: ‘Sometimes I see that boy here in this hut’ – 3:00 5 Rector: ‘Peter Grimes! Peter Grimes! Nobody here?’ 3:10

Act III [36:59] 6 Interlude V 4:14 Andante comodo e rubato –

Scene 1 18:12 7 Swallow: ‘Assign your prettiness to me’ – 2:48 8 Mrs Sedley: ‘Mister Keene! Can you spare a moment?’ – 2:46 9 First Burgess: ‘Come along, Doctor!’ – 1:49

9 10 Ellen: ‘Is the boat in?’ – 0:52 11 Ellen: ‘Embroidery in childhood’ – 3:08 12 Balstrode: ‘We’ll find him, maybe give him a hand’ – 1:32 13 Mrs Sedley: ‘Mister Swallow! Mister Swallow!’ – 5:15

14 Interlude VI 2:28 Lento –

Scene 2 12:04 15 Voices: ‘Grimes! Grimes!’ – 5:13 16 Ellen: ‘Peter, we’ve come to take you home’ – 2:32 17 Chorus, led by Soprano: ‘To those who pass, the Borough sounds betray’ 4:19 TT 55:37

10 From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 Britten: Peter Grimes, Op. 33

‘Any more for Peter Grimes the sadistic one than either Sadler’s Wells or me’, and went fisherman?’, a bus conductor is reported on to express the hope ‘that many composers to have enjoyed shouting at his passengers will take the plunge, & I hope also that they’ll find when dropping them off near Sadler’s Wells as I did the water not quite so icy as expected!’ Theatre during the opening run of the hugely Peter Grimes was not his first opera. During successful new opera Peter Grimes in June the three years that Britten and his partner, 1945. As a result of both the unexpectedly high the tenor , had previously spent profile of this work and his many subsequent in North America (1939 – 42), Britten had achievements in the genre, its composer, collaborated with the poet W.H. Auden on Paul Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976), was destined Bunyan, a curious attempt to relate the tale to enter the history books as having single- of America’s mythical founder in an handedly resurrected the fortunes of the style that lay halfway between Broadway composition of original in the English and the high-school musical. Performed at language after the mixed fates which such Columbia University in May 1941, the work was works had received during the nineteenth a resounding flop and had to wait more than and early twentieth centuries. While recent three decades before again seeing the light of scholarship has plausibly argued that the day (when the ailing Britten was encouraged historical significance of Britten in this regard to revise it for a production at the is in fact something of a myth – one that was Festival in 1976, the year of his death). In 1942, in part carefully constructed and promoted by the idea for a second opera came to Britten the publicity associated with the activities of when he and Pears were staying in California his later company, the – and chanced upon an article in The Listener there can be no denying that Peter Grimes broke which reprinted a radio talk given by the considerable new ground and encouraged other British author E.M. Forster about the poet and British composers to tackle opera composition clergyman George Crabbe (1754 – 1832). ‘To themselves. Britten commented that the talk about Crabbe is to talk about ’, the occasion of the opera’s premiere ‘was a greater article began, and its evocative description

13 of the coastal town of Aldeburgh, based on the real-life Tom Brown, a fisherman where Crabbe was born and briefly served as whose apprentices mysteriously disappeared a curate, had a huge and immediate impact on with the result that he came increasingly under Britten. He, too, had been born in Suffolk, and suspicion of murdering them. In Crabbe’s poem, the deep nostalgia for the region engendered after three of his apprentices vanish, Grimes by Forster’s article proved to be a major is forbidden to take charge of any more; he factor influencing the composer’s decision becomes isolated from his local community to return home later that same year and lay as a consequence of his brutish behaviour, down domestic and cultural roots in East and finally goes insane – having at no stage Anglia, where Britten soon decided to settle demonstrated a shred of sensitivity or remorse in Aldeburgh himself. If, as Forster suggested, for his actions. Deciding to investigate this the experience of Aldeburgh ‘was the making intriguing story further, Britten purchased a of [Crabbe] as a poet’, it also proved to be the copy of Crabbe’s Poetical Works (1851) from a making of Britten as a composer. Forster’s California bookshop and began to think about description of Crabbe and his relationship with the tale’s operatic potential. the town might be applied with equal aptness Britten and Pears started planning a Grimes to Britten’s: opera in earnest while subsequently staying on Even when he is writing of other things, there Long Island and awaiting their voyage back to steals again and again into his verse the the UK. Britten had been fortunate in securing sea, the estuary, the flat Suffolk coast, and a commission for the work from the foundation local meannesses, and an odour of brine and which the conductor had dirt – tempered occasionally with the scent established in 1942 in memory of his wife, of flowers. So remember Aldeburgh when you Natalie. Koussevitzky, who had recently read this rather odd poet, for he belongs to the conducted Britten’s Sinfonia da in grim little place, and through it to England. Boston, generously waived his plan to give the Forster’s article discussed Crabbe’s poem opera its first performance, at Tanglewood, in ‘Peter Grimes’, which was published in 1810 in a order that it might be premiered in the UK. (Later – collection entitled The Borough. The poem tells albeit with vested interest – the maestro would the story of a violent Aldeburgh fisherman who declare that Peter Grimes was the greatest kills the boy apprentices he has procured from opera since Bizet’s .) Britten and Pears the workhouse and is subsequently visited by duly sailed home in March 1942, on the liner their ghosts. Crabbe’s Grimes was reputedly SS Axel Johnson. While on board, Britten was

14 occupied with composing (or, more accurately, slated to be a baritone rather than tenor, reconstructing) his choral works Hymn to suggesting that the part had not been initially St Cecilia and , after US conceived for him. Customs officials had unhelpfully confiscated Once the preliminary planning of the opera’s some of his manuscripts on departure in case scenario was finished, Britten next needed to they contained coded information intended acquire the services of a competent librettist. for the Allies’ wartime enemies. During the He was reluctant to work with Auden again after voyage Pears occupied himself with making the disaster of , and instead initially some notes based on Crabbe’s poem, and turned to Auden’s theatrical collaborator, these contrasted the sea, which he described , whom he knew well as ‘(The Incalculable – Uncontrolled) cf. war, from having composed incidental music to two violence’, with the land, ‘(Secure – Unchanging) jointly authored Auden – Isherwood plays which Peace etc.’. As the opera took shape, the had been staged in London in the late 1930s. instability and unpredictability of the sea When Isherwood declined the invitation, Britten became directly associated with Grimes, who turned to his second choice, the left-wing owed his fisherman’s livelihood to it, while the writer and journalist Montagu Slater, a talented stability of the land was symbolised by the amateur musician whom he had met when they character of the schoolteacher Ellen Orford, had worked together on the GPO Film Unit’s who was borrowed from another of Crabbe’s documentary Coal Face, in 1935, after which tales. The doomed relationship between Britten had written music for several of Slater’s Grimes and Ellen, whom he loves and wishes to politically charged plays. Slater was attracted marry in order to gain respectability, lies at the to the plot’s social themes and agreed to write very heart of the opera. As Forster described the , on which he worked principally the operatic Grimes in 1948, the fisherman between June 1942 and the end of 1943; the had in Britten’s hands been transformed bulk of the opera’s music was then composed from the brute he is in Crabbe’s poem into a between January 1944 and February 1945. ‘misunderstood Byronic hero’, who ‘is sensitive, Slater proved to be a slow writer and, as he was touched by pity, stung by remorse, and in full-time employment, he could only work on corrected by shame’. Given that Pears created the opera in his spare time. This was a cause the title role in the premiere production and of considerable frustration to Britten, who in quickly became indelibly associated with it, it some instances proceeded to write stretches is interesting to note that Grimes was originally of music without the necessary words to hand:

15 several of the opera’s most memorable musical 1945, claiming, ‘I never bother poets with my ideas were composed to temporary, awkward proofs of their stuff – at least, Wystan [Auden] texts which needed to be modified at a later never read his. But I’m sorry if I’ve slipped up’. stage. Slater had come to resent Britten’s controlling His anxieties about the libretto and his attitude towards his text, and Crozier recalled own strong vision for the piece led Britten to that at one point he lost his temper, shouting, consult others behind his librettist’s back and ‘but this is my work, this is my work’, when even seek their help with redrafting certain Britten expressed his displeasure at hearing passages. Two of the friends who helped that Slater intended to publish his libretto in Britten modify Slater’s text would become a form of which the writer alone approved. future librettists of his in their own right. Eric Undeterred, Slater went ahead and issued his Crozier, who produced the first staging of unadulterated text in the volume Peter Grimes Peter Grimes and went on to write the libretto and Other Poems (1946), in which the libretto for (1947), became a constant was freed from all the eminently practical confidant in this regard, and recalled that revisions that Britten had made to it in order Slater was reluctant to demonstrate ‘active to help the drama come to life vividly on the collaboration’, although this was perhaps an operatic stage. unfair comment given the lengths to which Britten’s publishers, Boosey & Hawkes, Slater thoughtfully went when successfully had hoped that Peter Grimes would be staged persuading Britten not to jettison the at Covent Garden to mark the re-opening of hauntingly lovely women’s quartet which the venue (for which they had acquired the concludes Act II, Scene 1. (later lease) as a serious theatre after its wartime the librettist of The Rape of , in 1946) incarnation as a dance hall. In the event, covertly refashioned the climactic , the Sadler’s Wells Opera Company showed Britten informing him in February 1945 that considerable enthusiasm for the work, and ‘Montagu agreed to the new mad-scene, & I agreed to mount the first production under kept your part in it fairly quiet, altho’ I murmured the direction of Crozier, with Pears (who had that you helped us abit! [sic]’. It was probably already sung for the company) in the title neither by accident nor forgetfulness that role and cast as Ellen Orford. The Britten failed to send proofs of the definitive conductor was , and the libretto to Slater for correction: the composer designer Kenneth Green. As well as placing had to write to him to apologise in August great demands on Slater during the writing

16 process, Britten had also been in close contact prominently showcased as part of the victory with Green because he wanted to be able celebrations. Cross, in addition to playing the to visualise the appearance of the sets and part of Ellen, was director of the company, costumes as he worked on the opera’s music. and gossip was rife that she had agreed to Green was another native of Suffolk, though mount the opera merely because she wanted his sets were inspired less by Aldeburgh to secure this high-profile new role for herself. than by the nearby town of Southwold which, Soon after its initial run, in spite of its great unusually, features a prominent lighthouse success, Britten withdrew the opera from the in the town centre. Green’s designs were Sadler’s Wells repertoire and Cross, Crozier, and described by one reviewer of the first Pears all quit the company. production as ‘most evocative’ and responsible A new and more expansive production of for creating ‘an atmosphere of haunted moods Peter Grimes, directed by Tyrone Guthrie, in that would be creepy if it were less poetical’. which Pears and Cross reprised their roles, By way of advertising the forthcoming opened on the much larger stage at Covent production, members of the cast performed Garden in November 1947. By this time the extracts from the opera (with Britten at the opera had (extraordinarily) already been staged piano) at London’s on 31 May in Antwerp, Basle, Berlin, Brno, Budapest, 1945. The production itself opened on 7 June, Copenhagen, Graz, Hamburg, Mannheim, Milan, almost exactly one month after the end of the Stockholm, and Zurich, as well as having Second World War in Europe. The euphoria been broadcast by Australian, British, and unleashed by VE Day was still very much in the Italian radio stations. The delayed Tanglewood air, and doubtless contributed to the heady performance had also taken place, in the enthusiasm with which the new work was summer of 1946, and with the dynamic Leonard greeted by both the public and representatives Bernstein at the helm. Stagings in Brussels, of the press. But within Sadler’s Wells itself Paris, and New York followed in 1948, the year significant tensions had arisen. There was in which EMI made a recording of extracts open resentment on the part of some members from the work, featuring Pears, Cross, the BBC of the company that the three principal Theatre Chorus, and the Orchestra of the Royal stakeholders in the project (Britten, Pears, and Opera House under the baton of Goodall. (These Crozier) had all been conscientious objectors recordings were not released at the time. Some during the war, which made it arguably first appeared as part of an LP anthology in inappropriate for their creative work to be so 1972 and all of them were eventually issued on

17 CD in 1993.) Britten conducted his own recording Royal Albert Hall by Sir and the BBC with the Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Symphony Orchestra, on 29 August 1945. This Opera House for Decca in 1958, a release which interlude originally had the working title ‘Boy’s utilised the relatively new stereo technology suffering’ and opened with a fugato, but in its for which Decca’s opera recordings were then definitive form it became a powerfully obsessive becoming renowned, with Pears again in the title invention on the motif setting the words, ‘And role and Ellen portrayed by . Britten God have mercy upon me!’, which Grimes cries later conducted a production made especially after the fateful moment when he strikes Ellen for BBC Television, videotaped in colour in 1969 and his doom is effectively sealed. on the stage of the Concert Hall In an introduction to Peter Grimes, given for near Aldeburgh, which survives as a valuable its first radio audience, in 1946, Pears described document of Pears’s memorable interpretation it as ‘an opera based on the conflict between of the title role. society and the individual’. He went on to The North Sea, at various times both benign characterise the eponymous fisherman as and savage, arguably plays a central role ‘very much of an ordinary weak person’ who, in the opera, and its contrasting facets are in the course of trying to become accepted celebrated in the orchestral interludes, the by the local community, ‘offends against the concert versions of which were first performed conventional code’. ‘Classed by society as a (under the title Four Sea Interludes, Op. 33a), at criminal’, Pears noted, he is ultimately ‘destroyed the Cheltenham Festival – just a week after the as such’. Certainly the powerful way in which opera’s premiere – by the London Philharmonic the Borough’s townsfolk are portrayed in the Orchestra under the composer. In his own 1945 shape of the opera’s vivid chorus writing, and introduction to the opera, Britten declared, the inexorable manner in which they drive ‘I wanted to express my awareness of the Grimes to his watery grave and thereby become perpetual struggle of men and women whose themselves implicated in (and to some extent livelihood depends on the sea’; but he later directly responsible for) his tragic demise, is downplayed this idea by saying that the opera one of the work’s most compelling features. The was essentially about the actions of the people intensity of this conflict suggests that it held a in it, and that they would have behaved the special personal significance for the composer, same way if they were situated anywhere else. who revealed that on their return to the UK he A fifth orchestral interlude, the Passacaglia, and Pears had felt ‘out of it’ as conscientious Op. 33b, was given its concert premiere, at the objectors, and that because of this the work

18 embodied a ‘central feeling... of the individual The opera opens with Grimes under cross- against the crowd, with ironic overtones for our examination at the inquest to establish the own situation’. Britten continued: cause of death of his apprentice. Although We couldn’t say we suffered physically, but the coroner, Swallow (who is also Mayor and naturally we experienced tremendous tension. the leading lawyer of the Borough), returns a I think it was partly this feeling which led us to verdict of accidental death, Grimes complains make Grimes a character of vision and conflict, that this verdict does not really clear his the tortured idealist he is, rather than the villain name as the Borough gossips continue to he was in Crabbe. blame him. The court is cleared. Grimes But the tensions ran far deeper, given that both and the schoolmistress Ellen Orford sing a Britten and Pears were gay at a time when reconciliatory duet. homosexuality was still a criminal offence. The musicologist – as part of an Interlude I exhaustive examination of the opera’s primary A depiction of dawn, leading directly into source materials in the early 1980s – was the first to argue that the comment by Britten Act I in all probability implied a significant degree Scene 1 of ostracism on account of his and Pears’s A street by the sea, a few days later sexuality too. In any event, Grimes proved to be The inhabitants of the Borough go about but the first in a long line of memorable operatic their daily business. When Grimes arrives characters who, in Britten’s prolific later output and calls for help in hauling his boat ashore, for the dramatic stage, were forced to grapple everyone shuns him except Balstrode and the with intractable issues of conformity and apothecary Ned Keene, who has procured a nonconformity, of private desires conflicting new apprentice for him. Despite the general with public responsibilities, and of the plight disapproval of the Borough, Ellen agrees to experienced by the lonely outsider. fetch the boy from the workhouse by the carrier’s cart. © 2020 Mervyn Cooke Shortly after her departure, the storm breaks; it is all the more threatening because Synopsis of a spring tide. The inhabitants flee from the Prologue dangers of the storm, leaving Grimes and The interior of the Moot Hall Balstrode alone. Balstrode tries to persuade

19 Grimes to leave the town, but the fisherman Ellen and Grimes’s new apprentice sit in the declares that he is ‘native, rooted here’ and sun by the sea, while morning service is discloses his dreams of a wealthy future with celebrated in the Parish Church. By chance, Ellen as his wife. she discovers that the boy’s clothes are torn and his body bruised. When Grimes comes to Interlude II drag him off fishing, Ellen confronts Grimes; her An evocation of the terrors of the storm. The questions lead to an open quarrel, observed music of the interlude underpins the whole of and overheard by some of the community, which ends by his striking her. The Borough is Act I roused and the townspeople follow the Rector Scene 2 and Swallow off to Grimes’s hut to discover the Inside ‘The Boar’ on the evening of the same day truth of the situation. Four of the womenfolk Fisherfolk shelter from the storm. As more (Ellen, Auntie, and the Nieces) contemplate the arrive, news is brought of flooding in the relationship between the sexes. neighbourhood. Grimes arrives to await Ellen and the apprentice. The Borough’s antagonism Interlude IV towards him reaches a climax in Boles’s Passacaglia accusation, ‘His exercise is not with men but killing boys!’. To keep the peace and distract Act II everyone’s attention from Grimes, Ned Keene Scene 2 starts a round. Ellen and the apprentice turn Inside Grimes’s hut, an old upturned boat up half-drowned; to everyone’s consternation, Grimes orders the boy about in a rough manner Grimes insists on taking the boy away at once, which frightens the lad. In an attempt to soothe back into the stormy night to his desolate hut. the boy’s terror of him, Grimes evokes an image of what their life might be like if all goes well. Act II The vision of paradise transmutes into one Interlude III of hell as Grimes, in a foreshadowing of his A fine, sunny Sunday morning, some weeks later, eventual madness, recalls the dead, former leading without a break into apprentice. When he hears the townspeople climbing up the road to his hut, he loses his Scene 1 nerve, flings his nets and tackle out of the cliff- Scene as in Act I, Scene 1 side door and bundles the boy out. The boy slips

20 and falls to his death. Grimes scrambles down the boy’s safety. Swallow, as mayor, summons after him. When the townspeople reach the hut Hobson, constable of the Borough, to organise a they are surprised to find it empty, and not a posse to apprehend Grimes. little taken aback that it is neat and orderly. All leave by the main door except Balstrode, who Interlude VI goes out through the cliff-side door. Which leads directly into

Act III Act III Interlude V Scene 2 Moonlight on a summer’s evening Scene as in Scene 1, a few hours later. A thick fog has set in. Scene 1 Only the fog-horn and the calls of the Scene as in Act I, Scene 1. A few days after townspeople at their manhunt break the stillness Grimes’s disappearance of the night as Grimes, exhausted, hungry, wet, A dance is taking place in the Moot Hall, and and now insane, tries to return to his hut. Ellen there is considerable coming and going and Balstrode find him, but it is too late: he is between the Moot Hall and ‘The Boar’. Swallow beyond help. Balstrode proposes a way out: tries his luck with Auntie’s Nieces. Mrs Sedley, Grimes must sail out to sea, scuttle his boat, and one of the leading gossips in the Borough, sink with it. eavesdrops on Ellen as she tells Balstrode As dawn breaks, life in the Borough resumes that she has found the boy’s jersey washed its daily round. There is a report of a boat sinking up on the beach. Seeing that Grimes’s boat out at sea, beyond reach. No one is concerned. is back, Mrs Sedley informs Swallow of what she has learned and of her grave suspicions for © Philip Reed

21 From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 One of the finest heldentenors on the stage relationship with Edward Gardner has yielded today, the Australian Stuart Skelton is critically numerous exquisite performances on concert acclaimed for his outstanding musicianship, platforms and opera stages across the globe. tonal beauty, and intensely dramatic www.stuartskelton.com portrayals. His repertoire encompasses many of opera’s most challenging roles, from Acclaimed for her musicality and versatility, Wagner’s Lohengrin, Parsifal, Siegmund, the soprano Erin Wall sings an extensive and Tristan to Strauss’s Kaiser, Beethoven’s opera and concert repertoire spanning three Florestan, Saint-Saëns’s Samson, Dvořák’s centuries, from Mozart and Beethoven to Dimitrij, and Britten’s Peter Grimes. He appears Strauss and Britten. She has sung leading roles regularly at The , New in many of the world’s great opera houses, York, , Covent Garden, English including The Metropolitan Opera, New York, National Opera, and Opéra national de Paris Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Wiener Staatsoper, under the batons of , Philippe Opéra national de Paris, and Lyric Opera of Jordan, , , Chicago, and appears in concert with leading Asher Fisch, and Daniele Gatti, among others. maestri and symphony orchestras throughout He maintains a rigorous symphonic diary the world. During the 2019 / 20 season, she in a broad range of concert work, spanning performed and recorded two of her most from Beethoven and Mahler to Janáček and noted operatic roles, Thaïs with the Toronto Stravinsky. Stuart Skelton has collaborated in Symphony Orchestra under Sir Andrew Davis performances with Sir and and Ellen Orford (Peter Grimes) with the Bergen the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Philharmonic Orchestra under Edward Gardner. Santa Cecilia, and the She also made her much-anticipated début, , Sir and as Elsa (Lohengrin), at the Gran Teatre del the Berliner Philharmoniker, Franz Welser-Möst in Barcelona. In concert, she performed and The Cleveland Orchestra, ’s Vier letzte Lieder in Sydney, and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Berlin, and Jackson (Mississippi), and Mahler’s Rundfunks, Sir Andrew Davis and the Melbourne Symphony No. 8 with the Atlanta Symphony Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson and the Orchestra under Robert Spano, City of Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Christoph Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Mirga von Dohnányi and the Boston Symphony Gražinytė-Tyla, Bayerische Staatsoper under Orchestra. A particularly close artistic , and San Francisco Symphony

24 under Michael Tilson Thomas in the latter’s final Olivier Awards for his performance in the title role performances as Music Director. In Calgary, of Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria at The she appeared in a performance of Beethoven’s Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Missa solemnis. Erin Wall is scheduled in the near future to return to The Metropolitan Opera, Firmly established as one of the most Orchestre de Paris, and Melbourne Symphony accomplished mezzo- of her Orchestra, and to make her débuts with the generation, Susan Bickley masters a repertoire Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and New encompassing the baroque, the great Zealand Symphony Orchestra. nineteenth- and twentieth-century dramatic roles, and contemporary works. In 2011 she Roderick Williams OBE is one of the most received the Singer Award from the Royal sought-after of his generation, whose Philharmonic Society, the highest recognition wide repertoire spans baroque to contemporary for live classical music in the UK. Having music. Active in the opera house and on sung on many of the world’s great stages the concert platform, he is also in demand with conductors such as Sir Mark Elder, Ingo worldwide as a recitalist. He enjoys relationships Metzmacher, , Sir Andrew Davis, with all the major UK opera houses and has , and Mark Wigglesworth, performed in the world premiere of works by she has recently made notable appearances David Sawer, , Michel van der at The Dallas Opera, San Francisco Opera, Aa, , and Alexander Knaifel. He , Opéra national du Rhin, performs regularly with leading conductors and Opera Vlaanderen, Opéra national de Paris, orchestras throughout Europe, North America, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Staatsoper Berlin, and Australia, and has appeared at the BBC Salzburger Festspiele, and The Royal Opera, Proms as well as the Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Covent Garden. In concert she has performed Aldeburgh, and Melbourne festivals. He is a with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under composer whose works have been premiered at , Orchestra dell’Accademia the Wigmore Hall, Barbican, Purcell Room, and Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Antonio on national radio. In December 2016 he won the Pappano, and the Hallé; in addition she has prize for Best Choral Composition at the British appeared at , the BBC Proms, and Composer Awards. Having received an OBE in Edinburgh International Festival. In recital, she June 2017, Roderick Williams was nominated for has worked with Roger Vignoles, Iain Burnside, Outstanding Achievement in Opera in the 2018 András Schiff, Julius Drake, and Graham

25 Johnson. A prolific recording artist, Susan Hall in London. She has sung Brahms’s Ein Bickley has recorded works by John Eccles, deutsches Requiem and Mahler’s Symphony Rossini, Britten, and for No. 8 with the Swedish Radio Symphony . Orchestra under Daniel Harding, Bach’s with Les Musiciens du Louvre under Having obtained a BMus from the Guildhall Marc Minkowski, Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3 School of Music and Drama in London and under , ’s Leino attended Högskolan för scen och musik in Songs with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Gothenburg and Opera Studio in Stockholm, Orchestra, with the Orchestra of the Swedish soprano Hanna Husáhr continued the Age of Enlightenment, and Haydn’s her studies as a trainee at the Finnish National Paukenmesse under Manfred Honeck. In 2013 Opera, singing roles such as Adina (L’elisir Hanna Husáhr performed works by Schubert d’amore) and first Blumenmädchen and Knappe and Kraus with L’arte del mondo at the Berliner (Parsifal). She made her operatic début in 2009 Philharmonie. as Leïla (Les Pêcheurs de perles) at Folkoperan in Stockholm and has since made a name Born in Norway in 1980, the soprano Vibeke for herself as Pat Nixon (Nixon in China) and Kristensen was educated at Norges Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) at Kungliga Operan Musikkhøgskole, became a finalist in The in Stockholm, Xenia () with the Queen Sonja International Music Competition Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra under Kent in 2003, and finished her studies at Nagano, Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel) at Malmö Operaakademiet of Det Kongelige Danske Opera, Sophie (Werther), Helena (A Midsummer Musikkonservatorium in 2006. Having made Night’s Dream), and Zerlina () at her professional operatic début in 2004, Bergen Nasjonale Opera, Romilda (Serse) at as Despina (Così fan tutte) in a production Opéra royal de Versailles, Barbarina (Le nozze for young singers at the Savonlinna Opera di Figaro) and Céphise (Rameau’s Pigmalion) Festival, she made her début at Det Kongelige at Drottningholms slottsteater, Lucia (Lucia Teater, Copenhagen later that year as Amor di Lammermoor) at Latvian National Opera, (Gluck’s Orfeo et Euridice) and has since Woglinde () at Den Ny Opera in returned to the opera company several times Esbjerg, and First Niece (Peter Grimes) with the as a guest soloist. Subsequently she has been Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra under Edward a frequent guest on opera stages in Denmark Gardner in Oslo, Bergen, and the Royal Festival and Norway, notably as Adele (Die Fledermaus)

26 at Det Kongelige Teater, Susanna (Le nozze Holländer), amongst others. He has also di Figaro) at Den Jyske Opera in Aarhus and performed at , Opera Bergen Nasjonale Opera, and Gretel (Hänsel North, , Staatsoper Hamburg, und Gretel) and Adina (L’elisir d’amore) at Opera and Den Norske Opera, and appeared at the Nordfjord in Norway. In 2012 she was awarded Salzburger Festspiele and with Glyndebourne two of Denmark’s most prestigious opera on Tour. He has appeared in concert and awards for her performance of Snow White recital at the Wigmore Hall, the Newbury, Two in Snehvides Spejl (Snow White’s Mirror), a Moors, Brighton, Aldeburgh, and Edinburgh new full-length two-act opera by the Danish International festivals, and with the Orquesta composer Niels Marthinsen: the award for Best Sinfónica Simón Bolívar under Gustavo Opera Performance of the Year by the Danish Dudamel, Handel and Haydn Society under magazine Ascolta and The Aalborg Opera Prize. Harry Christophers, Mahler Chamber Orchestra Vibeke Kristensen is a frequent soloist in under Alan Gilbert, London Symphony Orchestra oratorios and masses and has performed with under Sir Simon Rattle, Le Concert d’Astrée all the major orchestras in both Denmark and under Emmanuelle Haïm, City of Birmingham Norway, in a wide-ranging repertoire. Symphony Orchestra under Sir , Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest The tenor Robert Murray studied at the Royal under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Philharmonia College of Music and National Opera Studio Orchestra under Esa-Pekka Salonen, as well as and won second prize in the at the BBC Proms under Sir . Awards in 2003. He was a Jette Parker Young Most recently Robert Murray returned to The Artist at The Royal Opera, Covent Garden Royal Opera in Gerald Barry’s Alice’s Adventures where he has sung Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), under Ground, appeared in Peter Grimes Borsa (Rigoletto), Gastone (La traviata), Harry alongside Stuart Skelton with the Bergen (La fanciulla del West), Lysander (A Midsummer Philharmonic Orchestra under Edward Gardner, Night’s Dream), Agenore (Il re pastore), Belfiore and performed Mendelssohn’s Elijah with both (La finta giardiniera), Jacquino (Fidelio), and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni). At English National and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Opera he has appeared as Simpleton (Boris Godunov), Tamino, Toni Reischmann (Henze’s The bass-baritone Neal Davies studied at King’s ), Idamante (), College, London and the Royal Academy of Don Ottavio, and Steuermann (Der fliegende Music and in 1991 won the Lieder Prize at the

27 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. He has David et Jonathas at Aix-en-Provence, available appeared in concert with the Oslo Philharmonic on DVD. Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Hallé, Cleveland The mezzo-soprano Catherine Wyn-Rogers Orchestra, , London studied at the and works Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic with Diane Forlano. She is herself a member Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, of the vocal faculty at the Royal Academy Orquesta Nacional de España, and Wiener of Music and was made an Hon RAM in 2018. Philharmoniker, with Sir Andrew Davis, Appearing regularly at the Wigmore Hall, and at Sir Mark Elder, Paul McCreesh, Ivor Bolton, the BBC Proms, , Edinburgh René Jacobs, Mariss Jansons, William Christie, International Festival, and , Edward Gardner, David Afkham, , among others, she has performed with such Christoph von Dohnányi, , distinguished conductors as , Frans Brüggen, and Daniel Harding. He is a Sir Andrew Davis, Sir , Bernard regular guest at the Edinburgh International Haitink, Sir Charles Mackerras, , Festival, BBC Proms, and with Les Violons Sir Roger Norrington, Sir Simon Rattle, Gennady du Roy under Bernard Labadie and Jonathan Rozhdestvensky, and Leonard Slatkin, and has Cohen. He has sung Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro), recorded extensively for the major labels. She Alaska Wolf Joe (Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt is a regular guest of Bayerische Staatsoper, Mahagonny), and in Giulio Cesare at The Royal English National Opera, and The Royal Opera, Opera, Covent Garden, and Zebul (Jephtha), Covent Garden, has also performed at Scottish Publio (La clemenza di Tito), Ariodates (Xerxes), Opera, Welsh National Opera, , and, Dr Kolenatý (The Makropulos Case), Garibaldo abroad, at the opera houses of Amsterdam, (Rodelinda), Antigonus and Shepherd (Ryan Chicago, Dresden, Houston, Madrid, Milan, and Wigglesworth’s A Winter’s Tale), and in a Paris, and made notable appearances at the production of Handel’s L’allegro, il penseroso Salzburger Festspiele, Glyndebourne Festival ed il moderato, staged and choreographed by Opera, and Verbier Festival. She has sung Mark Morris, at English National Opera; he also Adelaide () at The Metropolitan Opera, performs with Welsh National Opera, Scottish New York and Erda and Waltraute (Der Ring des Opera, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Opera di Nibelungen) under Zubin Mehta in Valencia and Roma, and . Neal Davies Florence. Among recent highlights Catherine appeared in performances of Charpentier’s Wyn-Rogers numbers performances of Elgar’s

28 with Staatskapelle Festival, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, and Berlin under Daniel Barenboim, released on CD, in the Royal Festival Hall. He Barber’s with Deutsches Symphonie- has recorded the title role in Handel’s Jephtha Orchester Berlin under David Zinman, Frank with The Sixteen and the tenor solo in Messiah Martin’s Le Vin herbé in a new production at under . Welsh National Opera, and Britten’s Peter In the field of opera, James Gilchrist has Grimes at the Edinburgh International Festival recorded the title role in Britten’s Albert Herring, under Edward Gardner. Her association with as well as roles in Britten’s and the role of Mrs Sedley in that opera spans many Vaughan Williams’s The Poisoned Kiss, all under renowned productions, including the ‘Grimes . In 2021 he will appear in Peter on the Beach’ in Aldeburgh and performances Grimes at in Madrid. He continues globally from Covent Garden to Tokyo and to expand his work as a recitalist, especially Teatro alla Scala, Milan. through his collaboration with the pianist Anna Tilbrook, with whom he has worked for more Having sung as a child in church choirs, than twenty years. Their significant discography James Gilchrist pursued a career in medicine, includes song cycles by Beethoven, Schubert, qualifying and working as a hospital doctor. and Schumann, Vaughan Williams’s On Wenlock But finding himself in demand as a singer, Edge and Songs of Travel, and songs by Sir he changed course in 1996. His earlier , Benjamin Britten, and John musical experience came largely in the field Jeffreys. They have been involved in several new of historically informed performance, and commissions from Sally Beamish, Julian Philips, he continues to perform with orchestras Jonathan Dove (all premiered in the Wigmore and choirs such as the Academy of Ancient Hall), Alec Roth, and Michael Zev Gordon. Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Akademie für Alte Musik, Bach Collegium Japan, Awarded First Prize in the 2009 Wigmore Hall Dunedin Consort, and Philharmonia Baroque International Song Competition and the Song Orchestra. In 2000, he took part in John Eliot Prize at the 2011 Kathleen Ferrier Competition, Gardiner’s Pilgrimage, performing and the baritone Marcus Farnsworth masters a recording Bach’s surviving sacred . wide range of repertoire spanning from Bach He has become well known as an interpreter of through the classical and romantic repertoire Bach, performing recently as Evangelist with to Britten, Turnage, and Maxwell Davies. He the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Bach appears frequently in recitals, symphonic

29 concerts, recording studios, and on the operatic (Martha by Friedrich von Flotow), Fabrizio stage throughout Europe, notably having Vingradito (La gazza ladra), Bosun (), collaborated with the BBC Symphony Orchestra Zaretsky (), Johann (Werther), in Turnage’s The Silver Tassie and Adams’s Doctor Pistola (), and Hobson (Peter Grimes). Atomic, London Symphony Orchestra in Candide, His operatic roles elsewhere have included conducted by Marin Alsop, and Birmingham Sparafucile, Basilio (), Colline Contemporary Music Group in Maxwell Davies’s (La bohème), Lodovico (), Nourabad Eight Songs for a Mad King, conducted by Sian (The Pearl Fishers), Private Willis (Iolanthe), and Edwards, at the BBC Proms. Subsequent to that Ben Benny (Paul Bunyan) at English National last appearance he was invited to perform the Opera, Colline at Opera North and Ópera de same piece with the Moscow Contemporary Guatemala, Masetto (Don Giovanni) and Mother Music Ensemble. In the operatic domain, he has (The Seven Deadly Sins) at Scottish Opera, and appeared in the hugely successful production Alidoro (La Cenerentola), Bertrand (Iolanta), of Iolanthe, directed by Cal McCrystal, at English Zaretsky and Captain (Eugene Onegin), the National Opera. Further afield, he has worked Bonze (), and Rocco (I gioielli with Teatro Real, in Madrid, in ’s Street della Madonna by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari) at Opera Scene, Bergen Nasjonale Opera in Candide, and Holland Park. On the concert platform Barnaby Boston Lyric Opera in a production of Turnage’s Rea has sung Judge Pitkin, First Workman, and Greek. Marcus Farnsworth is the Founder and Radio Announcer (On the Town) at the BBC Artistic Director of the Southwell Music Festival. Proms, Madman and Witness 3 in the Russian premiere of Lessons in Love and Violence by The British-Irish bass Barnaby Rea trained George Benjamin at the Mariinsky Theatre at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Concert Hall, Verdi’s Messa da Requiem live on and National Opera Studio before becoming BBC Radio 3, Mozart’s Requiem at the Royal a Harewood Artist at English National Opera Festival Hall, Hobson at the George Enescu (2013 – 16). In 2016 he became a member of Festival, and with the Bergen Philharmonic the solo ensemble of , where Orchestra at the Bergen and Edinburgh his roles have included Sparafucile (Rigoletto), international festivals, Mother with the RTÉ Baron Mirko Zeta (Die lustige Witwe), Soljony Concert Orchestra, Prince Gudal (The Demon by (Tri sestry by Péter Eötvös), Truffaldino (Ariadne Anton Rubinstein) at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, auf Naxos), Ochsenschwanz (Schwergewicht and Bob Becket (HMS Pinafore) at the Edinburgh by ), Lord Tristan Mickleford International Festival.

30 Although formally founded in 1919, the Bergen Nasjonale Opera. It is rapidly gaining a reputation Philharmonic Choir has roots going back to as a leading eight-part ensemble, 1765 when the Music Society Harmonien was giving more than fifty performances annually established for the purpose of organising throughout Norway and abroad. Leading orchestral concerts. The Choir flourished during composers have written numerous works and the tenure of Edvard Grieg as Music Director, his arrangements specially for the choir, including choral works still holding a special place in its an eight-part arrangement of Grieg’s ‘Holberg’ repertoire. In the past decade, under its current Suite by Jonathan Rathbone and a setting of director, Håkon Matti Skrede, it has reached a Våren by david lang. In addition to maintaining new summit of excellence, appearing regularly its busy performing schedule, EGK has devised with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in a comprehensive development and education standard symphonic repertoire, from Mozart to programme, dedicated to encouraging a cappella Britten, while also championing more unusual singing to the highest level; it includes seven repertoire and contemporary works. Highlights children’s choirs in Bergen (singers aged six of its recent calendar include performances of to sixteen) and Edvard Grieg Ungdomskor Britten’s Peter Grimes and , Elgar’s (members aged sixteen to twenty-six), whose The Dream of Gerontius, Janáček’s Glagolitic eclectic work ranges from opera and choral- Mass, Arne Nordheim’s Wirklicher Wald, and orchestral repertoire to a cappella pieces and Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder, some of these in has even included an appearance in concert collaboration with other local choirs. Many discs with the Rolling Stones. In 2017 the choir’s have received excellent reviews both near and recording of Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass with the afar, the recording of the Glagolitic Mass even Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra was nominated earning a Grammy nomination for Best Choral for a Grammy award in the category Best Choral Performance. Performance. The choir’s début a cappella album, Edvard Grieg Kor sings Grieg, was released The Norwegian vocal ensemble Edvard Grieg by Chandos Records in 2019. Highlights from Kor, founded and based in Bergen, is the recent and forthcoming seasons of Edvard Grieg resident a cappella ensemble at Troldhaugen, Kor include several appearances with VOCES8 the home of Edvard Grieg. Displaying versatility in Bergen, Manchester, and in Belgium, and across all musical genres, it performs regularly performances of motets by Bach conducted by with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Paul Agnew, Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder with the also forms the heart of the Chorus of Bergen Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Sir Simon

31 Rattle, and Britten’s Peter Grimes at the Edinburgh an arena in which professional and amateur International Festival and Royal Festival Hall in musicians can meet and perform music London with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra together for mutual inspiration. The ensemble conducted by Edward Gardner. was founded by Professor Jan Christensen in 1978 and consists of a choir and an orchestra, The Royal Northern College of Music Chorus totalling approximately eighty members. Its is made up of selected undergraduate and repertoire primarily features the major classical postgraduate students enrolled in the School of choral works, but also extends to romantic, Vocal Studies and Opera at the Royal Northern modern, and contemporary music. In addition, College of Music, in Manchester. All students it maintains a tradition of promoting and study on a combined Vocal and Opera course commissioning new pieces, most recently in which they are provided with unparalleled two works by the Norwegian composers Knut opportunities to develop their musicianship and Vaage and Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen. Collegium their communication and performance skills. Musicum enjoys musical partnerships with a The College is delighted to have professional number of international conductors and soloists links with international opera companies, opera of high profile. The Choir cooperates with the studios, and Young Artist programmes and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and its Choir on many prize-winning graduates of the College a regular basis, a cooperation that has resulted are now performing in major opera houses and in several highly successful performances and concert halls worldwide. Under its Chorus Master, CD releases. In 2017, their recording of Janáček’s Kevin Thraves, the Royal Northern College of Glagolitic Mass for Chandos Records was Music Chorus has collaborated with the Edvard nominated for a Grammy award in the category Grieg Kor and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Best Choral Performance. performances and recordings of Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder, Berlioz’s Grande Messe des Håkon Matti Skrede trained as a violinist and morts, and Britten’s Peter Grimes, the latter at singer at Griegakademiet in Bergen, Norway. Grieghallen in Bergen, Operahuset in Oslo, the As a singer he has appeared as a soloist in Royal Festival Hall in London, and Edinburgh numerous sacred works, and taken part in International Festival. several operatic productions. As a chorister and student choirmaster of the Drakensberg One of the leading musical ensembles in Boys’ Choir in South Africa, he decided to Bergen, Collegium Musicum is designed as develop his skills as a choral conductor. He

32 founded Edvard Grieg Kor in 2002, Edvard Grieg the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Edinburgh Guttekor in 2008, Edvard Grieg Jentekor in International Festival, Southbank Centre, 2010, and Edvard Grieg Ungdomskor in 2013, and BBC Proms. Previous international tours and is currently chorus master for Bergen have included performances at the Wiener Nasjonale Opera and Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Musikverein and Konzerthaus, Carnegie Hall, New and conductor of Collegium Musicum. He has York, and Berliner Philharmonie. conducted a number of operas with children In 2015 the Orchestra established its free and youths, as well as many large-scale sacred streaming platform, BergenPhiLive, which offers works for chorus and orchestra, including a fine selection of live streams and works Handel’s Messiah, the of Mozart, performed by the Orchestra and a range of Duruflé, Fauré, and Brahms, and Britten’s conductors and soloists. A youth symphony . In 2017 Håkon Matti orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Skrede received a Grammy nomination for was also established in 2015, which gives four to Best Choral Performance for the recording six concerts per year. of Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass, with the Bergen The Orchestra has an active recording Philharmonic Orchestra and choirs. The same schedule, at the moment releasing four CDs year Bergen Council awarded him its cultural every year. Critics worldwide applaud its prize, and in 2018 he received the Alle kan energetic playing style and full-bodied string synge-prize for his work with children. sound. Recording projects include Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie, ballets by Stravinsky, One of the world’s oldest orchestras, the the symphonies, ballet suites, and by Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra dates back to Prokofiev, and the complete orchestral music 1765 and celebrated its 250th anniversary in of Edvard Grieg. Enjoying long-standing artistic 2015. Edvard Grieg had a close relationship with partnerships with some of the finest musicians the Orchestra, serving as its artistic director in the world, the Orchestra has recorded with during the years 1880 – 82. Numbering one- , Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, James hundred-and-one musicians, the Orchestra Ehnes, Gerald Finley, Alban Gerhardt, Vadim has achieved the status of a Norwegian Gluzman, , Freddy Kempf, Truls National Orchestra. Edward Gardner has Mørk, , , Sara been Chief Conductor since 2015 and has Jakubiak, and Stuart Skelton, among others. taken the Orchestra on multiple international The Orchestra has recorded Tchaikovsky’s tours. These have included appearances at ballets and critically acclaimed series of works

33 by Johan Halvorsen and Johan Svendsen with included performances in Berlin, Munich, Neeme Järvi, orchestral works by Rimsky- and Amsterdam, and at the BBC Proms and Korsakov with Dmitri Kitayenko, and music Edinburgh International Festival. He was by Berlioz, Delius, Elgar, Sibelius, and Vaughan recently appointed Principal Conductor Williams with Sir Andrew Davis. Designate of the London Philharmonic The first collaboration on disc between Orchestra, his tenure commencing in Edward Gardner and the Orchestra was a September 2021. In demand as a guest recording of orchestral realisations by Luciano conductor, during the previous two seasons Berio. A critically acclaimed series devoted he made his début with the New York to orchestral works by Janáček, including a Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Grammy-nominated recording of his Glagolitic Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, and Mass, has been completed, and Schoenberg’s Wiener Symphoniker, as well as at The Royal Gurre-Lieder was released in 2016. 2017 saw Opera, Covent Garden in a new production of the release of a CD of orchestral songs by Kát’a Kabanová, praised by as a Sibelius, with Gerald Finley as soloist, and a ‘magnificent interpretation’. He returned to the disc of orchestral works by Bartók, including Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Philharmonia the for Orchestra. Recordings of the Orchestra, and Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di and incidental music from Milano. In April 2019, he conducted the London Peer Gynt by Grieg as well as the Grande Messe Philharmonic Orchestra at the Lincoln Center in des morts by Berlioz appeared in 2018. The New York. latest releases by the Bergen Philharmonic During the 2019 / 20 season he conducted Orchestra have been recordings of Bartók’s a revival of Werther at The Royal Opera Bluebeard’s Castle with John Relyea and and returned to The Metropolitan Opera for Michelle DeYoung, Brahms’s Symphonies performances of La Damnation de . In Nos 1 and 3, and Schoenberg’s Pelleas und London he conducted four concerts with the Melisande and Erwartung with Sara Jakubiak. London Philharmonic Orchestra and brought www.harmonien.no / www.bergenphillive.no the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra to the Royal Festival Hall with their acclaimed Peter Chief Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Grimes. As guest conductor, he appeared Orchestra since October 2015, Edward with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Montreal Gardner OBE has led the musicians on Symphony Orchestra, and Finnish Radio multiple international tours, which have Symphony Orchestra, and was due to work with

34 the San Francisco Symphony and Deutsches Academy of Music which appointed him its Symphonie-Orchester Berlin when the COVID-19 inaugural Sir Charles Mackerras Conducting crisis struck. He will continue his longstanding Chair in 2014. He is an exclusive Chandos artist, collaboration with the City of Birmingham whose recording projects with the Bergen Symphony Orchestra, of which he was Principal Philharmonic Orchestra have explored music by Guest Conductor from 2010 to 2016, and BBC Bartók, Berio, Berlioz, Brahms, Grieg, Janáček, Symphony Orchestra, whom he has conducted Schoenberg, and Sibelius. With the BBC at both the First and the Last Night of the BBC Symphony Orchestra he has focused on Elgar Proms. and Walton and released acclaimed discs of Music Director of English National Opera for works by Lutosławski and Szymanowski. With ten years (2006 – 15), Edward Gardner has an the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra he ongoing relationship with The Metropolitan has recorded numerous works by Mendelssohn, Opera, New York, where he has conducted including the symphonies and overtures. productions of Carmen, Don Giovanni, Born in Gloucester in 1974, he was educated at , and Werther. He has also Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music. He conducted at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Lyric went on to become Assistant Conductor of The Opera of Chicago, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Hallé and Music Director of Glyndebourne Touring and Opéra national de Paris. A passionate Opera. Among many accolades, Edward Gardner supporter of young talent, he founded the was named Conductor of the Year by the Royal Hallé Youth Orchestra in 2002 and regularly Philharmonic Society in 2008, won an Olivier conducts the National Youth Orchestra of Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera in Great Britain. He has a close relationship 2009, and received an OBE for Services to Music with The Juilliard School, and with the Royal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2012.

35 Stuart Skelton

Guðmundur Ingólfsson © Kristin Hoebermann

Erin Wall © Benjamin Ealovega Photography©

Roderick Williams Julie Kim Julie

Susan Bickley Britten: Peter Grimes op. 33

“Noch jemand für Peter Grimes, den britische Komponisten ermutigt hat, sich sadistischen Fischer?”, soll ein Londoner ebenfalls an der Gattung zu versuchen. Britten Bus-Schaffner seinen Passagieren vergnügt selbst merkte an, dass der Anlass “größer war zugerufen haben, als er sie während der als Sadler’s Wells oder auch ich selbst”, und ersten Spielzeit von Brittens überaus verlieh sodann der Hoffnung Ausdruck, “dass erfolgreicher neuen Oper Peter Grimes im viele Komponisten den Sprung wagen und, so Juni 1945 in der Nähe des Sadler’s Wells hoffe ich, gleich mir entdecken werden, dass Theatre aussteigen ließ. Als Konsequenz der das Wasser gar nicht so eisig ist wie erwartet!” unerwartet positiven Aufnahme dieses Werks Peter Grimes war nicht Brittens erste Oper. In sowie seiner zahlreichen weiteren Erfolge in den drei Jahren, die er und sein Partner, der Tenor der Gattung der Oper war es Benjamin Britten Peter Pears, zuvor in Nordamerika verbracht (1913 – 1976) beschieden, als der Komponist hatten (1939 – 1942), hatte Britten gemeinsam in die Geschichtsbücher einzugehen, dem es mit dem Dichter W.H. Auden an Paul Bunyan gelungen war, nach dem wechselhaften Los gearbeitet, einem eigenwilligen Versuch, die derartiger Werke im neunzehnten und frühen Geschichte des sagenumwobenen Gründers zwanzigsten Jahrhundert das Schicksal Amerikas in einem operettenhaften Stil zu der englischsprachigen Oper im Alleingang erzählen, der irgendwo zwischen dem Broadway gewendet zu haben. Während die jüngere und einem Highschool-Musical lag. Das Werk Musikwissenschaft plausibel dargelegt hat, wurde im Mai 1941 an der Columbia University dass die historische Bedeutung Brittens in aufgeführt und war ein schallender Misserfolg – dieser Hinsicht tatsächlich eher ein Mythos es sollten drei Jahrzehnte vergehen, bevor es ist – ein Mythos, der teils von der Publicity in erneut zur Aufführung kam (man hatte Verbindung mit den Aktivitäten seines späteren den von Krankheit gezeichneten Britten Ensembles, der English Opera Group bewusst ermutigt, das Werk für eine Produktion im konstruiert und verbreitet wurde –, ist nicht zu Rahmen des Aldeburgh Festivals von 1976 – leugnen, dass Peter Grimes in wesentlichem seinem Todesjahr – zu überarbeiten). Die Idee Maße neues Terrain betreten und andere zu einer zweiten Oper kam Britten im Jahr 1942,

40 als er und Pears sich in Kalifornien aufhielten ein Geruch von Salzwasser und Erdreich, der und zufällig auf einen Artikel in The Listener gelegentlich vom Duft der Blumen gemildert aufmerksam wurden, bei dem es sich um wird. Also denken Sie an Aldeburgh, wenn Sie einen Abdruck eines Rundfunk-Features des diesen recht eigenwilligen Poeten lesen, denn britischen Autors E.M. Forster über den Dichter er gehört zu diesem trüben kleinen Ort und und Kleriker George Crabbe (1754 – 1832) durch ihn zu England. handelte. “Über Crabbe zu sprechen, heißt über Forsters Artikel behandelt Crabbes Gedicht England sprechen”, begann der Artikel, und die “Peter Grimes”, das im Jahr 1810 als Teil suggestive Beschreibung des in der Grafschaft einer Sammlung mit dem Titel The Borough Suffolk gelegenen Küstenstädtchens veröffentlicht wurde. Es erzählt die Geschichte Aldeburgh, wo Crabbe geboren war und kurze eines gewalttätigen Fischers aus Aldeburgh, der Zeit als Vikar wirkte, hinterließ bei Britten die jungen Gehilfen, die er aus dem Armenhaus einen außerordentlichen Eindruck. Er selbst bezieht, umbringt und später von ihren Geistern stammte ebenfalls aus Suffolk, und die durch heimgesucht wird. Crabbes Grimes basierte Forsters Artikel ausgelöste tiefe angeblich auf der realen Person des Tom Brown, nach diesem Landstrich war ein wesentlicher eines Fischers, dessen Gehilfen auf mysteriöse Beweggrund für seinen Entschluss, Weise verschwanden, so dass er zunehmend noch im selben Jahr in seine Heimat East unter Verdacht geriet, sie ermordet zu haben. Anglia zurückzukehren, wo er schon bald In Crabbes Gedicht wird Grimes nach dem Aldeburgh zu seinem – auch kulturellen – Verschwinden von drei seiner Lehrjungen Lebensmittelpunkt machte. Wenn Crabbe, untersagt, weitere Knaben zu übernehmen; er wie Forster meinte, durch seine Erfahrungen wird aufgrund seines brutalen Verhaltens von in Aldeburgh “zum Dichter wurde”, so trifft der lokalen Gemeinschaft ausgeschlossen dies auch für Britten und seine Entwicklung und verliert schließlich den Verstand – ohne zum Komponisten zu. Forsters Ausführungen zu irgendeinem Zeitpunkt auch nur die Spur zu Crabbe und dessen Beziehung zu dem einer Empfindung oder gar Reue für seine Taten Küstenstädtchen lassen sich ebenso gut auf gezeigt zu haben. Britten beschloss, diese Britten anwenden: faszinierende Geschichte weiter zu erkunden; er Selbst wenn er von anderen Dingen schreibt, erstand in einem kalifornischen Buchladen ein schleichen sich in seine Verse immer wieder Exemplar von Crabbes Poetical Works (1851) und die See, das Mündungsgebiet, die flache Küste begann, sich über das Potential der Geschichte Suffolks und lokale Niederungen ein sowie als Opernsujet Gedanken zu machen.

41 Britten und Pears begannen mit dem vgl. Krieg, Gewalt” mit dem Land verglich, Schmieden ernsthafter Pläne für eine Grimes- “(sicher, unveränderlich) Frieden usw.”. Als die Oper noch während sie sich auf Long Island Oper Gestalt anzunehmen begann, ergab sich aufhielten, wo sie auf ihre Rückreise nach eine unmittelbare Entsprechung zwischen Großbritannien warteten. Es war Britten der Instabilität und Unberechenbarkeit des gelungen, sich bei der Stiftung, die der Dirigent Meeres und Grimes, der der See seinen Serge Koussevitzky 1942 zum Gedenken an Lebensunterhalt verdankte, während die seine verstorbene Frau Natalie gegründet hatte, Stabilität des Landes durch die Figur der einen Auftrag für die Komposition zu sichern. Schullehrerin Ellen Orford symbolisiert wurde, Koussevitzky, der kurz zuvor in Boston Brittens die einer anderen von Crabbes Geschichten dirigiert hatte, verzichtete entnommen war. Die zum Scheitern verurteilte großzügig auf seinen Plan, die Uraufführung Beziehung zwischen Grimes und Ellen, die er der Oper in Tanglewood zu geben, damit liebt und heiraten möchte, um eine respektable die Premiere in Großbritannien stattfinden Existenz aufzubauen, bildet den Kern der konnte. (Später sollte der Maestro – wohl auch Oper. Wie Forster die Opernfigur Grimes 1948 in eigenem Interesse – erklären, dass Peter beschrieb, hatte der Fischer sich unter Brittens Grimes die großartigste Oper seit Bizets Carmen Händen von dem Rohling aus Crabbes Gedicht sei.) Britten und Pears kehrten im März 1942 in einen “missverstandenen byronischen planmäßig mit dem Linienschiff Axel Johnson Helden” verwandelt, der “sensibel, voller nach Hause zurück. Während der Überfahrt Mitgefühl und reuegeplagt ist und den sein beschäftigte Britten sich mit der Komposition Schamgefühl zu einem besseren Menschen (oder, genauer, der Rekonstruktion) seiner macht”. Wenn man bedenkt, dass Pears in der Chorwerke und A Ceremony ersten Inszenierung des Werks die Titelrolle of Carols, nachdem amerikanische Zollbeamte schuf und schon bald unauslöschlich mit ihr zu seinem Verdruss bei seiner Abreise einige assoziiert wurde, ist es umso interessanter, seiner Manuskripte konfisziert hatten, da sich daran zu erinnern, dass die Figur des sich nicht ausschließen ließ, dass diese Grimes ursprünglich für einen Bariton und möglicherweise kodierte Informationen für nicht für einen Tenor intendiert war; die Partie die Kriegsgegner der Alliierten enthielten. scheint also zunächst nicht auf Pears gemünzt Außerdem begann Pears mit ersten Notizen gewesen zu sein. zu Crabbes Gedicht, in denen er das Meer, das Nachdem der vorläufige Plan für die er als “(das Unkalkulierbare – Unkontrollierte) Szenenfolge der Oper stand, musste Britten sich

42 als nächstes die Dienste eines kompetenten musikalischen Einfälle der Oper entstanden zu Librettisten sichern. Nach dem Desaster von unbeholfenen textlichen Zwischenlösungen, Paul Bunyan zögerte er, erneut mit Auden die zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt dann noch zusammenzuarbeiten, und wandte sich daher nachgebessert werden mussten. zunächst an Christopher Isherwood, den er gut Seine Befürchtungen bezüglich des kannte, seit er die Bühnenmusik zu zwei von und seine eigenen klar umrissenen Isherwood und Auden gemeinsam verfassten Vorstellungen von dem Werk bewogen Britten, Schauspielen komponiert hatte, die in den sich hinter dem Rücken seines Librettisten späten 1930er Jahren in London aufgeführt an andere Autoren zu wenden und deren Hilfe worden waren. Als Isherwood ablehnte, wandte bei der Umformulierung bestimmter Passagen Britten sich an seine zweite Wahl, den links- zu suchen. Zwei dieser Freunde, die Britten intellektuellen Schriftsteller und Journalisten halfen, Slaters Text zu modifizieren, arbeiteten Montagu Slater, einen begabten Amateurmusiker, für ihn später selbst als Librettisten. Eric den er kennengelernt hatte, als sie 1935 Crozier, der die erste Inszenierung von Peter gemeinsam an der Dokumentation Coal Face der Grimes produzierte und später das Libretto für GPO Film Unit arbeiteten; danach hatte Britten Albert Herring (1947) schrieb, wurde zu einem die Musik zu mehreren politisch aufgeladenen ständigen Vertrauten auf diesem Gebiet; er Schauspielen von Slater geschrieben. Slater erinnerte sich, dass Slater unwillig war, sich auf war von der gesellschaftspolitischen Thematik eine “aktive Zusammenarbeit” einzulassen – der Handlung angetan und erklärte sich allerdings war dies vielleicht ein unfairer bereit, das Libretto zu schreiben, an dem er Kommentar, wenn man bedenkt, wie dann vor allem zwischen Juni 1942 und Ende Slater keine Mühen scheute bei seinem – 1943 arbeitete; ein Großteil der Oper entstand erfolgreichen – Versuch, Britten davon zu daraufhin zwischen Januar 1944 und Februar überzeugen, das die erste Szene des Zweiten 1945. Slater erwies sich als langsamer Autor, Akts beschließende ergreifend-liebliche und da er zudem einer Vollzeitbeschäftigung Quartett der Frauen nicht zu verwerfen. Ronald nachging, konnte er sich dem Libretto nur Duncan (der 1946 das Libretto zu The Rape in seiner Freizeit widmen. Dies führte bei of Lucretia schrieb) arbeitete heimlich die Britten immer wieder zu Verdruss und es kulminierende “Wahnsinns”-Szene um; Britten kam wiederholt vor, dass er Teile der Musik informierte ihn im Februar 1945, “Montagu hat komponierte, ohne dass bereits der zugehörige die neue Verrückt-Szene akzeptiert & ich habe Text vorlag – einige der eingängigsten deine Beteiligung daran sehr tief gestapelt,

43 habe aber durchblicken lassen, dass du uns ein Spielstätte als seriöses Theater, nachdem das wenig geholfen hast!” Es war wohl weder Zufall Haus während des Kriegs als Tanzsaal gedient noch der Vergesslichkeit geschuldet, dass hatte. Letztlich aber bekundete die Sadler’s Britten Slater von der endgültigen Fassung Wells Opera Company großes Interesse an des Librettos keine Korrekturfahnen zur dem Werk und erklärten sich bereit, unter der Durchsicht sandte. Im August 1945 sah er sich Leitung von Crozier die erste Inszenierung dann gezwungen, ihm eine Entschuldigung zu zu produzieren, mit Pears (der schon früher schicken, in der er behauptete: “ich belästige an diesem Haus gesungen hatte) in der Dichter nie mit meinen Korrekturen ihrer Titelrolle und Joan Cross in der Rolle der Ellen Texte – Wystan [Auden] jedenfalls hat seine Orford. Dirigent war Reginald Goodall, und nie gelesen. Aber es tut mir leid, wenn ich Kenneth Green zeichnete für das Bühnenbild das verpatzt habe.” Slater verübelte Britten verantwortlich. Britten hatte nicht nur Slater inzwischen dessen kontrollierenden Umgang während des Schreibprozesses viel abverlangt, mit seinem Text; Crozier erinnerte sich, dass er hatte auch zu Green engen Kontakt gepflegt, er einmal die Fassung verlor und brüllte, “aber da er während des Kompositionsprozesses das ist meine Arbeit, das ist meine Arbeit”, eine genaue Vorstellung von Bühnenbild als Britten sein Missfallen äußerte, nachdem und Kostümen vor Augen haben wollte. Auch er erfahren hatte, dass Slater sein Libretto in Green stammte aus Suffolk, seine Sets waren einer allein von ihm selbst gebilligten Form zu allerdings weniger von Aldeburgh als von dem veröffentlichen gedachte. Doch Slater ließ sich nahegelegenen Städtchen Southwold inspiriert, nicht beirren und publizierte die unverfälschte das sich ungewöhnlicher Weise durch einen Fassung seines Texts in dem Band Peter Grimes mitten im Stadtzentrum stehenden Leuchtturm and Other Poems (1946), in dem das Libretto auszeichnet. Greens Entwürfe wurden von von all den überaus sinnvollen Revisionen einem Rezensenten der ersten Inszenierung als erscheint, die Britten vorgenommen “ausgesprochen suggestiv” beschrieben; sie hatte, um eine möglichst lebensnahe seien verantwortlich dafür, eine “Atmosphäre Umsetzung des Dramas auf der Opernbühne zu gespenstischer Stimmungen” zu schaffen, “die garantieren. einem Angst machen könnte, wäre sie nicht so Brittens Verleger Boosey & Hawkes poetisch”. hatten gehofft, dass Peter Grimes in Covent Als Werbung für die bevorstehende Garden inszeniert würde anlässlich der Produktion präsentierten Mitglieder des Wiedereröffnung der (von ihnen gepachteten) Ensembles am 31. Mai 1945 Auszüge der Oper

44 in der Londoner Wigmore Hall (mit Britten Bühne von Covent Garden eine neue und am Klavier). Die Oper selbst wurde dann am großzügiger inszenierte Produktion von Peter 7. Juni uraufgeführt, fast genau einen Monat Grimes an, wobei Pears und Cross wiederum nach dem Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs in ihre jeweiligen Rollen übernahmen. Inzwischen Europa. Die vom VE Day (Victory in Europe war die Oper – erstaunlicherweise – bereits Day) ausgelöste Euphorie lag noch in der Luft in Antwerpen, Basel, Berlin, Brno, Budapest, und trug zweifellos zu dem berauschenden Kopenhagen, Graz, Hamburg, Mannheim, Enthusiasmus bei, mit dem das neue Werk Mailand, Stockholm und Zürich zur Aufführung vom Publikum und den Repräsentanten gekommen sowie von Rundfunkanstalten der Presse gleichermaßen aufgenommen in Australien, Großbritannien und Italien wurde. Hinter den Kulissen von Sadler’s Wells ausgestrahlt worden. Im Sommer 1946 hatte war es allerdings zu großen Spannungen unter der Leitung des umtriebigen Leonard gekommen. Es gab offene Ressentiments Bernstein auch die verschobene Aufführung seitens verschiedener Mitglieder des in Tanglewood stattgefunden. 1948 folgten Ensembles, die monierten, dass alle drei Inszenierungen in Brüssel, Paris und New Hauptverantwortlichen des Projekts (Britten, York, und das Plattenlabel EMI spielte unter Pears und Crozier) den Kriegsdienst verweigert Mitwirkung von Pears, Cross, dem BBC Theatre hatten – was es zumindest fragwürdig Chorus und dem Orchester des Royal Opera erscheinen ließ, dass ihre schöpferische Arbeit House unter Goodalls Leitung Auszüge des bei den Siegesfeiern eine so prominente Rolle Werks ein. (Diese Aufnahmen wurden seinerzeit spielen sollte. Cross hatte neben ihrer Partie nicht veröffentlicht, ein Teil erschien zuerst der Ellen auch die Leitung des Ensembles inne, 1972 im Rahmen einer LP-Anthologie, und und so gab es schnell Gerüchte, dass sie der 1993 schließlich wurden alle Auszüge auf Inszenierung der Oper nur zugestimmt hatte, CD veröffentlicht.) 1958 dirigierte Britten weil sie sich diese sehr prominente neue Rolle seine eigene Einspielung mit dem Chor und sichern wollte. Trotz des großen Erfolgs zog Orchester des für Decca; Britten die Oper daher schon bald nach den für die Aufnahme wurde die vergleichsweise ersten Aufführungen aus dem Repertoire von neue Stereo-Technologie benutzt, die die Sadler’s Wells zurück und Cross, Crozier und Opernaufnahmen von Decca zu dieser Zeit Pears verließen gemeinsam das Ensemble. weithin bekannt machte; wiederum übernahm Im November 1947 lief unter der Leitung von Pears die Titelrolle, während Claire Watson die Tyrone Guthrie an der wesentlich größeren Ellen gab. Später dirigierte Britten eine eigens

45 für BBC Television inszenierte Produktion, Symphony Orchestra unter Sir Adrian Boult. die 1969 auf der Bühne des Konzertsaals Dieses Zwischenspiel trug ursprünglich den von Snape Maltings bei Aldeburgh in Farbe Arbeitstitel “Boy’s suffering” (Leiden eines auf Video gebannt wurde und heute ein Jungen) und begann mit einem Fugato, in seiner wertvolles Dokument von Pears’ denkwürdiger endgültigen Form wurde daraus jedoch eine Interpretation der Titelrolle darstellt. kraftvoll-beharrliche Umsetzung des Motivs, Die Nordsee, die sowohl sanft als auch das zu den Worten “And God have mercy upon wild sein kann, spielt unbestreitbar eine me!” (Möge Gott Mitleid mit mir haben!) erklingt; zentrale Rolle in der Oper; ihre gegensätzlichen diese Worte spricht Grimes nach dem fatalen Facetten kommen besonders in den Augenblick, als er Ellen geschlagen und damit Zwischenspielen des Orchesters zum Tragen, sein Schicksal besiegelt hat. deren Konzertfassung (unter dem Titel Four In einer Einführung zu Peter Grimes Sea Interludes op. 33a) – nur eine Woche anlässlich der ersten Rundfunkausstrahlung nach der Premiere der Oper – vom London im Jahr 1946 beschrieb Pears das Werk Philharmonic Orchestra unter der Leitung des als “eine Oper, die den Konflikt zwischen Komponisten im Rahmen des Cheltenham der Gesellschaft und dem Individuum Festivals zum ersten Mal aufgeführt wurde. thematisiert”. Die im Titel genannte Figur des In seiner 1945 verfassten Einführung in Fischers charakterisierte er als “einen ganz die Oper erklärte Britten, “Ich wollte mein gewöhnlichen schwachen Charakter”, der bei Bewusstsein des ständigen Kampfes zum dem Versuch, von der lokalen Gemeinschaft Ausdruck bringen, den die Männer und Frauen akzeptiert zu werden, “gegen den allgemeinen auszustehen haben, deren Lebensunterhalt Verhaltenskodex verstößt”. “Von der von der See abhängt”; später jedoch spielte Gemeinschaft als Krimineller klassifiziert”, er diesen Aspekt herunter und behauptete, so Pears, wird er schließlich “als solcher die Oper drehe sich vor allem um die Aktionen vernichtet”. Die eindringliche Darstellung der der in ihr vorkommenden Menschen und Stadtbewohner mittels der eingängigen Partien diese hätten sich genauso verhalten, wenn des Opernchors und die Unerbittlichkeit, mit sie sich ganz woanders befunden hätten. Die der sie Grimes in sein nasses Grab treiben konzertante Erstaufführung eines fünften und die sie an seinem tragischen Untergang Orchester-Zwischenspiels, der Passacaglia mitschuldig (und bis zu einem gewissen Punkt op. 33b, fand am 29. August 1945 in der direkt für diesen verantwortlich) werden lässt, Royal Albert Hall statt, ausgeführt vom BBC ist sicherlich einer der überzeugendsten

46 Aspekte des Werkes. Die Intensität dieses Operncharakteren, die im späteren Schaffen Konflikts lässt vermuten, dass er für den des Komponisten für die dramatische Bühne Komponisten eine besondere persönliche gezwungen waren, mit unlösbaren Problemen Bedeutung hatte; Britten gab zu erkennen, dass von Konformität versus Nonkonformismus, er und Pears sich als Kriegsdienstverweigerer von mit gesellschaftlicher Verantwortung in “ausgegrenzt” gefühlt hatten und dass das Widerspruch stehenden privaten Begierden Werk deshalb eine “zentrale Empfindung ... des und mit der Misere des einsamen Außenseiters Einzelnen gegenüber der Menge verkörpert, zu ringen. mit ironischen Andeutungen bezüglich unserer © 2020 Mervyn Cooke eigenen Situation”. Britten fuhr fort: Übersetzung: Stephanie Wollny Man kann nicht sagen, dass wir physisch gelitten hätten, aber wir verspürten natürlich eine ungeheure Anspannung. Ich denke, es Synopsis war zum Teil diese Empfindung, die uns dazu Prolog brachte, Grimes zu einem Charakter von tiefer Im Versammlungssaal Erkenntnis und voller konfliktbeladener Impulse Die Oper beginnt mit einer Befragung von zu machen, also zu dem gepeinigten Idealisten, Grimes im Rahmen einer gerichtlichen der er hier ist, und nicht zu dem Schurken, als Untersuchung zur Klärung der Ursache den Crabbe ihn darstellte. für den Tod seines Lehrjungen. Der Doch die Spannungen hatten auch noch tiefere Untersuchungsrichter Swallow (der auch Gründe – schließlich waren Britten und Pears Bürgermeister und führender Jurist des schwul zu einer Zeit, als Homosexualität noch Bezirks ist) bewertet den Tod als Unfall, als Straftat galt. Der Musikwissenschaftler doch Grimes beklagt sich, dass dieses Urteil Philip Brett legte – im Rahmen einer in seinen Namen nicht wirklich reinwasche und den frühen 1980er Jahren durchgeführten die Klatschmäuler der Gemeinde fortfahren eingehenden Untersuchung des primären würden, ihn zu beschuldigen. Der Gerichtssaal Quellenmaterials – als erster dar, dass Brittens leert sich. Grimes und die Lehrerin Ellen Orford Kommentar mit großer Wahrscheinlichkeit singen ein versöhnliches Duett. auch ein hohes Maß an Ausgrenzung wegen seiner und Pears’ Sexualität implizierte. In Zwischenspiel I jedem Fall aber erwies Grimes sich als der erste Eine musikalische Darstellung der in einer langen Reihe von unvergesslichen Morgendämmerung leitet unmittelbar über zu

47 Akt I Die Fischer suchen Zuflucht vor dem Szene 1 Sturm. Neu Hinzustoßende berichten von Eine Straße an der See, einige Tage später Überflutungen in der Gegend. Grimes erscheint Die Bewohner der Stadtgemeinde gehen ihrem und wartet auf Ellen und den Lehrjungen. Die Tagesgeschäft nach. Als Grimes auftaucht und Ressentiments der Gemeinde gegenüber dem darum bittet, dass man ihm helfe, sein Boot an Fischer erreichen einen Höhepunkt mit Boles’ Land zu ziehen, weichen ihm alle aus, außer Anklage: “Er befasst sich nicht mit Männern, er Balstrode und dem Apotheker Ned Keene, der bringt stattdessen Jungen um!” Um den Frieden für ihn einen neuen Lehrjungen aufgetrieben zu wahren und von Grimes abzulenken, fängt hat. Trotz der in der Gemeinde verbreiteten Ned Keene einen Kanon an. Pudelnass tauchen Missbilligung erklärt Ellen sich bereit, den Jungen Ellen und der Lehrjunge auf und Grimes besteht mit dem Karren des Lastenträgers aus dem zur allgemeinen Empörung darauf, den Jungen Armenhaus zu holen. sofort mit in die stürmische Nacht hinaus Kurz nachdem sie sich entfernt, zieht ein Sturm zu nehmen und in seine armselige Hütte zu auf, der umso bedrohlicher ist, als eine Springflut bringen. erwartet wird. Während die Ortsansässigen sich in Sicherheit bringen, bleiben Grimes und Balstrode Akt II allein zurück. Balstrode versucht Grimes zu Zwischenspiel III überreden, die Stadt zu verlassen, aber der Ein strahlend sonniger Sonntagmorgen Fischer erklärt, er sei “ein Einheimischer, hier einige Wochen später. Die Musik geht ohne verwurzelt” und offenbart seinen Traum von einer Unterbrechung über zu Zukunft ohne wirtschaftliche Probleme mit Ellen als Gemahlin an seiner Seite. Szene 1 Szene wie in Akt I, Szene 1 Zwischenspiel II Ellen und Grimes’ neuer Lehrjunge sitzen in der Eine Beschwörung der Schrecken des Sonne am Meer, während in der Pfarrkirche Sturms. Die Musik des Interludiums bildet den die Morgenandacht abgehalten wird. Zufällig klanglichen Hintergrund von entdeckt Ellen, dass die Kleider des Jungen zerrissen sind und sein Körper Prellungen Akt I aufweist. Als Grimes naht, um ihn zum Fischen Szene 2 mitzunehmen, tritt Ellen ihm entgegen. Vor den Im Gasthaus “The Boar”, am selben Abend Augen einiger Ortsbewohner konfrontiert sie

48 ihn, ihre Fragen führen zu einem offenen Streit sind sehr erstaunt, wie sauber und ordentlich und es endet damit, dass Grimes sie schlägt. alles ist. Alle verlassen den Raum durch die Aufgebracht folgt die Ortsgemeinschaft dem Vordertür, nur Balstrode nimmt den Ausgang zur Rektor und Swallow zu Grimes Hütte, um die Klippenseite. Wahrheit herauszufinden. Vier der Frauen (Ellen, Tantchen und die Nichten) stellen Akt III Betrachtungen über das Verhältnis zwischen Zwischenspiel V den Geschlechtern an. Ein Sommerabend im Mondlicht

Zwischenspiel IV Szene 1 Passacaglia Szenenbild wie in Akt I, Szene 1. Einige Tage nach Grimes’ Verschwinden Akt II Im Versammlungssaal findet ein Tanz statt Szene 2 und es herrscht ein ständiges Kommen und In Grimes’ Hütte, ein umgedrehtes altes Boot Gehen zwischen dem Saal und dem Gasthaus Grimes kommandiert den Jungen grob herum, “The Boar”. Swallow versucht sein Glück bei was diesen verängstigt. Der Mann versucht, Tantchens Nichten. Mrs. Sedley, eine der den verschreckten Knaben zu beschwichtigen, aktivsten Klatschbasen vor Ort, belauscht und entwirft ein Zukunftsbild, wie ihr Leben Ellen, als diese Balstrode erzählt, sie habe sich entwickeln könnte, wenn alles gut läuft. den Pullover des Jungen am Strand angespült Diese paradiesische Vision verkehrt sich in ihr gefunden. Als sie sieht, dass Grimes’ Boot höllisches Gegenteil, als Grimes sich in einer zurückgekehrt ist, teilt Mrs. Sedley Swallow mit, Vorahnung seines sich andeutenden Wahnsinns was sie gehört hat, und bringt ihre ernsthaften an den gestorbenen letzten Lehrjungen erinnert. Sorgen um die Sicherheit des Jungen zum Als er hört, dass die Ortsleute sich auf der Ausdruck. In seiner Funktion als Bürgermeister Straße zu seiner Behausung nähern, verliert er wendet Swallow sich an Hobson, den die Nerven, wirft seine Netze und Gerätschaften Wachtmeister des Ortes, und weist ihn an, eine aus der zur Klippe gewandten Tür und schiebt Gruppe von Männern zu organisieren, um Grimes den Jungen hinterher. Dieser rutscht aus, stürzt festzunehmen. in die Tiefe und ist tot. Grimes klettert ihm nach. Als die Ortsleute die Hütte erreichen, finden Zwischenspiel VI sie diese zu ihrer Überraschung leer vor und Leitet direkt über zu

49 Akt III helfen. Balstrode schlägt einen Ausweg vor: Szene 2 Grimes soll auf die See hinaussegeln, sein Boot Wie in Szene 1, einige Stunden später. Dichter versenken und mit ihm untergehen. Nebel ist aufgezogen. Als die Morgendämmerung anbricht, geht Nur das Nebelhorn und die Rufe der an der das Leben in der Gemeinde wieder seinen Fahndung beteiligten Ortsleute unterbrechen üblichen Gang. Es gibt Berichte, dass weit die Stille der Nacht, als der erschöpfte, draußen auf dem Meer – unerreichbar – ein hungrige, durchnässte und inzwischen Boot gesunken ist. Niemand schert sich darum. wahnsinnige Grimes versucht, zu seiner Hütte zurückzukehren. Ellen und Balstrode finden © Philip Reed ihn, doch es ist zu spät, ihm ist nicht mehr zu Übersetzung: Stephanie Wollny

50 From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 Hanna Husáhr

Anna Thorbjörnsson POZE Photography Vibeke Kristensen © Gerard Collett Gerard Photography©

Robert Murray © Gerard Collett Gerard Photography©

Neal Davies Britten: Peter Grimes, op. 33

“Encore quelqu’un pour Peter Grimes le pêcheur à se lancer eux-mêmes dans la composition sadique?”, criait, dit-on, un conducteur de d’opéras. Britten nota que l’événement que bus londonien, le sourire au coin des lèvres, fut la création de l’opéra “fut plus important à ses passagers qu’il faisait descendre près que Sadler’s Wells ou moi-même” et exprima du Sadler’s Wells Theatre. En ce mois de le souhait “que de nombreux compositeurs juin 1945, les premières représentations du fassent le plongeon, et j’espère aussi que, nouvel opéra Peter Grimes étaient en cours, comme moi, ils trouveront que l’eau n’est pas et le succès était immense. En raison du aussi glaciale qu’il n’y paraît!”. profil exceptionnel, inattendu, de cette œuvre Peter Grimes n’était pas le premier opéra et de ses nombreuses réalisations dans le de Britten. Pendant les trois années qu’il avait genre par la suite, son compositeur, Benjamin passées, avec son compagnon, le ténor Peter Britten (1913 – 1976), fut appelé à entrer dans Pears, en Amérique du Nord (1939 – 1942), il l’histoire pour avoir réussi, seul, à donner avait travaillé avec le poète W.H. Auden à Paul un élan nouveau à la composition d’opéras Bunyan, une curieuse tentative de relater écrits en langue anglaise, après que diverses l’histoire du fondateur mythique de l’Amérique œuvres dans le genre eurent connu un destin dans un style d’opérette se situant à mi-chemin quelque peu mitigé au cours du dix-neuvième entre Broadway et la comédie musicale de siècle et du début du vingtième. Si selon des collège. Jouée à la Columbia University en mai recherches récentes, la signification historique 1941, l’œuvre fut un échec retentissant et elle de la contribution de Britten à cet égard relève dut attendre plus de trois décennies avant quelque peu du mythe – un mythe adroitement de revoir la lumière du jour (quand Britten, construit et entretenu en partie par la publicité souffrant, fut instamment invité à la revoir associée aux activités de la compagnie pour une production à l’Aldeburgh Festival en lyrique qu’il fonda plus tard, l’English Opera 1976, l’année de son décès). En 1942, l’idée Group –, on ne peut nier que Peter Grimes d’un deuxième opéra vint à Britten lorsqu’il fit significativement œuvre de pionnier et était avec Pears en Californie et qu’il tomba encouragea d’autres compositeurs anglais par hasard sur un article dans The Listener

56 qui reprenait un exposé à la radio de l’auteur une collection intitulée The Borough. Le poème anglais E.M. Forster sur le poète et clergyman raconte l’histoire d’un pêcheur violent, habitant George Crabbe (1754 – 1832). “Parler de Crabbe, Aldeburgh, qui tuait les mousses qu’il faisait c’est parler de l’Angleterre”, disait l’article en venir des ateliers sociaux et qui reçut ensuite guise d’introduction, et sa description imagée la visite de leurs fantômes. Crabbe se serait de la ville côtière d’Aldeburgh dans le Suffolk, où inspiré pour ce poème de la vie du personnage Crabbe naquit et fut brièvement vicaire du culte de Tom Brown, un pêcheur dont les apprentis anglican, eut un impact immense et immédiat disparaissaient mystérieusement et sur lequel sur Britten. Lui aussi naquit dans le Suffolk, et la pesèrent de plus en plus de soupçons. Dans profonde nostalgie de cette contrée que fit naître le poème de Crabbe, après la disparition de chez lui l’article de Forster s’avéra déterminante trois de ses mousses, Grimes se voit interdire dans sa décision de retourner dans son pays d’encore en engager. Son comportement l’isole natal plus tard cette année-là et de s’enraciner de plus en plus de la communauté locale et domestiquement et culturellement en Est- il finit par perdre la raison – à aucun stade Anglie, où il décida bientôt de s’établir lui-même ses actes n’ont suscité chez lui le moindre à Aldeburgh. Si, comme le suggéra Forster, sentiment, le moindre remords. Britten qui l’expérience d’Aldeburgh “façonna Crabbe en voulait en savoir plus sur cette histoire tant que poète”, elle façonna aussi Britten en singulière acheta une copie des Poetical Works tant que compositeur. La description par Forster (1851) de Crabbe dans une librairie californienne de Crabbe et de sa relation avec la ville pourrait et commença à réfléchir au potentiel s’appliquer mot pour mot à Britten: opératique du récit. Même lorsqu’il écrit sur d’autres sujets, C’est un peu plus tard, alors qu’ils se sa poésie reflète encore et encore la mer, trouvaient à Long Island attendant de regagner l’estuaire, le littoral plat du Suffolk, mais le Royaume-Uni, que Britten et Pears se aussi les mesquineries locales, et une odeur mirent sérieusement à donner forme au projet d’embruns et de saleté – que vient adoucir de d’un opéra sur le sujet de Grimes. Britten temps à autre un parfum de fleurs. Souvenez- avait eu la chance de pouvoir s’assurer une vous donc d’Aldeburgh quand vous lirez ce commande de l’œuvre par la fondation que poète étrange, car il appartient à ce sombre le chef d’orchestre Serge Koussevitzky avait coin perdu, et par là à l’Angleterre. créée en 1942 en mémoire de son épouse, L’article de Forster commentait le poème de Natalie. Koussevitzky qui avait récemment Crabbe “Peter Grimes”, publié en 1810 dans dirigé la Sinfonia da Requiem de Britten à

57 Boston renonça généreusement à son projet de la version opératique de Grimes en 1948, de créer l’œuvre à Tanglewood pour que la souligne que le pêcheur, par l’entremise première puisse avoir lieu au Royaume-Uni. de Britten, est transformé de la brute qu’il (Plus tard – même s’il y vit en même temps son était dans le poème de Crabbe en un “héros propre intérêt – le maestro déclara que Peter byronien incompris” qui “est sensible, plein Grimes était le plus grand opéra depuis Carmen de compassion, dévoré par le remords et la de Bizet.) Britten et Pears réembarquèrent honte”. Comme Pears créa le rôle-titre lors de effectivement pour l’Angleterre en mars 1942, sur la première et devint vite indéfectiblement le SS Axel Johnson. À bord, Britten composait (ou, associé à ce rôle, il est intéressant de noter plus exactement, reconstruisait) ses œuvres que le rôle de Grimes, à l’origine, était prévu chorales Hymn to St Cecilia et A Ceremony of pour un baryton plutôt que pour un ténor, ce qui Carols, après la confiscation malencontreuse de laisse supposer qu’il ne fut pas conçu pour lui certains de ses manuscrits par le Service des initialement. douanes américain sous prétexte qu’ils auraient Une fois terminé le schéma préliminaire du pu contenir des informations codées pour les scénario de l’opéra, Britten eut besoin d’un ennemis des forces alliées en cette période librettiste compétent. Il hésitait à travailler de de guerre. Pendant le voyage, Pears s’occupa nouveau avec Auden, après le désastre de en prenant quelques notes inspirées par le Paul Bunyan, et donc il se tourna tout d’abord poème de Crabbe, et il y opposait la mer qu’il vers son collaborateur au théâtre, Christopher décrivait comme “(Imprévisible – Sauvage) Isherwood, qu’il connaissait bien pour avoir cf. la guerre, la violence”, et la terre “(Sûre – composé de la musique de scène pour deux de Immuable), la paix etc.”. Comme l’opéra prenait ses pièces écrites en collaboration avec Auden forme, l’instabilité et l’imprévisibilité de la mer et mises en scène à Londres à la fin des furent associées directement au personnage années 1930. Lorsqu’Isherwood déclina son de Grimes, qui lui devait son gagne-pain de invitation, Britten fit appel à son second choix, pêcheur, tandis que la stabilité de la terre était l’auteur et journaliste de gauche Montagu Slater, symbolisée par le personnage de la maîtresse un amateur de musique talentueux dont il avait d’école Ellen Orford, emprunté à un autre récit fait la connaissance lorsqu’ils travaillaient de Crabbe. La relation maudite de Grimes avec ensemble sur le documentaire Coal Face de la Ellen, la femme qu’il aime et souhaite épouser GPO Film Unit en 1935; Britten avait ensuite écrit pour assurer sa respectabilité, se trouve au de la musique pour plusieurs pièces de Slater cœur de l’opéra. Forster, dans sa description à forte tendance politique. Slater, attiré par les

58 thèmes sociaux de l’intrigue, accepta d’écrire l’Acte II, Scène 1, d’une beauté envoûtante. le livret auquel il travailla principalement entre Ronald Duncan (auteur plus tard, en 1946, juin 1942 et fin 1943, et la plus grande partie du livret de ) remania de la musique de l’opéra fut composée entre discrètement la scène paroxystique de la janvier 1944 et février 1945. Slater avançait folie, et Britten lui dit en février 1945: “Montagu lentement, car il avait un emploi à temps plein a donné son accord pour la nouvelle scène et ne pouvait travailler à l’opéra qu’en dehors de de la folie; je n’ai pas dit grand-chose au son activité professionnelle. Ceci fut à l’origine sujet de votre contribution, tout en laissant de beaucoup de frustration pour Britten qui entendre quand même que vous nous aviez parfois composa certains passages sans en un peu aidés!”. Ce ne fut probablement ni par avoir le texte: plusieurs épisodes parmi les plus accident, ni par oubli que Britten omit d’envoyer mémorables de l’opéra furent écrits sur base les épreuves du livret définitif à Slater pour de textes provisoires, maladroits qu’il fallut correction, et le compositeur fut obligé de modifier plus tard. lui écrire en août 1945 pour s’excuser: “Je Les angoisses de Britten par rapport au n’importune jamais les poètes en leur envoyant livret et la vision très personnelle qu’il avait les épreuves de leur travail – en tout cas, de la pièce l’amenèrent à consulter d’autres Wystan [Auden] n’a jamais lu les siennes. Mais personnes parmi ses proches derrière le dos excusez-moi s’il s’agit d’un faux-pas.” Slater de son librettiste, et même à leur demander de commençait à être contrarié par le contrôle l’aide pour remanier certains passages. Deux qu’exerçait Britten sur son texte, et Crozier se des amis qui contribuèrent à modifier le texte souvient qu’il se fâcha et cria, “mais ceci est de Slater devinrent par la suite eux-mêmes mon travail, ceci est mon travail” quand Britten librettistes. , auteur de la première lui fit comprendre que cela ne lui plaisait pas mise en scène de Peter Grimes et qui écrivit qu’il veuille publier son livret sous une forme ensuite le livret d’Albert Herring (1947), devint qu’il était seul à approuver. Déterminé, Slater une personne de confiance en la matière; alla de l’avant et publia le texte tel quel dans le il rappela que Slater se montrait réticent à volume Peter Grimes and Other Poems (1946), “collaborer activement”, mais ce fut sans doute sans aucune des révisions d’ordre très pratique un reproche immérité si l’on sait de quelle que Britten avait apportées pour rendre le persuasion Slater fit preuve pour convaincre drame plus vivant sur la scène opératique. Britten – et il y réussit – de ne pas abandonner Les éditeurs de Britten, Boosey & Hawkes, le quatuor des jeunes femmes qui conclut espéraient que Peter Grimes soit mis en scène

59 à Covent Garden pour marquer la réouverture Londres le 31 mai 1945. Les représentations du lieu (qu’ils avaient acquis par bail) comme elles-mêmes commencèrent le 7 juin, théâtre sérieux après sa transformation pratiquement un mois jour pour jour après la pendant la guerre en salle de danse. Mais il fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale en Europe. se fit que la Sadler’s Wells Opera Company fut L’euphorie déclenchée par le VE Day (Victory fort enthousiasmée par l’œuvre et accepta in Europe Day, souvent appelé V Day dans les d’en monter la première production sous la pays francophones européens) était toujours direction de Crozier, avec Pears (qui avait déjà dans l’air, et cette atmosphère contribua chanté pour la compagnie) dans le rôle-titre sans aucun doute à l’enthousiasme effréné et Joan Cross dans celui d’Ellen Orford. Le chef que suscita la nouvelle œuvre tant auprès du d’orchestre était Reginald Goodall, et Kenneth public que des représentants de la presse. Green était chargé de la mise en scène et Mais au sein du Sadler’s Wells de fortes des costumes. Britten, dont les exigences tensions étaient nées. Certains membres adressées à Slater au cours du processus de la compagnie ne cachaient pas qu’ils d’écriture du livret avaient été importantes, ne voyaient pas d’un bon œil que les trois restait aussi en contact régulier avec Green principaux intéressés dans le projet (Britten, parce qu’il voulait pouvoir visualiser les décors Pears et Crozier) aient tous été objecteurs et costumes pendant qu’il composait la de conscience pendant la guerre, un aspect musique de l’opéra. Green était aussi natif du sans doute peu compatible avec le fait que Suffolk, mais ses décors étaient moins inspirés leur œuvre soit tellement mise en valeur lors par Aldeburgh que par la ville toute proche de des célébrations de la victoire. Cross, qui Southwold au centre de laquelle, étrangement, jouait le rôle d’Ellen, était aussi directrice de se dresse un phare. Les décors de Green la compagnie, et le bruit courait qu’elle avait furent décrits par l’un des critiques de la accepté de monter l’opéra uniquement pour première production comme “très évocateurs” s’assurer d’avoir à son palmarès ce nouveau et contribuant à créer “une atmosphère rôle de prestige. Assez vite après cette tourmentée qui aurait été lugubre si elle n’avait première série de représentations, en dépit été aussi poétique”. du grand succès de l’opéra, Britten le retira du Dans l’intention d’annoncer la production répertoire du Sadler’s Wells, et Cross, Crozier et à venir, certains artistes faisant partie de la Pears quittèrent tous trois la compagnie. distribution jouèrent des extraits de l’opéra Une nouvelle production de Peter Grimes, (avec Britten au piano) au Wigmore Hall de de plus d’envergure, dirigée par Tyrone Guthrie

60 avec Pears et Cross reprenant leur rôle, fut 1969 sur la scène du Snape Maltings Concert montée sur la scène, beaucoup plus vaste, Hall près d’Aldeburgh, qui reste un témoin de de Covent Garden en novembre 1947. Et à choix de l’interprétation mémorable par Pears ce moment-là, l’opéra avait déjà été mis en du rôle-titre. scène (fait extraordinaire) à Anvers, Bâle, La mer du Nord, tantôt calme, tantôt Berlin, Brno, Budapest, Copenhague, Graz, déchaînée, joue indéniablement un rôle central Hambourg, Mannheim, Milan, Stockholm et dans l’opéra, et ses facettes contrastées sont Zurich, et avait été diffusé sur les ondes des célébrées dans les interludes orchestraux radios australienne, britannique et italienne. dont les versions de concert furent créées La représentation à Tanglewood, qui avait (sous le titre Four Sea Interludes, op. 33a), été reportée, avait eu lieu, elle aussi, pendant au Cheltenham Festival – une semaine l’été de 1946, avec le dynamique Leonard exactement après la première représentation Bernstein à la direction d’orchestre. Des mises de l’opéra –, par le London Philharmonic en scène suivirent à Bruxelles, Paris et New Orchestra sous la direction du compositeur. York en 1948, l’année au cours de laquelle EMI Dans son introduction à l’opéra, en 1945, enregistra des extraits de l’œuvre avec Pears, Britten déclara: “J’ai voulu exprimer combien Cross, le BBC Theatre Chorus et l’Orchestra j’étais conscient de la lutte perpétuelle of the Royal Opera House dirigé par Goodall. menée par les hommes et les femmes dont (Ces enregistrements ne furent par publiés la subsistance dépend de la mer”; mais plus à l’époque. Certains virent le jour en tant que tard, il atténua ses propos en disant que l’opéra partie d’une anthologie LP en 1972 et tous avait essentiellement pour sujet les actes des sortirent finalement en CD en 1993.) Britten protagonistes, et qu’ils se seraient comportés dirigea son propre enregistrement avec le de la même manière s’ils s’étaient trouvés Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera ailleurs. Un cinquième interlude orchestral, la House pour Decca en 1958, un enregistrement Passacaglia, op. 33b, fut créé au Royal Albert utilisant la relativement nouvelle technologie Hall par Sir Adrian Boult et le BBC Symphony stéréo qui faisait petit à petit la réputation Orchestra, le 29 août 1945. Cet interlude des enregistrements d’opéra par Decca, avec portait à l’origine le titre provisoire de “Boy’s Pears une fois encore dans le rôle-titre et Claire suffering” et commençait par un fugato, mais Watson dans le rôle d’Ellen. Britten dirigea plus dans sa forme définitive, il devint une invention tard une production spécialement conçue pour puissamment obsédante sur le motif mettant la BBC Television, enregistrée en couleur en en musique les mots “And God have mercy

61 upon me!”, que hurle Grimes après le moment Nous ne pouvions pas dire que nous fatidique, lorsqu’il frappe Ellen et que son destin souffrions physiquement, mais naturellement est effectivement scellé. nous ressentions une tension extrême. Dans une introduction à Peter Grimes, Je pense que c’est en partie ce sentiment à l’occasion de sa première diffusion qui nous conduisit à faire de Grimes un radiophonique en 1946, Pears le décrivit visionnaire et un homme de conflit, l’idéaliste comme “un opéra basé sur le conflit entre la qu’il est, plutôt que le bandit qu’il était dans le société et l’individu”. Il continua en décrivant poème de Crabbe. le pêcheur éponyme comme “un faible, tout Mais les tensions étaient bien plus à fait ordinaire” qui, en essayant de se faire profondes du fait que Britten et Pears étaient accepter par la communauté locale, “enfreint homosexuels à une époque où l’homosexualité le code conventionnel”. “Relégué par la société était encore considérée comme un acte aux rangs des criminels”, nota Pears, il est délictueux. Le musicologue Philip Brett – finalement “éliminé en tant que tel”. Certes, dans une étude exhaustive, au début des la force avec laquelle les habitants du village années 1980, sur les sources originales sont évoqués par l’écriture vivante de la partie de l’opéra – fut le premier à soutenir que le chantée par le chœur dans l’opéra, associée commentaire de Britten faisait allusion aussi à la manière impitoyable dont ils conduisent selon toute probabilité au degré significatif Grimes vers la mer, sa sépulture, et deviennent d’ostracisme ressenti en raison de sa ainsi eux-mêmes impliqués (et jusqu’à un sexualité et de celle de Pears. Quoiqu’il en certain point directement responsables) de soit, Grimes s’avéra n’être que le premier d’une sa fin tragique, est l’un des aspects les plus longue lignée de personnages opératiques fascinants de l’œuvre. L’intensité de ce conflit mémorables qui, dans la production prolifique suggère qu’il avait une signification personnelle d’œuvres dramatiques par Britten plus particulière pour le compositeur qui révéla que, tard, furent obligés de composer avec des lors de leur retour au Royaume-Uni, Pears et questions inextricables de conformité et de lui-même se sentaient “comme étrangers” en non-conformité, d’aspirations personnelles et tant qu’objecteurs de conscience, et que pour de responsabilités publiques, sans oublier la cette raison l’œuvre exprimait un “sentiment détresse expérimentée par l’outsider solitaire. dominant... d’opposition entre l’individu et le peuple, avec des connotations ironiques en lien © 2020 Mervyn Cooke avec notre propre situation”. Et Britten poursuivit: Traduction: Marie-Françoise de Meeûs

62 Synopsis Peu après leur départ, un orage éclate; il Prologue est d’autant plus menaçant qu’il s’agit d’un L’intérieur du Moot Hall orage d’équinoxe. Les villageois fuient devant L’opéra commence par un contre-interrogatoire la tempête, abandonnant Grimes et Balstrode. de Grimes dans l’enquête sur la cause du Balstrode tente de persuader Grimes de quitter décès de son apprenti. Le verdict de mort le village, mais le pêcheur déclare qu’il “y est accidentelle prononcé par le médecin légiste né et y a ses racines”, et il lui dévoile ses rêves Swallow (qui est aussi le maire du village et d’un futur prospère avec Ellen comme épouse. un homme de loi éminent) ne fait pas l’affaire de Grimes qui se plaint que ce verdict ne Interlude II l’innocente pas vraiment, et que les villageois Une évocation des dangers de la tempête, la continuent à commenter l’affaire et à l’accuser. musique étayant toute la scène qui suit. La cour se vide. Grimes et la maîtresse d’école Ellen Orford chantent un duo de réconciliation. Acte I Scène 2 Interlude I À l’intérieur de “The Boar” le soir du même jour Une description du lever du jour menant Les pêcheurs se sont mis à l’abri de la directement au cœur de l’action. tempête. Il en arrive d’autres qui annoncent des inondations dans le voisinage. Grimes Acte I apparaît à son tour pour y attendre Ellen et Scène 1 l’apprenti. L’attitude de rejet du village atteint Une rue en bord de mer, quelques jours plus son paroxysme avec l’accusation de Boles: tard “Ce n’est pas avec nous qu’il travaille, son Les habitants du village vaquent à leurs occupation est de tuer des jeunes mousses!” occupations quotidiennes. Lorsque Grimes Pour maintenir la paix et détourner l’attention arrive et demande de l’aide pour tirer son de l’assemblée qui ne cesse d’observer bateau sur la plage, tout le monde l’évite, sauf Grimes, Ned Keene commence un canon. Balstrode et l’apothicaire Ned Keene qui lui a Ellen et l’apprenti arrivent trempés; à la trouvé un nouveau mousse. Indifférente à la consternation générale, Grimes insiste pour désapprobation générale des villageois, Ellen partir tout de suite, dans la nuit tempétueuse, accepte d’aller chercher le jeune homme à avec le jeune mousse qu’il veut emmener, chez l’atelier social avec la charrette du transporteur. lui, dans sa hutte lugubre.

63 Acte II À l’intérieur de la cabane de Grimes, qui n’est Interlude III autre qu’un vieux bateau retourné Un beau dimanche matin ensoleillé, quelques Grimes donne des ordres brusques au garçon, et semaines plus tard; l’épisode conduisant le mousse est terrifié. Pour essayer de dissiper directement à la scène qui suit. sa peur, Grimes évoque ce que pourrait être leur vie si tout allait bien. Le paradis qu’il dépeint se Scène 1 transforme en un enfer lorsque, faisant allusion Scène identique à l’Acte I, Scène 1 à la folie qui finira par le gagner, Grimes rappelle Ellen et le nouvel apprenti de Grimes sont l’épisode de la mort de son précédent apprenti. assis au soleil le long de la mer, et pendant Quand il entend les villageois gravir le chemin ce temps, l’office du matin est célébré dans qui conduit à sa cabane, il perd son calme, jette l’église paroissiale. Le fait que les vêtements ses filets et tout son attirail de pêche par la du mousse soient déchirés et que son corps porte donnant sur la falaise, et pousse le garçon soit contusionné n’échappe pas à Ellen, dehors. Le mousse glisse et c’est la chute heureusement. Quand Grimes arrive pour fatale. Grimes se précipite derrière lui. Quand les forcer le jeune garçon à partir à la pêche, Ellen villageois arrivent à la cabane, ils sont surpris de s’adresse à lui; ses questions conduisent à la trouver vide, et assez étonnés de la voir propre une querelle ouverte entre eux qu’observe et en ordre. Tous quittent par la porte principale, et entend une partie de la communauté, et sauf Balstrode, qui sort par celle donnant sur la Grimes finit par la frapper. Le village est révolté falaise. et les habitants suivent le recteur et Swallow qui se dirigent vers la cabane de Grimes afin Acte III de découvrir toute la vérité sur cette affaire. Interlude V Quatre femmes du village (Ellen, Auntie et les Clair de lune par une soirée d’été. Nièces) observent les relations entre hommes et femmes. Scène 1 Scène identique à celle de l’Acte I, Scène 1. Interlude IV Quelques jours après la disparition de Grimes Passacaglia Une soirée dansante a lieu au Moot Hall, et il y a beaucoup de va-et-vient entre le Moot Hall et Acte II “The Boar”. Swallow tente sa chance avec les Scène 2 Nièces d’Auntie. Mrs Sedley, l’une des plus

64 grandes commères du village, écoute Ellen Seule la corne de brume et les cris des raconter qu’elle a trouvé la veste de l’apprenti habitants du village partis à la recherche sur la plage. Voyant que le bateau de Grimes de Grimes rompent la tranquillité de la nuit. est rentré, Mrs Sedley informe Swallow de ce Grimes, épuisé, affamé, trempé, et ayant qu’elle a entendu et de sa grande inquiétude maintenant perdu la raison, essaye de pour la sécurité du garçon. Swallow, en tant regagner sa cabane. Ellen et Balstrode le que maire, convoque Hobson, gendarme du trouvent, mais il est trop tard: il ne peut plus lieu, et le charge de prendre les mesures être aidé. Balstrode propose à Grimes une nécessaires pour l’arrestation de Grimes. issue: prendre la mer, saborder son bateau et couler avec lui. Interlude VI Quand le jour se lève, la vie reprend son Conduisant directement à la scène suivante. cours au village. On parle d’un bateau qui sombre au large, très loin. Personne ne se sent Acte III concerné. Scène 2 Scène identique à celle de la Scène 1, quelques © Philip Reed heures plus tard. Un brouillard épais est tombé. Traduction: Marie-Françoise de Meeûs

65 Paul Foster-Williams Paul

Catherine Wyn-Rogers Patrick AllenPatrick

James Gilchrist Marcus Farnsworth

Andy Staples Fernando Arias CACAO producciones Barnaby Rea From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 Peter Grimes Peter Grimes! Take the oath! After me! ‘I swear by Almighty God’ COMPACT DISC ONE Peter Prologue ‘I swear by Almighty God’ Interior of the Moot Hall arranged as for Coroner’s Inquest. Coroner, Mr Swallow, at Swallow table on dais, clerk at table below. A crowd of ‘That the evidence I shall give’ townspeople in the body of the hall is kept back by Hobson acting as Constable. Mr Swallow is Peter the leading lawyer of the Borough and at the ‘That the evidence I shall give’ same time its Mayor and its Coroner. A man of unexceptionable career and talents, he Swallow nevertheless disturbs the burgesses by his air ‘Shall be the truth’ of a man with an arrière-pensée. Peter Hobson (shouts) ‘Shall be the truth’ 1 Peter Grimes! Peter Grimes! Peter Grimes! Swallow (Peter Grimes steps forward from among the ‘The whole truth and nothing but the truth!’ crowd.) Peter Swallow (reading) ‘The whole truth and nothing but the truth!’ Peter Grimes, we are here to investigate the cause of death of your apprentice William Swallow Spode, whose body you brought ashore from Tell the court the story in your own words. your boat, ‘The Boy Billy’, on the twenty-sixth (Peter is silent.) ultimo. Do you wish to give evidence? You sailed your boat round the coast with the (Peter nods.) intention of putting in to London. Will you step into the box. Why did you do this? (Peter steps into the witness box. Hobson brings him a large Bible.) Peter We’d caught a huge catch, too big to sell here.

72 Swallow Swallow And the boy died on the way? The apothecary here? (indicates Ned) Peter Was there anybody else called? The wind turned against us, blew us off our course. We ran out of drinking water. Peter Somebody brought the parson. Swallow How long were you at sea? Swallow You mean the Rector, Mister Horace Adams? Peter (The Rector steps forward. Swallow waves him Three days. back.) All right, Mister Adams. Swallow (He turns back to Peter.) What happened next? Was there a certain amount of excitement?

Peter Peter He died, lying there among the fish. Bob Boles started shouting.

Swallow (Boles gesticulates from the crowd.) What did you do? Swallow Peter There was a scene in the village street, from Threw them all overboard, set sail for home. which you were rescued by our landlady?

Swallow Peter You mean, you threw the fish overboard?... Yes. By Auntie. (laughter) When you landed, did you call for help? Swallow We don’t call her that here... Peter (Auntie laughs from the crowd.) I called Ned Keene. You then took to abusing a respectable lady? (Peter glares.) Answer me! You shouted abuse at a certain person?

73 (Mrs Sedley pushes forward. Mrs Sedley is (Renewed hubbub. Ellen steps forward to the widow of a retired factor of the East India Swallow.) Company and is known locally as Mrs Nabob. She is sixty-five, self-assertive, inquisitive, Women’s Chorus unpopular.) O when you pray you shut your eyes And then can’t tell the truth from lies. Mrs Sedley Say who! Say who! Hobson (shouts) Silence! Silence! Swallow Missis Sedley here. Swallow Mrs Orford, as the schoolmistress, the widow, Peter (fiercely) how did you come into this? I don’t like interferers! Ellen (A slight hubbub among the spectators resolves I did what I could to help. itself into a chorus which is more like the confused muttering of a crowd than something Swallow fully articulate.) Why should you help this kind of fellow – callous, brutal, and coarse? Men’s Chorus (Swallow waves her away.) When women gossip, the result (to Grimes) Is someone doesn’t sleep at night. There’s something here perhaps in your favour. I’m told you rescued the boy from drowning in Hobson (shouting) the March storms. Silence! Silence! (Peter is silent.) Have you something else to say? Swallow No? – Then I have. Now tell me this. Who helped you carry the boy Peter Grimes, I here advise you – do not get home? another boy apprentice. Get a fisherman to help (The crowd indicates Ellen.) you – big enough to stand up for himself. Our The schoolmistress, the widow, Mrs Ellen verdict is – that William Spode, your apprentice, Orford? died in accidental circumstances. But that’s the kind of thing people are apt to remember.

74 (hubbub again) Peter ‘Stand down!’ you say. You wash your hands. Chorus The case goes on in people’s minds. But when the crowner sits upon it, The charges that no court has made Who can dare to fix the guilt? Will be shouted at my head. Then let me speak, let me stand trial. Hobson (shouts) Bring the accusers into the hall. Silence! Silence! Let me thrust into their mouths, The truth itself, the simple truth! (Peter has stepped forward and is trying to speak.) (He shouts this excitedly against the hubbub chorus.) Peter Your honour! Your honour! Like every other Chorus fisherman I have to hire an apprentice. I must When women gossip, the result have help – Is someone doesn’t sleep at night. But when the crowner sits upon it, Swallow Who can dare to fix the guilt? Then get a woman help you look after him. (Against them all Constable Hobson shouts his:) Peter That’s what I want – but not yet – Hobson Clear the court! Swallow Why not? (Swallow makes his ceremonial exit. The crowd then begins to go out. Peter Peter and Ellen are left alone.) Not till I’ve stopped people’s mouths. Peter (Swallow rises with slow dignity – everyone else 2 The truth – the pity – and the truth. stands. The hubbub begins again.) Ellen (comes up to Peter) Swallow (makes a gesture of dismissal) Peter, come away! Stand down! Clear the court! Stand down!

75 Peter Ellen Where the walls themselves Unclouded, Gossip of inquest. The hot sun Will spread his rays around. Ellen But we’ll gossip, too, Both And talk and rest. My / Your voice out of the pain, Is like a hand Peter That I / you can feel and know: While Peeping Toms Here is a friend! Nod as you go. You’ll share the name (They walk off slowly as the curtain falls.) Of outlaw, too. Curtain Ellen Peter, we shall restore your name. 3 [Interlude I] Warmed by the new esteem That you will find. Act I Peter Scene 1 Until the Borough hate Curtain Poisons your mind. Street by the sea; Moot Hall exterior with its outside staircase, next door to which is ‘The Ellen Boar’. Ned Keene’s apothecary’s shop is at the There’ll be new shoals to catch; street corner. On the other side breakwaters run Life will be kind. down to the sea. It is morning, before high tide, several days later. Peter Two fishermen are turning the capstan, hauling Ay! only of drowning ghosts! in their boat. Prolonged cries as the boat is Time will not forget: hauled ashore. Women come from mending nets The dead are witness to take the fish baskets from other fishermen And Fate is blind. who now disembark.

76 Captain Balstrode sits on the breakwater Balstrode looking out to sea through his glass. Balstrode Boles has gone Methody! is a retired merchant sea-captain, shrewd as a travelled man should be, but with a general (points and laughs) sympathy that makes him the favourite rentier of the whole Borough. He chews a plug of Auntie tobacco while he watches. A man should have Hobbies to cheer his private life! Chorus of Fishermen and Women 4 Oh hang at open doors the net, the cork, (Fishermen go into ‘The Boar’. Others remain While squalid sea-dames at their mending work. with their wives at the nets and boats.) Welcome the hour when fishing through the tide The weary husband throws his freight aside. Women’s Chorus Dabbling on shore half-naked sea-boys crowd, Fishermen Swim round a ship, or swing upon a shroud. O cold and wet, and driven by the tide, Or in a boat purloined with paddles play Beat your tired arms against your tarry side. And grow familiar with the watery way. Find rest in public bars where fiery gin Will aid the warmth that languishes within. (While the second boat is being hauled in, boys are scrambling over the first.) (Several fishermen cross to ‘The Boar’ where Auntie stands in the doorway.) Balstrode Shoo, you little barnacles! First Fisherman Up your anchors, hoist your sails! Auntie! (Balstrode chases them from the boat. A more Auntie respectable figure now begins, with much Come in, gentlemen, come in! hat-raising, his morning progress down the High Street. He makes straight for ‘The Boar’.) Boles (protesting) Her vats flow with poisoned gin! First Fisherman (touches cap) Doctor Crabbe! (Boles the Methodist fisherman stands aside from all this dram drinking.) Boles (points as the swing door closes) He drinks! ‘Good Health’ to all diseases!

77 Second Fisherman Mrs Sedley Storm? Good morning, dear Rector!

A Few Fishermen Keene Storm? Had Auntie no nieces we’d never respect her!

(They shade their eyes looking out to sea.) Swallow Good morning! Good morning! Balstrode (glass to his eye) A long way out. Sea horses. Nieces The wind is holding back the tide. Good morning! If it veers round, watch for your lives. Mrs Sedley Chorus of Fishers Good morning, your worship, Mister Swallow! And if the spring tide eats the land again Till e’en the cottages and cobbled walls of Auntie (to Keene, from ‘The Boar’) fishermen You jeer, but if they wink, you’re eager to follow! Are billets for the thieving waves which take As if in sleep, thieving for thieving’s sake – (The Rector and Mrs Sedley continue towards the church.) (The Rector comes down the High Street. He is followed as always by the Borough’s second Chorus most famous rentier, the widow, Mrs (Nabob) For us sea-dwellers, this sea-birth can be Sedley. From ‘The Boar’ come the two ‘nieces’ Death to our gardens of fertility, who give Auntie her nickname. They stand in Yet only such contemptuous spring tide can front of the pub, taking the morning sun. Ned Tickle the virile impotence of man. Keene, seeing Mrs Sedley, pops out of his shop door.) Keene (shouts across to Auntie) I’m coming tonight to see your nieces! Rector (right and left) Good morning, good morning! Auntie (dignified) The ‘Boar’ is at its patrons’ service. Nieces Good morning!

78 Boles Auntie (at the door of ‘The Boar’) God’s storm will drown your hot desires! Parsons may moralise and fools decide, But a good publican takes neither side. Balstrode God stay the tide, or I shall share your fears. Balstrode O haul away! The tide is near the turn. Peter (calls off) 5 Hi! Give us a hand! Keene (Everyone stops working.) Man invented morals but tides have none. Haul the boat! Boles (with arms akimbo watches their labour) (Nobody will help him.) This lost soul of a fisherman must be Shunned by respectable society! Boles (shouts back) O let the captains hear, let the scholars learn; Haul it yourself, Grimes! Shielding the sin, they share the people’s scorn!

Peter (off) Auntie Hi! Somebody bring the rope! I have my business. Let the preachers learn Hell may be fiery but the pub won’t burn! (Nobody does. Presently he appears and takes the capstan rope himself and pulls it after him Balstrode and Keene (off) to the boat. Then he returns. The Fishermen The tide that floods will ebb, the tide, the tide and Women turn their backs on him and slouch will turn! away awkwardly. Balstrode and Keene move to the capstan and (The boat is hauled up. Grimes appears.) start pushing it round.) Keene Balstrode Grimes, you won’t need help from now. I’ll give a hand, the tide is near the turn. (Grimes sits quietly on his boat, cleaning nets.) I’ve got a prentice for you. Keene We’ll drown the gossips in a tidal storm. Balstrode A workhouse brat? (Grimes goes back to the boat. Auntie and Boles stand aside, commenting.)

79 Keene her loneliness she has become the Borough I called at the workhouse yesterday. schoolmistress. A hard life has not hardened All you do now is fetch the boy. her. It has made her more charitable.) We’ll send the carter with a note. He’ll bring your bargain on his cart! Keene (He calls Hobson from the crowd.) Hobson, will you do your job? Jim Hobson, we’ve a job for you! Hobson Hobson (enters) 6 I have to go from pub to pub, Cart’s full, sir. More than I can do. Picking up parcels, standing about. My journey back is late at night. Keene Mister, find some other way Listen, Jim. You’ll go to the workhouse To bring your boy back. And ask for Mister Keene his purchase. Bring him back to Grimes! Chorus He’s right! Dirty jobs! Hobson Cart’s full, sir. I have no room. Hobson Mister, find some other way... Keene (angrily) Hobson, you’ll do what there is to be done! Ellen Carter! I’ll mind your passenger. (It is near enough to an argument to attract a crowd. Fishermen and Women gather round. Chorus Boles takes his chance.) What! And be Grimes’s messenger? You’ll be Grimes’s messenger! Boles Is this a Christian country? Are Ellen Pauper children so enslaved Whatever you say, I’m not ashamed. That their bodies go for cash? Somebody must do the job. The carter goes from pub to pub, (Ellen Orford has come in, and stands listening. Picking up parcels, standing about. She is a widow of about forty. Her children The boy needs comfort late at night, have died, or grown up and gone away, and in He needs a welcome on the road,

80 Coming here strange, he’ll be afraid. (The crowd stands round and watches. Some I’ll mind your passenger! follow Ellen and Hobson. On the edge of the crowd are other activities.) Keene Missis Orford is talking sense. Mrs Sedley (beckons Ned Keene and whispers to him) Chorus Have you my pills? Ellen – you’re leading us a dance, Fetching boys for Peter Grimes, Keene Because the Borough is afraid, I’m sorry, ma’am. You who help will share the blame! Mrs Sedley Ellen My sleeping draught? Whatever you say... Let her among you without fault Keene Cast the first stone – The laudanum And let the Pharisees and Sadducees Is out of stock and being brought Give way to none. By Mister Carrier Hobson’s cart. But whosoever feels his pride He’s back tonight. Humbled so deep, There is no corner he can hide Mrs Sedley Even in sleep. Good Lord! Good Lord! Will have no trouble to find out How a poor teacher, Keene Widowed and lonely, finds delight Meet us both in the pub, ‘The Boar’, In should’ring care. Auntie’s we call it. It’s quite safe. (as she moves up the street) Mr Hobson, where’s your cart? Mrs Sedley I’m ready. I’ve never been in a pub in my life.

Hobson Keene Up here, ma’am. I can wait. You’ll come?

81 Mrs Sedley Chorus All right! Look out for squalls! Look, the storm cone! Keene The wind veers Tonight? In from the sea At gale force. Mrs Sedley Make your boat fast! All right! Shutter your windows And bring in all the nets! (She moves off up the street, sedately bowing – Flooding, flooding! there is some tittering among the crowd.) Our seasonal fears. The springtide’s here Keene With a gale behind. If the old dear takes much more laudanum, she’ll land herself one day in Bedlam! Is there much to fear?

Balstrode (looks seaward through his glass) Keene 7 Look! The storm cone! Only for the goods you’re rich in! (consternation in the crowd) It won’t drown your conscience, it might The wind veers Flood your kitchen. In from the sea At gale force! Boles (passionately) God has his ways which are not ours, All His high tide swallows up the shores. Now the flood tide Repent! And sea-horses Will gallop over Keene The eroded coast. And keep your wife upstairs! Look! The storm cone! Now it’s veering in from sea. Omnes A high tide coming O tide that waits for no man, Now will eat the land. Spare our coasts! A tide no breakwaters can withstand.

82 (There is a General Exeunt – mostly through the Balstrode swing doors of ‘The Boar’. Dr Crabbe’s hat blows You’d slip these moorings, if you had the mind. away, is rescued for him by Ned Keene who bows him into the pub. Finally only Peter and Peter Balstrode are left, Peter gazing seaward, still By the shut faces working at his boat, Balstrode hesitating at the Of the Borough clans, pub door, then coming up to him.) And by the kindness Of a casual glance. Balstrode 8 And do you prefer the storm Balstrode To Auntie’s parlour and the rum? You’ll find no comfort there!

Peter When an urchin’s quarrelsome, I live alone. The habit grows. Brawling at his little games, Mother stops him with a threat, Balstrode ‘You’ll be sold to Peter Grimes!’ Grimes, since you’re a lonely soul, Born to blocks, and spars and ropes, Peter Why not try the wider sea, Selling me new apprentices, With merchantman, or privateer? Children taught to be ashamed Of the legend or their faces – Peter ‘You’ve been sold to Peter Grimes!’ I am native, rooted here. Balstrode Balstrode Then the Crowner sits to hint, Rooted by what? But not to mention crimes, And publishes an open verdict Peter Whispered about this ‘Peter Grimes’. By familiar fields, Marsh and sand, Your boy was workhouse starved – Ordinary streets, Maybe you’re not to blame he died. Prevailing wind.

83 Peter Balstrode Picture what that day was like, With the new prentice? That evil day! We strained into the wind, Peter Heavily laden. We’ll sail together, We plunged into the wave’s These Borough gossips Shuddering challenge. Listen to money, Then the sea rose to a storm Only to money. Over the gunwales, I’ll fish the sea dry, And the boy’s silent reproach Sell the good catches. Turned to illness. That wealthy merchant Then home Grimes will set up Among fishing nets, Household and shop. Alone, alone, alone You will all see it! With a childish death. I’ll marry Ellen!

Balstrode Balstrode This storm is useful; you can speak your mind Man – go and ask her, And never mind the Borough comment’ry. Without your booty, There is more grandeur in a gale of wind She’ll have you now. To free confession, set a conscience free. Peter Peter No – not for pity! They listen to money, These Borough gossips. Balstrode I have my visions, Then the old tragedy Fiery visions. Is in store. They call me dreamer, New start with new prentice They scoff at my dreams Just as before! And my ambition. But I know a way Peter To answer the Borough. What Peter Grimes decides I’ll win them over. Is his affair!

84 Balstrode What harbour can embrace You fool, man, you fool! Terrors and tragedies? With her there’ll be no quarrels, (The wind has now risen to gale height, With her the mood will stay, Balstrode is shouting above it. Peter faces him A harbour evermore angrily.) Where night is turned to day.

Peter (The wind rises. He stands a moment as if Are you my conscience? leaning against the wind.)

Balstrode Curtain Might as well Try shout the wind down as to tell 9 Interlude II The obvious truth! Scene 2 Peter Curtain Take your advice – Interior of ‘The Boar’, typical main room of a Put it where your money is! country pub. No bar. Upright settles, tables, log fire. When the curtain rises Auntie is admitting Balstrode Mrs Sedley. The gale has risen to hurricane force The storm is here, O come away! and Auntie holds the door with difficulty against the wind which rattles the windows and howls Peter in the chimney. They both push the door closed. The storm is here, and I shall I stay! Auntie (The storm is rising. Auntie comes out of ‘The 10 Past time to close! Boar’ to fasten the shutters, in front of the windows. Balstrode goes to help her. He looks Mrs Sedley back towards Peter, then goes into the pub. He said half past ten. Peter stands alone, gazing intently into the sea and approaching storm.) Auntie Who? What harbour shelters peace, Away from tidal waves, away from storms?

85 Mrs Sedley Auntie Mister Keene. She’s meeting Ned.

Auntie Balstrode Him and his women! Which Ned?

Mrs Sedley Auntie You referring to me? The quack! He’s looking after her heart attack. Auntie Not at all, not at all! Balstrode What do you want? Bring us a pint.

Mrs Sedley Auntie Room from the storm. It’s closing time.

Auntie Balstrode That is the sort of weak politeness You fearful old female – why should you mind? Makes a publican lose her clients. Keep in the corner out of sight. Auntie The storm! (Balstrode and some Fishermen enter. They struggle with the door.) (Bob Boles and some other Fishermen and Women enter. The wind howls through the door Balstrode (whistles) and again there is difficulty in closing it.) Phew, that’s a bitch of a gale all right! Boles Auntie (nods her head towards Mrs Sedley) Did you hear the tide Sh-h-h. Has broken over the Northern Road?

Balstrode (He leaves the door open too long with Sorry, I didn’t see you, missis. disastrous consequences. A sudden gust howls You’ll give the regulars a surprise. through the door, the shutters of the window fly open, a pane blows in.)

86 Balstrode Balstrode Get those shutters. Perhaps in gin!

Auntie Nieces O-o-o-o-o! I wouldn’t mind if it didn’t howl. It gets on my nerves! Balstrode You fearful old female, why do you Balstrode Leave your windows naked? D’you think we Should stop our storm for such as you? Auntie Coming all over palpitations! – ‘Oo! Oo!’ O-o! O-o! Auntie! Get some new relations!

Balstrode Auntie (takes it ill) Better strip a niece or two Loud man, I never did have time And clamp your shutters! For the kind of creature who spits in his wine! A joke’s a joke and fun is fun! (The two ‘Nieces’ run in. They are young, pretty But say your grace and be polite for all that we enough though a little worn, conscious that have done. they are the chief attraction of ‘The Boar’. At the moment they are in mild hysterics, having Nieces run downstairs in their night clothes, though For his peace of mind. with their unusual instinct for precaution they have found time to don each a wrap. It is not Mrs Sedley clear whether they are sisters, friends, or This is no place for me! simply colleagues; but they behave like twins, as though each has only half a personality, Auntie and they cling together always to sustain their Loud man, you’re glad enough to be self-esteem.) Playing your cards in our company. A joke’s a joke and fun is fun! Nieces But say your grace and be polite for all that we Oo! Oo! have done! It’s blown our bedroom windows in. Oo! Oo! Nieces We’ll all be drowned. For his peace of mind.

87 Mrs Sedley Balstrode This is no place for me! Old Methody, you’d better tune Your piety to another hymn! Auntie Loud man! – Boles I want her! (Some more Fishermen and Women come in. The usual struggle with the door) Balstrode Sh-h-h. First Fisherman There’s been a landslide up the coast! Auntie (cold) Turn that man out. Boles (rising unsteadily) I’m drunk! Drunk! Balstrode He’s the local preacher. Balstrode He’s lost the way of carrying liquor. You’re a Methody wastrel! He means no harm.

Boles (staggers up to one of the Nieces) Boles Is this a niece of yours? No, I mean love!

Auntie (Boles hits him. Balstrode quietly overpowers That’s so. Boles and sits him in a chair.)

Boles Balstrode Who’s her father? Come on, boy!

Auntie (Mrs Sedley screams.) Who wants to know? Balstrode Boles We live and let live, I want to pay my best respects And look, we keep our hands to ourselves. To the beauty and misery of her sex.

88 (Boles struggles to his feet, Balstrode sits him Keene down again, laying the law down.) Have you heard? The cliff is down Up by Grimes’s hut. Balstrode 11 Pub conversation should depend Auntie On this eternal moral; Where is he? So long as satire don’t descend To fisticuff or quarrel. Mrs Sedley We live and let live, and look – Thank God you’ve come! We keep our hands to ourselves. Keene (And while Boles is being forced into his chair You won’t blow away. again the bystanders comment:) Mrs Sedley Chorus The carter’s over half an hour late! We live and let live, and look – We keep our hands to ourselves! Keene He’ll be later still; the road’s under flood. Balstrode We sit and drink the evening through Mrs Sedley Not deigning to devote a I can’t stay longer. I refuse! Thought to the daily cud we chew But buying drinks by rota! Keene You’ll have to stay, if you want your pills. Chorus We live and let live, and look – Mrs Sedley We keep our hands to ourselves. With drunken females, and in brawls!

All and Chorus Keene We live and let live, and look! They’re Auntie’s nieces, that’s what they are, And better than you for kissing, ma! (The door opens again. The struggle with the Mind that door! wind is worse than before as Ned Keene and some Fishermen get through.)

89 Balstrode (No-one answers. Silence is broken by Peter, as Mind that door! if thinking aloud.)

Chorus Peter Mind that door! 12 Now the Great Bear and Pleiades where earth moves (The door opens again. Peter Grimes has come Are drawing up the clouds in. Unlike the rest he wears no oilskins. His hair of human grief, looks wild. He advances into the room, shaking Breathing solemnity in the deep night. off the raindrops from his hair. Mrs Sedley faints. Ned Keene catches her as she falls. Balstrode Who can decipher and others push the door closed.) in storm or starlight The written character Keene of a friendly fate – Get the brandy, Aunt! As the sky turns, the world for us to change?

Auntie But if the horoscope’s Who’ll pay? bewildering, Like a flashing turmoil Keene of a shoal of herring, Her! I’ll charge her for it. Who can turn skies back and begin again?

(As Peter moves forward, the others shrink (Silence again. Then muttering in undertones) back.) Chorus Nieces and Chorus 13 He’s mad or drunk, Talk of the devil and there he is Why’s that man here? And a devil he is, a devil he is! Grimes is waiting his apprentice. Nieces His song alone would sour the beer! Keene This widow’s as strong as any two Chorus Fishermen I have met. His temper’s up. Everybody’s very quiet! Oh, chuck him out!

90 Nieces Auntie I wouldn’t mind if he didn’t howl! For God’s sake, help me keep the peace. D’you want me up at the next Assize? Chorus He looks as if he’s nearly drowned. Balstrode For peace sake, someone start a song! Boles (staggers up to Grimes) You’ve sold your soul, Grimes! (Keene starts a round. ‘That’s right, Ned!’ says Auntie. The round is:) Balstrode (pulling Boles away) Come away! Keene and the Others 14 Old Joe has gone fishing and Boles Young Joe has gone fishing and Satan’s got no hold on me. You Know has gone fishing and Found them a shoal. Balstrode Pull them in in handfuls, Leave him alone, you drunkard! And in canfuls, And in panfuls, Boles Bring them in sweetly, I’ll hold the gospel light before Gut them completely, The cataract that blinds his eyes. Pack them up neatly, Sell them discreetly, Peter (as the drunk stumbles up to him) Oh, haul a-way! Get out! (Peter comes in, which upsets the course of (Grimes thrusts Boles aside roughly and turns the round.) away.) Peter Boles When I had gone fishing, His exercise When he had gone fishing, Is not with men but killing boys! When You Know’d gone fishing, We found us Davy Jones! (Boles picks up a bottle and is about to bring it Bring him in with horror! down on Grimes’s head when Balstrode knocks Bring him in with terror! it out of his hand and it crashes on the floor.)

91 And bring him in with sorrow! Nieces (admiring) Oh, haul a-way! Nice sweet thing!

(This breaks the round, but Peter is Ellen (protecting him) overwhelmed and the round continues. Not for such as you. At the climax of the round the door opens to admit Ellen Orford, Hobson the Carrier, and the Peter (beckoning the Boy) Boy, Grimes’s new apprentice. All three are Let’s go. You ready? soaked, muddy, and bedraggled.) Auntie Hobson Let them warm up, 15 The bridge is down, we half swam over. They’ve been half drowned.

Keene Peter And your cart? Is it seaworthy? Time to get off!

Ellen Auntie We’re chilled to the bone. Your hut’s washed away.

(The Women go to Ellen and the Boy. Auntie Peter fusses over him. Boles reproaches.) Only the cliff. Young prentice, come! Boles (to Ellen) Serves you right, woman. (The Boy hesitates, but Ellen leads him to Peter at the door.) Auntie My dear, Ellen There’s brandy and hot water to spare. Goodbye, my dear, God bless you. Peter will take you home. Nieces Let’s look at the boy. Omnes Home? Do you call that home? Ellen (rising) Let him be.

92 (Peter takes the Boy out of the door into the As the organ sounds from the church, Ellen howling storm.) sits down between a boat and a breakwater and takes her knitting from the basket. The Boy Curtain quietly plays by her side.) Shall we not go to church this Sunday, End of Act I But do our knitting by the sea? I’ll do the work, you talk.

Act II (John says nothing but goes on playing quietly. The bell stops and in church the hymn starts.) 16 Interlude III Chorus (off) Scene 1 Now that the daylight fills the sky, Curtain We lift our hearts to God on high, Scene as in Act I. The Street That He in all we do or say A fine sunny morning, some weeks later, with Would keep us free from harm today. church bells ringing. Some of the villagers are standing outside the church door. Ellen and Ellen the Boy, John, come in against the stream of Nothing to tell me, villagers towards the church. Ellen is Nothing to say? Then shall I carrying a work-basket. One or two late-comers Tell you what your life was like? cross and hurry into the church. See if I’m right! I think You liked your workhouse with its grave Ellen Empty look. Perhaps you weren’t 17 Glitter of waves So unhappy in your loneliness? And glitter of sunlight Bid us rejoice Chorus (off) And lift our hearts on high. May He restrain our tongues from strife, Shield from anger’s din our life, Man alone And guard with watchful care our eyes Has a soul to save, From earth’s absorbing vanities! And goes to church To worship on a Sunday. (The organ starts a voluntary in church, offstage.

93 Ellen Rector and Congregation When first I started teaching, Almighty and most merciful Father; The life at school to me seemed bleak and We have erred and strayed from thy empty... ways like lost sheep. But soon I found a way of knowing children, – Found the woes of little people (The church service continues through the Hurt more, but are more simple. ensuing scene.)

(She goes on with her work. John says nothing.) Ellen There’s a tear in your coat. Was that done Chorus (off) Before you came? So we, when this day’s work is done Badly torn. And shades of night return once more (Mrs Sedley stops to listen on her way to Ellen church.) John, you may have heard the story Of the prentice Peter had before. Rector and Congregation But when you came, I said, And we have done those things which Now this is where we we ought not to have done. Make a new start. Ellen Chorus (off) That was done recently. ...Amen. Take your hand away, Your neck, is it? Ellen Every day I pray it may be so. Rector and Congregation And grant, O most merciful Father... (Morning prayer begins and the Rector’s voice is heard from the church.) Ellen John, what are you trying to hide? Rector 18 Wherefore I pray and beseech you, (Ellen undoes the neck of the boy’s shirt.) as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice, saying after me,

94 Rector and Congregation (in church) Storm and all its terrors are O Lord, open Thou our lips; Nothing to the heart’s despair. And our mouth shall show forth Thy praise. After the storm will come a sleep, O God, make speed to save us! Like oceans deep! O Lord, make haste to help us. (Ellen rises and fastens the Boy’s shirt.) Ellen A bruise... Congregation Well, it’s begun. 19 O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, O ye Sun and Moon, bless ye the Lord, Rector and Congregation O ye Winds of God, bless ye the Lord, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, Praise Him and magnify Him for ever. and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now... (Peter Grimes comes in excitedly from the harbour.) (Ellen gently seats the Boy at her feet.) Peter Ellen Come, boy! Child, you’re not too young to know Where roots of sorrow are; Ellen Innocent, you’ve learned how near Peter – what for? Life is to torture. Peter Rector and Congregation I’ve seen a shoal. I need his help. Praise ye the Lord! The Lord’s name be praised. Congregation O ye Light and Darkness, bless ye the Lord, Ellen O ye Nights and Days, bless ye the Lord, Let this be a holiday, O ye Lightnings and Clouds, bless ye the Lord, Full of peace and quietness Praise Him and magnify Him for ever. While the treason of the waves Glitters like love. Ellen But if there were then all the boats Would fast be launching.

95 Peter Peter I can see Come, boy! The shoals to which the rest are blind. Ellen Congregation But your bargain?... O ye Wells, bless ye the Lord, O ye Seas and Floods, bless ye the Lord, Peter O ye Whales and all that move in the Waters, My bargain? Praise Him and magnify Him for ever. Ellen Ellen His weekly rest. This is a Sunday, his day of rest. Peter Peter He works for me, leave him alone, he’s mine! This is whatever day I say it is! Come, boy! Ellen Hush, Peter, hush! Congregation O all ye Fowls of the Air, bless ye the Lord, Congregation O all ye Beasts and Cattle, bless ye the Lord, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, O ye Children of Men, bless ye the Lord, and to the Holy Ghost; Praise Him and magnify Him for ever. As it was in the beginning, is now, And ever shall be, Ellen World without end. Amen! You and John have fished all week, Night and day without a break, (The sound dies down. In church the lesson is Painting boat, mending nets, cleaning fish, being read. Now let him rest. Ellen speaks to Peter, away from the Boy.)

Congregation Ellen O ye Servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, This unrelenting work, O ye holy and humble, bless ye the Lord, This grey, unresting industry, Ananias, Azarias, Misael, bless ye the Lord, What aim, what future, what peace Praise Him and magnify Him for ever. Will your hard profits buy?

96 Peter (Ellen moves unhappily away from him.) Buy us a home, buy us respect And buy us freedom from pain Ellen Of grinning at gossip’s tales. Were we mistaken when we schemed Believe in me, we shall be free! To solve your life by lonely toil?

Congregation (Auntie is seen peering through the ‘Boar’ I believe in God the Father Almighty, window.) Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, Peter (in anger) Who was conceived... Wrong to plan? Wrong to try? (fades into background) Wrong to live? Right to die? Ellen Peter, tell me one thing, where Ellen The youngster got that ugly bruise? Were we mistaken when we dreamed That we’d come through and all be well? Peter Out of the hurly burly! (Boles and Keene walk down the street. They stop for a moment to listen.) Ellen Oh, your ways Peter Are hard and rough beyond his days. Wrong to struggle? (Ellen goes to Peter and puts her hand on his Wrong to hope? arm.) Then the Borough’s Peter, were we right in what we planned Right again! To do? Were we right, were we right? Ellen Peter (roughly) Peter! You cannot buy your peace, Take away your hand! You’ll never stop the gossip’s talk, (then quietly) With all the fish from out the sea. My only hope depends on you. We were mistaken to have dreamed... If you – take it away – what’s left? Peter! We’ve failed. We’ve failed.

97 Peter (cries out as if in agony) Auntie Ah! You see all through crazy eyes.

(He strikes Ellen, whose work-basket falls to All the ground.) Grimes is at his exercise!

Congregation Boles Amen! Where’s the pastor of this flock? Where’s the guardian shepherd’s hook? Peter So be it! – And God have mercy upon me! All Parson, lawyer, all at prayers! (The Boy runs from him. Peter follows, then drives him fiercely out in front of him. Ellen (The service is over and people gradually collect watches, then goes out the other way, weeping. outside the church door.) Behind closed doors and half-open windows neighbours have been watching. Three now Keene, Boles, and Auntie emerge. First Auntie, then Ned Keene, finally Now the church parade begins. Boles) Fresh beginning for fresh sins. Ogling with a pious gaze, Auntie Each one’s at his exercise. 20 Fool! to let it come to this! Wasting pity, squand’ring tears. (Dr Crabbe comes first.)

Keene Auntie See the glitter in his eyes! Doctor!

Keene and Auntie Keene Grimes is at his exercise! Leave him out of it!

Boles Mrs Sedley (coming from church) What he fears is that the Lord What is it? Follows with a flaming sword. Keene Private business!

98 Mrs Sedley A Lawyer I heard two voices during Psalms; Dullards build their self-esteem One was Grimes, and one more calm. By inventing cruelties.

Boles Swallow While you worshipped idols there, Even so, the law restrains The Devil had his Sabbath here! Too impetuous enterprise.

Mrs Sedley A Fisherwoman Maltreating that poor boy again! Fishing’s a lonely trade, Single men have much to bear. Balstrode Grimes is weatherwise and skilled First and Second Nieces In the practice of his trade. If a man’s work can not be made Let him be. Let us forget Decent, let him stay ashore. What slander can invent! Chorus (overall) Chorus What is it? What do you suppose? What is it? What is it? Grimes is at his exercise.

Auntie, Boles, and Keene Rector What do you suppose? My flock – ah, what a weight is this, Grimes is at his exercise. My burden pastoral.

(As people come out two by two they circulate Mrs Sedley the village green, singing their couplets as they But what a dang’rous faith is this reach the centre. First come Swallow and a That gives souls equality! fellow lawyer.) (Balstrode pauses by Ned Keene as he walks Chorus round.) What is it? What do you suppose? Grimes is at his exercise. Balstrode When the Borough gossip starts Somebody will suffer!

99 Chorus (overall) Chorus What is it? What do you suppose? Where’s the Parson? Grimes is at his exercise. Rector (During the hubbub Boles climbs a little way Is it my business? up the steps of the Moot Hall. Keene tries to prevent Boles from addressing the crowd.) Boles Your business? to ignore Boles Growing at your door, 21 People – Evils, like your fancy flowers? ...No! I will speak!... This thing here concerns you all. Chorus Evils! Chorus (clustering round Boles) Whoever’s guilty gets the rap! Rector The Borough keeps its standards up. Calm now! Tell me what it is.

Balstrode (Ellen comes in to collect her things. She is met Tub-thumping. by Auntie who has picked up Ellen’s abandoned basket and its contents.) Boles This prentice system’s Auntie Uncivilised, and unchristian. Ellen dear, see I’ve gathered All your things. Come, rest inside! Balstrode Something of the sort befits Boles and Chorus Brats conceived outside the sheets. She can tell you, Ellen Orford, She helped him in his cruel games! Boles Where’s the Parson in his black? Rector (going to Ellen, holding his hand up for Is he here or is he not, silence) To guide a sinful, straying flock? Ellen, please!

100 Ellen Ellen What am I to do? And mending his clothes and giving him Regular meals. Boles and Chorus Speak out in the name of the Lord! Keene But thanks to flinty hearts Ellen E’en quacks can make a profit! 22 We planned that their lives should Have a new start, Swallow That I, as a friend, could You planned to heal sick souls Make the plan work, With bodily care! By bringing comfort where Their lives were stark. Nieces Perhaps his clothes you mended Rector But you work his bones bare! You planned to be worldly-wise But your souls were dark. Auntie You meant just to be kind Ellen And avert fear! We planned this time to Care for the boy; Balstrode You interfering gossips, this Mrs Sedley Is not your business! O little care you for the prentice Or his welfare! Ellen O pity those who try to bring Ellen A shadowed life into the sun. To save him from danger And hardship sore, Hobson Pity the boy! Boles Call it danger, call it hardship, Chorus Or plain murder! Who lets us down must take the rap; The Borough keeps it standards up.

101 (Auntie and Balstrode move towards Ellen in Nieces, Keene, Hobson, and Chorus sympathy.) Now we will find out the worst!

Ellen, Auntie, and Balstrode Swallow (points to the Nieces who join the O hard, hard hearts! crowd) No ragtail, no bobtail, if you please! Omnes (without Ellen, Auntie, and Balstrode) Tried to be kind! Boles (pushes them away roughly) Murder! Back to the gutter – you keep out of this. Tried to be kind and to help! Murder! Rector Only the men, the women stay. (Auntie leads Ellen away through the crowd, to ‘The Boar’.) Swallow Carter Hobson, fetch the drum. Rector Summon the Borough to Grimes’s hut. 23 Swallow – shall we go and see Grimes in his hut? Boles, Rector, Keene, Mrs Sedley, and Chorus Swallow To Grimes’s hut! Popular feeling’s rising! To Grimes’s hut!

Rector (Hobson sounds the drum and the men line up Balstrode, I’d like you to come. behind Swallow, Rector, and Mrs Sedley. Ellen, Auntie, and the Nieces remain aside. Balstrode Balstrode stays hesitating. Behind them come the rest of I warn you we shall waste our time. the crowd.)

Rector Mrs Sedley, Boles, Rector, Keene, Swallow, and I’d like your presence just the same! Chorus Now is gossip put on trial, Mrs Sedley Now the rumours either fail, Little do the suspects know, Or are shouted in the wind, I’ve the evidence. I’ve a clue! Sweeping furious through the land.

102 (The procession sets off up the hill, with the Auntie women following.) When in storm they shelter here, And we smooth their fears away! Now the liars shiver, for Now if they’ve cheated we shall know! Nieces We shall strike and strike to kill, We know they’ll whistle their good-byes At the slander or the sin! Next fine day and put to sea!

(Ellen motions to Balstrode to follow the Ellen procession.) On the manly calendar We only mark heroic days! Now the whisperers stand out, Now confronted by the fact. All Bring the branding iron and knife: Do we smile or do we weep What’s done now is done for life. Or wait quietly till they sleep?

(The sound of the crowd, still singing loudly, Ellen disappears. They are children when they weep; Ellen, Auntie, and the Nieces remain dejectedly We are mothers when they strive, on the empty stage.) Schooling our own hearts to keep The bitter treasure of their love. Nieces 24 From the gutter, why should we All Trouble at their ribaldries? Do we smile or do we weep Or wait quietly till they sleep? Auntie And shall we be ashamed because (The women look out after the procession, their We comfort men from ugliness? eyes slowly rising as it mounts the hill.)

All Slow curtain Do we smile or do we weep Or wait quietly till they sleep?

103 COMPACT DISC TWO Steady! Don’t take fright, boy! Stop! (Peter opens the cliff-side door and looks out.) 1 Interlude IV Look! Now is our chance! The whole sea’s boiling! Get the nets! Scene 2 Come, boy! Curtain They listen to money, Grimes’s hut is an upturned boat. It is on the These Borough gossips, whole shipshape, though bare and forbidding. Listen to money, Ropes coiled, nets, kegs, and casks furnish the Only to money, place. It is lighted by a skylight. There are two I’ll fish the sea dry, doors, one (back centre) opens on the cliff, the Flood the market. other (downstage) opens on the road. Later the Now is our chance to get a good catch, same morning. The Boy staggers into the room Get money to choke through the street door as if thrust from behind. Down rumour’s throat! Peter follows, in a towering rage. He pulls down I will set up the Boy’s fishing clothes which are neatly With house and home and shop. stacked on a shelf. I’ll marry Ellen, I’ll marry Ellen, Peter I’ll... 2 Go there! Go there! (He turns to see the Boy still sitting on the rope Here‘s your sea boots. coil, weeping. He tears off his coat and throws (He throws the sea boots down in front of the the jersey at him.) Boy.) Coat off! Jersey on! My boy, Take those bright We’re going to sea! And fancy buckles off your feet! There’s your oilskin, and sou-wester! (The Boy is still weeping. Stir your pins, we must get ready! Peter gives the Boy a shove, which knocks him There’s the jersey that she knitted, over; he lies sobbing miserably. With the anchor that she patterned. Peter changes tone and breaks into another (He throws the clothes to the Boy. They fall on song.) the floor around him.) I’ll tear the collar off your neck! 3 In dreams I’ve built myself some kindlier home, (The Boy is crying silently. Peter shakes his Warm in my heart and in a golden calm, shoulder.) Where there’ll be no more fear and no more storm.

104 And she will soon forget her schoolhouse ways, You’ll soon be home! Forget the labour of those weary days, In harbour still and deep. Wrapped round in kindness like September haze. (In the distance can be heard the song of the neighbours coming up the hill.) The learned at their books have no more store Of wisdom than we’d close behind our door, Boles, Rector, Swallow, Keene, and Chorus (off) Compared with us the rich man would be poor. Now! Now!...

I’ve seen in stars the life that we might share: (Peter rises, goes quickly to the street door and Fruit in the garden, children by the shore, looks out.) A whitened door step, and a woman’s care! Peter But dreaming builds what dreaming can disown, There’s an odd procession here. Dead fingers stretch themselves to tear it down. Parson and Swallow coming near. I hear those voices that will not be drowned (Suddenly he turns on the Boy, who doesn’t move.) Calling, there is no stone Wait! You’ve been talking, In earth’s thickness to make a home, You and that bitch were gossiping! That you can build with and remain alone. What lies have you been telling? The Borough’s climbing up the hill, (Hobson’s drum, at the head of the Borough To get me! Me! Oh, I’m not scared! procession, can be heard very distantly coming I’ll send them off with a flea in their ear. towards the hut. Peter doesn’t notice.) I’ll show them. Grimes ahoy!

4 Sometimes I see that boy here in this hut, (The procession is steadily approaching.) He’s there now, I can see him, he is there! His eyes are on me as they were that evil day. Boles, Rector, Swallow, Keene, and Chorus (off) ...Or are shouted in the wind, (The drum sounds louder.) Sweeping furious through the land.

Stop moaning boy. Water? There’s no more water... You had the last yesterday.

105 Peter Peter You sit there watching me Careful, or you’ll break your neck! And you’re the cause of everything. Down the cliff-side to the deck. Your eyes, like his, are watching me I’ll pitch the stuff down. Come on! With an idiot’s drooling gaze! (He pitches ropes and nets.) Now... Boles, Rector, Swallow, Keene, and Chorus (off) Shut your eyes and down you go! Now confronted by the fact. Bring the branding iron and knife: (There is a knock at the street door. Peter turns What’s done now is done for life! towards it, then retreats. When Peter is between the two doors, the Boy loses his hold, screams, Peter and falls out of sight. Peter runs to the cliff door, Will you move feels for his grip, and then swings quickly after Or, must I make you dance? him. The cliff-side door is open. The street door (The Boy jumps up and begins dragging nets still resounds with the Rector’s knock. Then it and other tackle up through the cliff door.) opens and the Rector puts his head round the Step boldly, step boldly! door.) For here’s the way we go to sea. Down the cliff to find that shoal Rector That’s boiling in the sea! 5 Peter Grimes! Peter Grimes! Nobody here? (The procession is now quite near.) (Next come Swallow, Ned, and Balstrode, and Boles, Rector, Swallow, Keene, and Chorus (off) some of the crowd follow them in.) Now the liars shiver, for Now if they’ve cheated we shall know! Swallow We shall strike and strike to kill What about the other door? At the slander or the sin! (Swallow and the Rector look out of the cliff- (Rope in hand, Peter drives the Boy through the side door, but do not climb out. Silence for a door onto the cliff edge.) moment)

106 Rector Rector Was this a recent landslide? There’s no point certainly in staying here, And will the last to go please close the door. Swallow Yes. (They go out – all save Balstrode, who hesitates, looks round the hut, sees the Boy’s Sunday Rector clothes lying around, examines them, then goes It makes almost a precipice. to the street door to shut it. He goes up to the How deep? cliff-side door, looks out, and hurriedly climbs down the way Peter and the Boy went.) Swallow Say forty feet. Quick curtain

Rector End of Act II Dangerous to leave the door open!

Keene Act III He used to keep his boat down there, Maybe they’ve both gone fishing. 6 Interlude V

Rector Scene 1 Yet, Curtain His hut is reasonably kept. Scene as in Act I, a few days later Here’s order. Here’s skill. The time is summer evening. One of the season’s subscription dances is taking place in the Moot (Swallow draws the moral.) Hall which is brightly lit and from which we can hear the band playing a polka and the rhythm of Swallow the dancers’ feet. ‘The Boar’ too is brightly lit and, The whole affair gives Borough talk its – shall as the dance goes on, there will be a regular I say quietus? Here we come pell-mell, passage – of the males at any rate – from the Expecting to find out – we know not what. Moot Hall to the Inn. But all we find is a neat and empty hut. Gentlemen, take this to your wives: Less interference in our private lives.

107 The stage is empty but presently there is a But in their choice of pleasures little squeal and the First Niece scampers down They show their coloured feathers, the exterior staircase of the Moot Hall, closely Provided that the tête-à-tête’s in threes. followed by Swallow. A barn dance is being played in the Moot Hall. Swallow I shall take steps to change her mind. Swallow (to Niece 1) She has first option on my love. 7 Assign your prettiness to me, If my appeal should be ignored I’ll seal the deed and take no fee; I’ll take it to the House of Lords! My signature, your graceful mark, Are witnessed by the abetting dark. Nieces Oh, pairing’s all to blame (The Second Niece joins the First, arm in arm.) For awkwardness and shame, And all these manly sighs and tears, Both Nieces Which wouldn’t be expended Together we are safe If people condescended As any wedded wife, Always to have their tête-à-têtes in threes. For safety in number lies. A man is always lighter, Swallow His conversation’s brighter, Assign your prettiness to me, Provided that the tête-à-tête’s in threes... We’ll make an absolute decree Of quiet enjoyment, which you’ll bless Swallow By sending sister somewhere else! Assign your prettiness to me, I’ll call it real property. (Swallow captures the First Niece.) Your sister shan’t insist upon Her stay of execution! Second Niece Ned Keene is chasing me, gives me no peace! Nieces Save us from lonely men, Swallow They’re like a broody hen, He went to The Boar to have a glass – With habits but with no ideas. Sister and I will join him there. If you don’t want Ned you’d better stay here.

108 (He opens the Inn door. First Niece is about to (She is downstairs by now and has him enter when...) buttonholed.) Neither of them was seen yesterday. First Niece (to Swallow, aside) It’s more than suspicion now, it’s fact! They’re all watching. I must wait The boy’s disappeared. Till Auntie’s turned her back. Keene (She escapes from Swallow and runs half way Do you expect me to act up the Moot Hall stairs to join her Sister, leaving Like a Bow Street runner – or a constable? Swallow holding the door of ‘The Boar’ open. The Barn Dance stops – applause.) (The Two Nieces trip quietly back to the dance.)

Swallow Mrs Sedley Pah! At least you can trouble to hear what I’ve got to say! (He goes into ‘The Boor’ alone. For two days I’ve kept my eyes open; Ned Keene comes out of the Moot Hall at the top For two days I’ve said nothing, of the stairs. The Nieces fly, giggling, and hide Only watched and taken notes, behind one of the boats on the shore. Three Pieced clue to clue, and bit by bit boats can be seen as at the end of Act I.) Reconstructed all the crime. Everything points to Peter Grimes: Keene (calls after them) He is the murderer! Ahoy! Ahoy! Keene (He is half way to their hiding place when a Old woman, you’re far too ready peremptory voice stops him in mid career. To yell ‘Blue Murder’! Mrs Sedley is at the top of the Moot Hall stairs, If people poke their noses into others’ business – which she descends. No! They won’t get me to help them – A slow waltz starts from the Moot Hall.) They’ll find there’s merry hell to pay! You just tell me, where’s the body? Mrs Sedley 8 Mister Keene! Can you spare a moment? I’ve something to say that’s more than urgent! About Peter Grimes and that boy!

109 Mrs Sedley Keene In the sea the prentice lies, Why should it? Whom nobody has seen for days! Murder most foul it is, Mrs Sedley Eerie I find it; His hut’s abandoned. My skin’s a prickly heat, Blood cold behind it! Keene In midnight’s loneliness I’m dry. Good night. And thrilling quiet The history I trace, (The waltz stops; applause from the dance. The stifling secret. He breaks away from her grasp, goes into ‘The Murder most foul it is, Boar’, and bangs the door after him. And I’ll declare it! Dr Crabbe emerges from ‘The Boar’. Mrs Sedley accosts him, but he firmly raises his hat and Keene (who is getting bored, thirsty, and angry) moves away. She retires into the shadow of Are you mad, old woman, the boats. Or is it too much laudanum? A Hornpipe starts up in the Moot Hall. The Rector and other burgesses come down the Mrs Sedley Moot Hall stairs.) Has Peter Grimes been seen? First Burgess Keene 9 Come along, Doctor! He’s away. (indicates ‘The Boar’) We’re not wanted here, we oldsters! Mrs Sedley And the boy? Burgesses Good night! It’s time for bed... Keene Good night! Good night! Good night, good sirs, They’re fishing, likely. good night! Good night, good people, good night! Mrs Sedley (like a cross-examining counsel) Has his boat been seen?

110 Rector So many guilty ghosts, I looked in a moment, the company’s gay, With stealthy body, With pretty young women and youths on the Trouble my midnight thoughts... spree; So parched like my roses, but now the sun’s (Ellen and Balstrode walk up slowly from the down beach. It is clear they have been in earnest talk. I’ll water my roses and leave you the wine! Mrs Sedley remains to listen but doesn’t show herself.) Burgesses Good night! Good night! Good night, good Ellen people, good night! 10 Is the boat in?

Rector (As they approach, Balstrode shines his lantern Good night, Doctor Crabbe, all good friends, on the name of the nearest boat: Boy Billy.) good night. Don’t let the ladies keep company too late! Balstrode My love to the maidens, wish luck to the men! Yes! For more than an hour. I’ll water my roses and leave you the wine! Peter seems to have disappeared. Not in his boat. Not in his hut. Burgesses Good night! Good night! Good night, good Ellen (holds out the Boy’s jersey) people, good night! This I found, Down by the tide-mark. (The Rector, Dr Crabbe, and the Burgesses gradually disperse to their houses. (It is getting dark. To see the garment properly, The Hornpipe fades out.) Balstrode holds it to his lantern.)

Mrs Sedley (still in the shadow of the boats, Balstrode goes on with her brooding) The boy’s?... Crime, which my hobby is, Sweetens my thinking; Men who can breach the peace And kill convention –

111 Ellen In the black moment My broidered anchor on the chest! When your friend suffers (meditative) Unearthly torment, 11 Embroidery in childhood was We cannot turn our backs. A luxury of idleness. When horror breaks one heart A coil of silken thread giving All hearts are broken. Dreams of a silk and satin life. Now my broidery affords Ellen and Balstrode The clue, whose meaning we avoid. We shall be there with him.

My hand remembered its old skill – (They slowly walk out together.) These stitches tell a curious tale. I remember I was brooding Balstrode On the fantasies of children... Nothing to do but wait, And dreamt that only by wishing I Since the solution Could bring some silk into their lives. Is beyond life – beyond Now my broidery affords Dissolution. The clue, whose meaning we avoid. (The dance music starts up again. (The jersey is wet. Balstrode wrings the water When Ellen and Balstrode have gone, Mrs Sedley out.) goes quickly to the door of ‘The Boar’.)

Balstrode Mrs Sedley (calling breathlessly through the 12 We’ll find him, maybe give him a hand. door) 13 Mister Swallow! Mister Swallow! Ellen (Auntie comes to the door of ‘The Boar’.) We have no power to help him now. I want the lawyer Swallow!

Balstrode Auntie We have the power. We have the power. What do you want?

Mrs Sedley I want the lawyer Swallow!

112 Auntie Auntie He’s busy! Good night!

Mrs Sedley (Auntie goes in and slams door.) Fetch him, please, this is official. Business about the Borough criminal. Mrs Sedley (points dramatically) Please do as I tell you! Look!

Auntie Swallow My customers come here for peace, I’m short-sighted, you know. For quiet, away from you And all such nuisances! Mrs Sedley Look! It’s Grimes’s boat, back at last! Mrs Sedley This is an insult! an insult! Swallow That’s different! Hey! Auntie (shouts into ‘The Boar’) You’ll find as long as I am here, you’ll find Is Hobson there? That I always speak my mind! My customers come here. (Hobson appears.) They take their drink, they take their ease. Mrs Sedley (Swallow comes to the door of ‘The Boar’, wiping Good! his mouth.) Hobson Mrs Sedley Ay, ay, sir! I’ll have you know your place, You baggage! Mrs Sedley Now things are moving; and about time too! Swallow Hi! What’s the matter? Swallow Tell me, what’s the matter. You’re constable of the Borough, What is it? What’s all this noise about? Carter Hobson.

113 Hobson And now the crime is here Ay, ay, sir! And I am ready!

Swallow Hobson (hailing) As the mayor, Hey, there! Hey! Come out and help! I ask you to find Peter Grimes! Grimes is around! Come on! Come on! Take whatever help you need. (As the dance band fades out, the dancers and Hobson drinkers crowd out of the Moot Hall and ‘The Now, what I claims Boar’ and congregate on the green.) Is, he’s out at sea. Chorus Swallow (points) Who holds himself apart, But here’s his boat. Lets his pride rise, Him who despises us, Hobson We’ll destroy! Oh! We’ll send a posse to his hut. And cruelty becomes Swallow His enterprise, If he’s not there, you’ll search the shore, (Swallow, Boles, Ned Keene, and Fishermen The marsh, the fields, the streets, the Borough. come from ‘The Boar’, carrying guns and lanterns.) Hobson Him who despises us, Ay, ay, sir! We’ll destroy! (with Two Nieces, Mrs Sedley, Boles, Keene, (He goes back to ‘The Boor’.) Swallow, then also Hobson) Our curse shall fall on his evil day. We shall Mrs Sedley Tame his arrogance! Crime – that’s my hobby – is Who holds himself apart, By cities hoarded. Lets his pride rise. Rarely are country minds And cruelty becomes Lifted to murder, His enterprise. The noblest of the crimes, Our curse shall fall on him! Which are my study. Him who despises us, We’ll destroy!

114 Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, Peter We’ll make the murderer pay for his crime! Steady! There you are! Nearly home! The first one died, just died... Peter Grimes! Peter Grimes! Grimes! The other slipped, and died... And the third will... (The crowd, still shouting, hurries off to the hunt ‘Accidental circumstances.’ in all directions.) Water will drink his sorrows – my sorrows – dry, And the tide will turn. Quick curtain Voices 14 Interlude VI Grimes! Grimes! Peter Grimes! Peter Grimes!

Curtain Peter Peter Grimes!... Here you are! Here I am! Scene 2 Hurry, hurry! Scene as in Scene 1, some hours later. The stage Now is gossip put on trial. is quite empty – a thick fog. Fog horn and the Bring the branding iron and knife, cries of the searchers can be heard distantly. For what’s done now is done for life!... Come on! Land me! Voices ‘Turn the skies back and begin again!’ 15 Grimes! Grimes! Voices (Peter comes in, weary and demented.) Peter Grimes!

Peter Peter Steady! There you are! Nearly home! ‘Old Joe has gone fishing and What is home? Calm as deep water. Young Joe has gone fishing and Where’s ? Deep in calm water. You’ll know who’s gone fishing when Water will drink my sorrows dry, You land the next shoal!’ And the tide will turn. Voices Voices Peter Grimes! Grimes!

115 Peter Peter Ellen! Ellen! Give me your hand. Peter Grimes! Peter Grimes! Grimes! Grimes! There now – my hope is held by you... If you leave me alone, if you... (Ellen and Balstrode come in, and stand waiting Take away your hand! till Peter has calmed.) The argument’s finished, Friendship lost, Voices Gossip is shouting, Grimes! Everything’s said. (Ellen goes up to Peter.) Voices Peter Grimes! Ellen 16 Peter, Peter We’ve come to take you home. To hell with all your mercy! O come home out of this dreadful night! To hell with your revenge, See, here’s Balstrode. Peter, don’t you hear me? And God have mercy upon you! (Peter does not notice her and sings a tone Voices almost like prolonged sobbing. The voices Peter Grimes! Peter Grimes! shouting ‘Peter Grimes’ can still be heard but now very distantly.) Peter Do you hear them all shouting my name? Peter (sweetly) D’you hear them? D’you hear them? What harbour shelters peace, (The voices are now close at hand and very Away from tidal waves, distinct.) Away from storms! Old Davy Jones shall answer: What harbour can embrace Come home! come home! Terrors and tragedies? Her breast is harbour too – Voices Where night is turned to day. Peter Grimes! Peter Grimes! Balstrode (crosses to lift Peter up, and speaks) (Peter roars back at the shouters.) Come on, I’ll help you with the boat.

116 Ellen the Inn and begin to scrub the steps. Dr Crabbe No! nods to the cleaners. More and more of the Borough people come casually to their daily Balstrode jobs.) Sail out till you lose sight of land. Then sink the The cold beginning of another day. boat. (Swallow comes in and speaks to some D’you hear? Sink her! Good-bye, Peter. Fishermen.) And houses sleeping by the waterside (There is a crunch of shingle as Balstrode leads Wake to the measured ripple of the tide; Peter down to his boat, and helps him push it out. Swallow After a short pause, Balstrode returns and There’s a boat sinking out at sea, waves goodbye. He takes Ellen, who is sobbing Coastguard reports. quietly, calms her, and leads her carefully down the main street home. Second Fisherman Dawn slowly comes to the Borough by a gentle Within reach? sequence of sights and sounds. A candle is lighted and shines through a bare Swallow window. A shutter is drawn back. No! Hobson and his posse meet severally on the green by the Moot Hall. They gossip together, Second Fisherman shake their heads, indicate the hopelessness of Let’s have a look through the glasses. the search, extinguish their lanterns, and while some turn home, others go to the boats. (Fishermen go with Swallow to the beach and Dr Crabbe comes from a confinement case look out. One of them has a glass.) with his black bag. He yawns and stretches. The Rector comes to early morning prayer. Chorus Mrs Sedley follows. Or measured cadence of the lads who tow Ned Keene draws the shutters of his shop.) Some entered hoy to fix her in her row, Or hollow sound that from the passing bell Chorus, led by Soprano To some departed spirit bids farewell. 17 To those who pass, the Borough sounds betray (Nets are brought down from the houses by (Auntie comes out of the door to ‘The Boar’.) Fisherwomen. Cleaners open the front door of

117 Auntie What is it?

Boles Nothing I can see.

Auntie One of those rumours!

(Nieces emerge and begin to polish the brasses outside ‘The Boar’. The stage is now filled with people singing at their daily work.)

Omnes In ceaseless motion comes and goes the tide. Flowing it fills the channel broad and wide, Then back to sea with strong majestic sweep It rolls in ebb yet terrible and deep.

Slow curtain

End of Opera

© 1945 Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd Libretto reproduced by permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, at Grieg’s home, Troldhaugen, in Bergen

118 Oddleiv Apneseth From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 Also available

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Microphones Thuresson: CM 402 (main sound) Schoeps: MK22 / MK4 / MK6 DPA: 4006 / 4011 Neumann: U89 CM 402 microphones are hand built by the designer, Jörgen Thuresson, in Sweden.

127 This recording was made with support from

Many thanks also to the Assistant Conductor, Nils Erik Måseidvåg

Staging director Charles Kilpatrick

All photos from the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019, taken by Monika Kolstad, Bergen Nasjonale Opera

Recording producer Brian Pidgeon Sound engineer Jonathan Cooper Assistant engineer Gunnar Herleif Nilsen, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) Editor Jonathan Cooper A & R administrator Sue Shortridge Recording venue Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway; 25 – 27 November 2019, except orchestral interludes, recorded on 24 October 2019 Front cover ‘Lighthouse under an overcast sky at night’, photograph © Tony Watson / Arcangel Back cover Photograph of Edward Gardner © Benjamin Ealovega Photography Design and typesetting Cap & Anchor Design Co. (www.capandanchor.com) Booklet editor Finn S. Gundersen Publishers Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd p 2020 Chandos Records Ltd c 2020 Chandos Records Ltd Chandos Records Ltd, Colchester, Essex CO2 8HX, England Country of origin UK

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Håkon Matti Skrede From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 From the dress rehearsal at Grieghallen, Bergen, in November 2019 CHANDOS BRITTEN: PETER GRIMES CHSA 5250(2) England •

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leader Chandos Records Ltd Chandos Records 2020 Chandos Records Ltd 2020 Chandos Records Ltd 2020 Chandos Records Colchester p c CHSA 5250(2) Bergen Philharmonic Choir Edvard Grieg Kor Royal Northern College Musicof Chorus Choir Collegium of Musicum Håkon Matti Skrede Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Melina Mandozzi Gardner Edward can be played on can be played CD players. standard This Hybrid SA-CD

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sopranos bass-baritone (1810), TT 55:37 mezzo-soprano mezzo-soprano in stereo and in stereo multi-channel All tracks available Samuel Winter Erin Wall Barnaby Rea Act II, Scene 2 COMPACT DISC TWO Stuart Skelton Robert Murray The Borough James Gilchrist

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...... Ned Keene, apothecary and quack Hobson, carrier Libretto by Montagu Slater (1902 – 1956) after the poemof the same title, published in the collection Boy (John), his apprentice Ellen Orford, a widow, schoolmistress the of Borough Captain Balstrode, retired merchant skipper Auntie, landlady ‘The of Boar’ Nieces Bob Boles, fisherman Methodistand a lawyer Swallow, Sedley, a rentierMrs (Nabob) widow an of East India Company’s factor Reverend Horace Adams, the Rector An Opera in a Prologue and Three Acts by George Crabbe (1754 – 1832) Peter Grimes, a fisherman BENJAMIN BRITTEN 33 OP. GRIMES, PETER

CHANDOS Soloists / Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Choirs / Gardner CHSA 5250(2)