Peter Grimes

2013 marks the centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britten, who is counted among the greatest opera composers of the 20th century. The NNTT Opera's third season under Artistic Director Otaka Tadaaki will open with Peter Grimes. There is much greater emphasis on the dramatic elements in Britten's work as compared to that of other British composers. Of the many operas he composed, his second, Peter Grimes, is often regarded as his finest; it is also one that the Japanese people can easily relate to. The opera is set in a fishing village, and depicts the protagonists living in an insular community and the cruelty of their fates. In talking about the tale, Otaka Tadaaki has said that although it can be easy to see Peter Grimes as a villain, in fact it is the villagers around him who are the problem. We can draw parallels between the opera and the life of the composer himself; for roughly half his life, Britten lived in a committed relationship with his partner (tenor Peter Pears) in Aldeburgh in the eastern county of Suffolk, England. So Britten, too, suffered the stares of a disapproving society.
This will be the first British Opera performed at the NNTT. Singing the title role will be Stuart Skelton, a Heldentenor who has performed in theatres around the world. English soprano Susan Gritton will sing the role of Ellen, the only character who understands Peter. Ms. Gritton has made the role part of her repertoire. A fine cast of international and Japanese singers will round out the ensemble. Another element that is sure to impress is Willy Decker's production design. Decker's production of Die Soldaten (The Soldiers) caused a sensation when it played at the NNTT in 2008. The stage settings, costumes and props for Peter Grimes will be rented from the Théatre Royal de la Monnaie in Belgium. Otaka Tadaaki has said he feels that, of the many productions of Peter Grimes, this one in particular (which premiered in 1994) best conveys the complexities of the work. Conductor Ono Kazushi received favorable notice for his performance in the 2004 production of Peter Grimes at La Monnaie, at which he was serving as musical director at the time. The opera was performed at the Royal Opera House in London in July that year, and was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production in 2005.

SYNOPSIS

The opera is set in eastern England, in a fishing village on the North Sea. The year is around 1830. The fisherman Peter Grimes is appearing at an inquest at the town hall. He is being questioned about the death of his apprentice. The two went out fishing and had a good catch, but the boy was lost at sea in a storm. Grimes says the death was an accident and insists he is innocent. But around town he is known as an unsociable and impetuous man, and the villagers have their suspicions. The death is ruled an accident, but Grimes is warned not to take on another apprentice. Grimes is consoled by Ellen, the town schoolmistress and a widow, and Balstrode, a retired merchant skipper. After the incident, Grimes is ostracized by the people of the village, and he struggles to handle the work of fishing by himself. Ellen feels compelled to help. She finds a boy at an orphanage to be Grimes's apprentice. The boy is delivered to Grimes at the Boar, a local tavern. Then one Sunday, she sees the boy and becomes suspicious after seeing the state of his clothes and a bruise on his neck, and she questions Grimes about it. Grimes is preparing to go out fishing with the boy, even though it is the Sabbath. Grimes plans to marry Ellen, and has been working all he can to earn more money. Despite Ellen's opposition, Grimes tells the boy to go out the back and climb down along the cliff to the shore; as he does, the boy slips and falls to his death. Some days later, a rumor begins to spread around the village. The boy has not been seen, and the villagers suspect that Grimes may have killed him. Once again, an investigation begins. Balstrode tells an exhausted Grimes to sail out and sink his boat and take his own life. Ellen tries to stop him, but Grimes sets off. The next morning, there is a report from the coast guard of a ship sinking. But no one shows any interest, and they go about their business as if nothing has happened.

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