Britten: Peter Grimes - An Analysis

Vince Sheehan walks through the plot and music of this wonderful 20th Century opera.
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Musical examples are played on the piano and violin. Numbers in brackets below refer to rehearsal marks in the score (Boosey & Hawkes).
Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten
Prologue:
1. Peter Grimes, we are here to investigate: A, B (1), A1 (1+12)
2. You sailed your boat around the coast: A (2+5), B (4+3), C (5+15)
3. Peter Grimes, I here advise you!: A (6+8), B (7+9), A1 (8+15)
4. The truth, the pity and the truth: A (9), B (9+17)
Interlude I: A (9+21), A1 (10+4), A2 (11+8), A3 (12)
Act 1
Scene 1:
1. Oh hang at empty doors, the net, the cork: A (12+14), B (16), A1 (16+17), C (18), A2 (19)
2. Hi! Give us a hand!: A (20), B (21)
3. I've got a 'prentice for you: A (23), B (25), C (26), B1 (27), D (27+13)
4. Let her among you cast the first stone: A (28), B (28+28), Transition (30)...
5. The wind veers in from the sea: Intro (31), A (32), B (35+9), C (36), Transition (37)
6. By familiar fields: A (38), B (40+7), C (41+3), Transition (43+5)
7. They listen to money: A (44), Transition (48), B (49)
Interlude II: A (51), B (60), Coda (63)
Scene 2:
1. Past time to close!: A (65), B (67)
2. Loud man: A (68), B (68+11), A1 (68+15), B1 (68+25), Transition (68+30)
3. There's been a landslide up the coast!: A (69+5), B (70)
4. Pub conversation should depend: A (71), B (71+8), A1 (72), B1 (72+8)
5. Have you heard?: Intro (73), A (76), B (76+13), A1 (76+19), C (77)
6. Old Joe has gone fishing: A (79), B (81), A1 (82), C (83)
Interlude III: A, B (2), A1 (3), B1 (5 - Glitter of Waves), A2 (6), B2 (6+19)
Act 2
Scene 1:
1. Now that the daylight fills the sky: A (7), B (9), C (10+6), Transition (11+18)
2. O all ye Works of the Lord: A (12), B (15+7), C (16), D (17)
3. Fool to let it come to this!: A (17+7), B (21+7), A1 (23)
4. People! No!: A (27), B (29), A1 (30+4)
5. We planned that their lives should have a new start: A (31), B (33)
6. Haha!: A (34), B (36+15)
7. From the gutter: A (39), B (40+11), A1 (42)
Interlude IV (Passacaglia): A (44), A1 (44+18), A2 (46), A3 (47), A4 (48), A5 (49), A6 (50), A7 (51), A8 (53)
Scene 2:
1. Go there!: A (55), B (58), C (59), D (61), E (64), F (65+2), G (68)
2. Peter Grimes!: A (69), B (71), C (72)
Interlude V: A, A1 (1), A2 (2+9), A3 (3), Coda (4+11)
Act 3
Scene 1:
1. Assign your prettiness to me: A (5), B (11)
2. Mister Keene!: A (12), B (13), C (14), B1 (15), C1 (16)
3. Come along Doctor!: A (17), B (20), A1 (20+15)
4. Crime which my hobby is: A (22), B (22+9), C (23), D (23+10), C1 (24), D1 (24+11), B1 (25), E (25+14)
5. Mister Swallow: A (26), B (34), C (36+3), D (38+3), E (41), F (42)
Interlude VI: A (44), B (44+3)
Scene 2:
1. Grimes!: A (47), B (52)
2. Come on, I'll help you: A (spoken), B (53), C (54)

[@user-vq8ft9ub5n]

Thank you so much for this kind of content. I really enjoyed this story and this prepared me very well for going to the opera tomorrow!!

[@vincentsheehan3193]

Enjoy it!

[@Walker-ld3dn]

A wonderful, wonderful opera. I saw it in London with Jon Vickers a couple decades ago. What can I say? Easily, the most memorable opera experience I have ever had.

[@shawnweaver7797]

the enjoyability of knowledge

[@gracebyrne8785]

Brilliant. Thank you for this analysis. So interesting. I saw this opera twice in one week a couple weeks ago. I was put into a sort of Grimes trance.

[@ValzainLumivix]

Very informative.