Peter Grimes

Peter Grimes is an opera by Benjamin Britten, with a

libretto adapted by Montagu Slater from the narrative
poem, Peter Grimes, in George Crabbe's book The Borough. The borough of the opera is a ctional village
which shares some similarities with Crabbes, and later
Brittens, own home of Aldeburgh, a town on Englands
east coast.

audience to decide which version is more true, and to see

how clear-cut or ambiguous the various characters are.[4]

This opera was rst conceived while Britten was in California. Happening to read E.
M. Forster's article on the 18th-century Suolk
poet George Crabbe in the BBCs magazine
The Listener, he was straight away lled with
nostalgic feelings about Suolk. Pears found a
copy of Crabbes works in a second-hand bookshop and Britten read the poem The Borough,
which contained the tragic story of the Aldeburgh sherman Peter Grimes. He said later:
in a ash I realised two things: that I must write
an opera, and where I belonged.[1]

When Joan Cross, who was then manager of the Sadlers

Wells company, announced her intention to re-open
Sadlers Wells Theatre with Peter Grimes with herself
and Peter Pears in the leading roles, there were many
complaints from company members about supposed
favouritism and the "cacophony" of Brittens score.[9]
Yet when Peter Grimes opened in June 1945 the opera
was hailed by public and critics;[10] its box-oce takings
matched or exceeded those for La bohme and Madame
Buttery, which were being staged concurrently by the
company.[11]

Pears was certainly the intended Peter Grimes,[5] and it is

likely that Britten wrote the role of Ellen Orford for Joan
Cross. The work has been called a powerful allegory of
homosexual oppression",[6] and one of the true operatic
masterpieces of the 20th century,[5] but the composers
It was rst performed at Sadlers Wells in London on 7 own contemporary (1948) summation of the work was
June 1945, conducted by Reginald Goodall, and was the simpler:
rst of Brittens operas to be a critical and popular success. It is still widely performed, both in the UK and ina subject very close to my heartthe strugternationally, and is considered part of the standard repergle of the individual against the masses. The
toire. In addition, the Four Sea Interludes were published
more vicious the society, the more vicious the
separately (as Op. 33a) and are frequently performed as
individual.[7]
an orchestral suite. The Passacaglia was also published
separately (as Op. 33b), and is also often performed, eiThough as the writing of the libretto progressed, certher together with the Sea Interludes or by itself.
tain versions showed Grimes relations with his apprentice
to be bordering on paederastic, Pears persuaded Slater
to cut the questionable stanzas from the nal version.[8]
1 Composition history
The opera was commissioned by the Koussevitzky Music
Foundations and is dedicated to the memory of Natalie
In 1941, shortly after the rst performance of his opera
Koussevitzky, wife of the Russian-born American conPaul Bunyan, Britten and his partner Peter Pears went to
ductor Serge Koussevitzky.
stay at Escondido, California. There they read the poem
by Crabbe and were struck by it. Britten, being a native
of Suolk, strongly identied with the tragic story of the
2 Performance history
Aldeburgh sherman Peter Grimes.

Its American premiere was given in 1946 at Tanglewood

by Koussevitzkys pupil, Leonard Bernstein.

Britten returned to England in April 1942. Soon after

his return, he asked Montagu Slater to be his librettist
for Peter Grimes.[2] Britten and Pears both had a strong
hand in drafting the story, and in this process the character of Grimes became far more complex. Rather than
being the clear-cut villain he is in Crabbes version, he
became a victim of both cruel fate and society, while retaining darker aspects in his character.[3] It is left to the

In 1967, the Metropolitan Opera mounted a landmark

production directed by Tyrone Guthrie and starring Jon
Vickers in the role of Grimes.[5]
In the summer of 2013, the Aldeburgh Festival staged a
performance of Peter Grimes in its natural setting on the
beach at Aldeburgh[12] with tenor Alan Oke in the title
role.[13]
1

4 SYNOPSIS

Roles

Synopsis

4.1

Prologue

round reaches a climax, Ellen arrives with the apprentice,

both drenched. Grimes immediately sets o with the apprentice to his hut, despite the terrible storm.

4.3 Act 2

A Suolk coastal village, mid-19th century (The date is The same, some weeks later
not specied, but the foghorn in Act III places it later than On Sunday morning (the third orchestral Interlude), while
the date of Crabbes poem)
most of the Borough is at church, Ellen talks with John,
Peter Grimes is questioned at an inquest over the death at the apprentice. She is horried when she nds a bruise
sea of his apprentice. The townsfolk, all present, make on his neck. When she confronts Grimes about it, he
it clear that they think Grimes is guilty and deserving of brusquely claims that it was an accident. Growing agipunishment. Although the coroner, Mr Swallow, deter- tated at her mounting concern and interference, he strikes
mines the boys death to be accidental and clears Grimes her and runs o with the boy. This does not go unseen:
without a proper trial, he advises Grimes not to get an- rst Keene, Auntie, and Bob Boles, then the chorus comother apprentice - a proposal against which Grimes vig- ment on what has happened, the latter developing into a
orously protests. As the court is cleared, Ellen Orford, mob to investigate Grimess hut. As the men march o,
the schoolmistress whom Grimes wishes to marry as soon Ellen, Auntie, and the nieces sing sadly of the relationship
as he gains the Boroughs respect, attempts to comfort of women with men.
Grimes as he rages against what he sees as the commu- At the hut, Grimes impatiently drives the ever silent John
nitys unwillingness to give him a true second chance.
into changing out of his Sunday clothes and into shermans gear, and then becomes lost in his memories of his
previous, now dead apprentice, reliving the boys death
of thirst. When he hears the mob of villagers approach4.2 Act 1
ing, he quickly comes back to reality, stirred both by a
paranoid belief that John has been gossiping with Ellen,
The same, some days later
so provoking the odd procession, and at the same time
After the rst orchestral Interlude (in the Four Sea In- feeling deant. He gets ready to set out to sea, and he tells
terludes concert version entitled Dawn), the chorus, John to be careful climbing down the cli to his boat, but
who constitute the Borough, sing of their weary daily to no avail: the boy falls to his death. When the mob
round and their relationship with the sea and the sea- reaches the hut Grimes is gone, and they nd nothing out
sons. Grimes calls for help to haul his boat ashore, but of order, so they disperse.
is shunned by most of the community. Belatedly, Balstrode and the apothecary, Ned Keene, assist Grimes by
turning the capstan. Keene tells Grimes that he has found 4.4 Act 3
him a new apprentice (named John) from the workhouse.
Nobody will volunteer to fetch the boy, until Ellen oers The same, two days later, night time in the Borough
(Let her among you without fault...).
(Moonlight in the Sea Interludes). While a dance is goAs a storm approaches, most of the community - after se- ing on, Mrs Sedley tries to convince the authorities that
curing windows and equipment - take shelter in the pub. Grimes is a murderer, but to no avail. Ellen and Captain
Grimes stays out, and alone with Balstrode confesses his Balstrode conde in each other: Grimes has returned afambitions: to make his fortune with a good catch, buy ter many days at sea, and Balstrode has discovered a jera good home and marry Ellen Orford. Balstrode suggests sey washed ashore: a jersey that Ellen recognises as one
without your booty [Ellen] will have you now, only to she had knitted for John. Mrs Sedley overhears this, and
provoke Grimess furious No, not for pity!" Balstrode with the knowledge that Grimes has returned, she is able
abandons Grimes to the storm, as the latter ruminates to instigate another mob. Singing Him who despises us
What harbour shelters peace?" The storm then breaks we'll destroy, the villagers go o in search of Grimes.
with a vengeance (second orchestral Interlude).
While the chorus can be heard searching for him, Grimes
In the pub, tensions are rising due both to the storm and
to the ery Methodist sherman, Bob Boles, getting increasingly drunk and lecherous after the pubs main attraction, the two nieces. Grimes suddenly enters (Now
the Great Bear and Pleiades...), and his wild appearance
unites almost the entire community in their fear and mistrust of his temper. Ned Keene saves the situation by
starting a round (Old Joe has gone shing). Just as the

appears onstage, singing a long monologue sparsely accompanied by cries from the o-stage chorus, and a fog
horn (represented by a solo tuba): Johns death has seemingly shattered Grimess sanity. Ellen and Balstrode nd
him, and the old captain encourages Grimes to take his
boat out to sea and sink it. Grimes leaves. The next
morning, the Borough begins its day anew, as if nothing
has happened. There is a report from the coastguard of a

3
ship sinking o the coast. This is dismissed by Auntie as
one of these rumours.

Gilbert, Susie (2009). Opera for Everybody. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-22493-7.

Recordings

Matthews, David (2003). Britten. (Life & Times).

London: Haus Publishing Limited. ISBN 1904341-21-7.

References

Notes
[1] Matthews (2003), Ch. 4, America Is What You Choose
to Make It
[2] Matthews (2003), Ch. 5, What Harbour Shelters Peace?"
[3] Georey Wheatcroft, The lesson of Peter Grimes, The
Guardian (London), 6 August 2000
[4] Stephen Johnson, "Peter Grimes", The Guardian (London), 3 March 2001. Review of the opera in Birmingham
[5] Anthony Tommasini, The Outsider in Their Midst: Brittens Tale of the Haunted Mist, The New York Times, 1
March 2008.
[6] Philip Brett and Elizabeth Wood, , Lesbian and Gay Music, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians,
Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell, editors. London: Macmillan, 2001.
[7] Operas New Face, Time, 16 February 1948]
[8] James Fenton, How Grimes became grim, The
Guardian, 3 July 2004
[9] Gilbert (2009), p. 98
[10] See, for example, Sadlers Wells Opera Peter Grimes",
The Times (London), 8 June 1945, p. 6, and Glock,
William. Music, The Observer, 10 June 1945, p. 2
[11] Banks (2000), pp. xvixviii.
[12] Coming Up: Grimes on the Beach II Aldeburgh web
site. Retrieved 20 July 2013
[13] Jessica Duchen, Benjamin Brittens Peter Grimes, live
on the Aldeburgh beach, The Independent (London), 14
June 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013
[14] Recordings of the opera on operadis-operadiscography.org.uk Retrieved 7 November 2010
[15] Andrew Clements, Britten: Peter Grimes: Winslade/
Watson/ Michaels-Moore/ Wyn-Rogers/ Grove/ Rutherford/ Lemalu/ London Symphony Chorus & Orchestra/
Davis. The Guardian (London), 9 July 2004
[16] Recordings of Peter Grimes, Presto Classical

Cited sources
Banks, Paul (2000). The Making of Peter Grimes:
Essays and Studies. Woodbridge: Boydell Press.
ISBN 0-85115-791-2.

Other sources
Allen, Stephen Arthur, He Descended into Hell:
Peter Grimes, Ellen Orford and Salvation Denied,
The Cambridge Companion to Benjamin Britten,,
(Ed. Mervyn Cooke). Cambridge University Press,
1999, pp. 8194
Whittall, Arnold, "Peter Grimes" in Stanley Sadie,
(Ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Vol.
Three, pp. 978 981. London: MacMillan Publishers, Inc. 1998 ISBN 0-333-73432-7 ISBN 1-56159228-5

7 External links
Further Peter Grimes discography
Benjamin Brittens Peter Grimes (BBC synopsis)
Hensher, Philip. 2009. "A Man for the People. The
Guardian (8 May).

8 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

Peter Grimes Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Grimes?oldid=689795146 Contributors: William Avery, Joy, Raul654, Flauto
Dolce, JackofOz, Varlaam, Nick04, Chinasaur, DavidBrooks, Antandrus, Hugh7, Haiduc, Goochelaar, Goplat, Shenme, Runnerupnj,
Pearle, BaronLarf, Reinoutr, Prophile, FlaBot, DrG, DrGeoduck, Chobot, Therefore, YurikBot, Hede2000, NawlinWiki, Banana04131,
Frigoris, Phil Holmes, Tim1965, AndyJones, SmackBot, David Kernow, Eskimbot, Odd bloke, MediaMangler, Bluebot, Kleinzach, Los3,
Gutworth, Viva-Verdi, Colonies Chris, Makemi, GuillaumeTell, Ohconfucius, Will Beback, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, BrownHairedGirl,
Scientizzle, Michael Bednarek, Voceditenore, Oos, Nunquam Dormio, Moreschi, Toughers, DavidRF, JLD, Augustusr, Thijs!bot, Edwardx, Fireplace, Dybryd, Xeno, DanB DanD, JRBainbridge, Jerome Kohl, Esanchez7587, J.delanoy, DJRafe, Troutsneeze, Whjayg,
DH85868993, Dschwait, Idioma-bot, Hugo999, Aletucker, Someguy1221, Bentogoa, Neznanec, Sdurrant, Estirabot, Redhill54, Brittenpears, Addbot, Tassedethe, Ondewelle, Donfbreed, DisillusionedBitterAndKnackered, Tristan noir, Rvt edits forever, Rolecourt 456, Jtjn6,
Crowdsales jokesone, Phonecloth 554, Nnnn55, ArthurBot, Xqbot, Singingdaisies, I dream of horses, RedBot, Gerda Arendt, Jfmantis,
Francesco Malipiero, Petrb, ClueBot NG, Matmurray, Helpful Pixie Bot, DBigXray, Solomon7968, Jamestinman, Belcantofan, Delibzr,
Davidrosborne, KasparBot and Anonymous: 54

8.2

Images

File:Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg License: Cc-bysa-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?

8.3

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0