Britten Thematic Catalogue

Beta Version

BTC967 PETER GRIMES

Opera in three acts and a prologue, op. 33
Period of composition: Jan 1944 - 10 Feb 1945
Date notes

Britten and Pears began sketching the scenario of the opera as early as 1941.

First performance: 7 Jun 1945 >>
Type of performance: Staged performance
Location: Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
Performance details:

Peter Pears Peter Grimes, Joan Cross Ellen Orford, Edith Coates Auntie, Blanche Turner Niece 1, Minnia Bower Niece II, Roderick Jones Balstrode, Valetta Iacopi Mrs Sedley, Tom Culbert The Rector, Frank Vaughan Hobson, Saša Machov Dr Crabbe, Leonard Thompson Boy, chorus and orchestra of the Sadler's Wells Opera Company

Eric Crozier prod, Kenneth Green design, Reginald Goodall cond

Genre: Stage work
Text: Montagu Slater, derived from a poem by George Crabbe

Pears, Eric Crozier and Ronald Duncan also contributed to the libretto.

Performing forces:

Cast and orchestra

Principals: Peter Grimes ten, Boy, his apprentice silent, Ellen Orford sop, Captain Balstrode bar, Auntie contr, Niece I sop, Niece II sop, Bob Boles ten, Swallow bass, Mrs Sedley mez, Rev Horace Adams ten, Ned Keene bar, Hobson bass, Dr Crabbe* silent.

Chorus: townspeople and fisherfolk

[*Dr Crabbe was renamed 'Dr Thorp' in the original production and the first edition of the vocal score. The character's original name was restored in the second edition.]

Orchestra: 2 fl (=picc), 2 ob (II=ca), 2 cl in B flat and A (II=cl in E flat), 2 bn, dbn - 4 hn, 3 tpt (I, II in C, III in D), 3 trbn, tuba - timp, 2 perc (sd, td, bd, tamb, trgl, cymb, gong, whip, xyl, rattle) - cel, harp - str

Off stage: org, bells, tuba

Off-stage band (members of the orchestra): 2 cl in B flat, perc (cymb, sd, bd), solo vn, solo db, pf (ad lib.)

Duration: 143'

Prologue & Act I: 54 mins;

Act II: 50 mins;

Act III: 39 mins

Dedication: 'For the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, dedicated to the memory of Natalie Koussevitzky'

Movements

  • Prologue & Act I
    • Prologue
    • Interlude I
    • Scene 1 >>
      notes:

      (The Borough beach and street, The Moot Hall, Boar Inn, Keene's shop, and Church porch are all visible. It is a cold grey morning.)

    • Interlude II
    • Scene II >>
      notes:

      (Inside the 'Boar' - the same night. Auntie is admitting Mrs Sedley. The gale is now at hurricane force and they push the door shut with difficulty.)

  • Act II
    • Interlude III
    • Scene 1 >>
      notes:

      (The village street and beach (as before). A fine sunny morning, with church bells ringing. Some of the villagers are standing in a group outside the church door).

    • Interlude IV
    • Scene 2 >>
      notes:

      (Peter Grimes' hut (an upturned boat with one door, left, opening to the path from the Borough, and another, back centre, to the cliff with a way down to the sea) - later the same morning. The boy staggers through the path door as if thrust from behind. Peter Follows in a towering rage.)

  • Act III >>
    notes:

    Interlude V

    Scene 1 (The village street and beach a few nights later - dark but moonlit. A dance is taking place in the Moot Hall, and the band can be heard playing a barn dance - loudly and distinctly.)

    Interlude VI

    Scene 2 (The same scene - some hours later. The stage is quite empty - a thick fog. Fog-horn and the cries of the searchers can be heard distantly.)

    • Interlude V
    • Scene 1 >>
      notes:

      (The village street and beach a few nights later - dark but moonlit. A dance is taking place in the Moot Hall, and the band can be heard playing a barn dance - loudly and distinctly.)

    • Interlude VI
    • Scene 2 >>
      notes:

      (The same scene - some hours later. The stage is quite empty - a thick fog. Fog-horn and the cries of the searchers can be heard distantly.)

All content copyright (C) Britten-Pears Foundation 2012 unless stated. Please note all BTC numbers are provisional at this stage.