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Peter Grimes, Op. 33

165

English

Synopsis

In a small fishing village in the 1820s, the fisherman Peter Grimes is an outsider suspected of abusing his young apprentices. At a coroner's inquest, he is found innocent of the death of his latest apprentice, but the community's hostility only grows. Desperate for a normal life and the respect of his neighbors, he acquires a new boy from the workhouse. When this second apprentice dies during a storm, the town forms a mob to hunt Grimes down. Driven mad, he is convinced by his only friend, Captain Balstrode, to sail his boat out to sea and sink it. The next day, the village's indifferent daily routine resumes when a coastguard reports that a boat has been sighted sinking off the horizon

Composer

Benjamin Britten

Lyricist / Librettist / Playwright

Montagu Slater

Year of composition/publication / premiere

1945

Genre

Opera

LGBTQAI+ category

Queer

Level of centrality

Main character

Characters

Peter Grimes

Voice type

Tenor

Pronouns

he/him

Publisher / Rights holder

Boosey & Hawkes (London, New York)

Where to buy / access the work

The vocal score (piano reduction) and full score are available for purchase or rental from the publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, and from major sheet music retailers.

Performance rights

For performance rights, please contact the composer and/or publisher to ensure legal compliance.