Peter Grimes: Final Scene

Benjamin Britten: Peter Grimes - Final Scene

Royal Opera Covent Garden, Sir Colin Davis, cond.

(Chorus)
To those who pass the Borough sounds betray
The cold beginning of another day.
And houses sleeping by the waterside
Wake to the measured ripple of the tide.
[Mr. Swallow comes out and speaks to the fishermen.]
(Swallow)
Theres a boat sinking out at sea,
Coastguard reports.
Fisherman
Within reach?
Swallow
No.
Fisherman
Lets have a look through the glasses.
[Fishermen go with Swallow to the beach and look out. One of them has a glass.]
(Chorus)
Or measured cadence of the lads who tow
Some entered hoy to fix her in their row,
Or hollow sound that from the passing bell
To some departed spirit bids farewell.
Auntie
What is it?
Boles
Nothing I can see.
Auntie
One of these rumours.
[Nieces emerge and begin to polish the brasses outside The Boar.]
(All)
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.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Benjamin
• Britten
• Peter
• Grimes
• Final
• Scene
• Closing
• Jon
• Vickers
• Pears
• Montagu
• Slater
• Sadler's
• Wells
• Theater
• George
• Crabbe
• Opera
• Ellen
• Orford
• Captain
• Balstrode
• Auntie
• Ned
• Keene
• The
• Borough
• Moot
• Hall
• Sir
• Colin
• Davis
• Heather
• Harper
• Royal
• House
• Covent
• Garden
• Orchestra
• Chorus
• Elizabeth
• Bainbridge
• Jonathon
• Summers
• Philips

[Miken9000]

One of the most powerful final scenes of any opera.

[lemsip]

I heard this as the music soundtrack on Vasco Araujo's film about marginalisation at the Artes Mundi exhibition in 2008. It showed vicars talking about marginalisation shot with scenes of Gateshead in between and the backs of red brick houses. I could smell the carbolic acid as they reminded me of almshouses.

[aswallom]

To me this finale sums up my personal interpretation of Peter Grimes: Just as the sea is both beautiful and terrifying, both nurturing and mercilessly, almost casually cruel, so are human beings, both individually and as a group. Although we lament the cruelty that others (and ourselves) commit, to an extent that is part of the human condition and trying to resist that will either change nothing or make things worse. This music is a eulogy full of resignation and, perhaps, acceptance.

[leedshunk]

i visited britten's grave at aldbrough , where this piece was set - amazing

[JeeRant]

My FAVORITE part of the opera! So haunting. Thank you.