The year of three Grimes
NewsWhatever else is coming back to life, it is little short of astonishing to see three of the most high-powered productions of Peter Grimes ever conceived making their way into the public space.
First was Vienna with Jonas Kaufmann as Grimes, Lise Davidsen as Ellen and Bryn Terfel as Balstrode.
Beat that?
Munich is next with Stuart Skelton in the title role and Rachel Willis-Sørensen as Ellen Orford, with Stefan Herheim as director.
Finally, in March, there’s the ROH in London with Allan Clayton, Bryn Terfel and John Tomlinson, alongside Maria Bengtsson in Deborah Warner’s production.
Has there ever been a bigger year for Grimes?
If by year you mean season, there was also a (good) Grimes at Theater an der Wien in October.
That makes 4.
Correct! And the Arnold Schoenberg Chor greatly outperformed Staatsoperchor if we’re being frank…
The cast was Eichenholz, Plowright, Schwarz, Cutler and Foster-Williams. Guggeis conducted. Larry Lash has the Oct. 16 performance at his Mixcloud site:
https://www.mixcloud.com/Jungfer_Marianne_Leizmetzerin/britten-peter-grimes-cutler-eichenholz-foster-williams-plowright-guggeis-wien-2021/
Operas about sexual abuse of minors are HOT right now!
Nürnberg and Augsburg both have upcoming productions.
It would appear that the conductors of these productions – in an opera that contains the gorgeous Sea Interludes – is of no significance, since their names are not mentioned. The directors – more likely than not purveyers of Eurotrash – are prominently mentioned.
Too true! Here are the 5 conductors:
Bolton/Clayton – Madrid, April 2021
Guggeis/Cutler – Vienna, Oct 2021
Young/Kaufmann – Vienna, Jan 2022
Gardner/Skelton – Munich, Feb 2022
Elder/Clayton – London, March 2022
5. New Production at La Fenice, this May, directed by Paul Curran, myself in the title role.
Well deserved attention for a truly great work. And with its exploration of gender chauvinism, it is also part of the Zeitgeist.
A really great opera that fully deserves all the performances it gets.