The Royal Opera: Peter Grimes
Royal Opera House, Convent Garden - 31/03/22
The greatest Grimes ever?
A few weeks ago I reviewed the last night of ‘Peter Grimes’ from Vienna for ‘Slipped Disc’. It was a rather limp old conceptual production, but was saved by the great singing of Jonas Kaufmann, Lise Davidsen and Bryn Terfel and the wonderful sound of the Vienna Philharmonic. It was, I declared, the best Grimes I had seen, and I’ve seen quite a few going back to Jon Vickers at Covent Garden.
Well tonight I saw the last night of ‘Peter Grimes’ at Covent Garden. It’s had rave reviews but I was skeptical. Could Alan Clayton match Kaufmann? Could Maria Bengtson, as Ellen Orford, compare to the finest soprano in the world, Lise Davidsen? Would Deborah Warner’s “theatrical” production, updating Grimes to the present time, work or would it subvert the opera?
Well I was wrong in my doubts. This is the greatest ‘Peter Grimes’ of our time and maybe of all time, even maybe Britten’s original production in 1945. Yes Alan Clayton is not as good a singer as Jonas Kaufmann, but he sounded more authentically English than Kaufmann and his appearance and acting convinced you that he was a tortured soul destined to drown. Maria Bengtson is not as good a singer, but again was more authentic than Davidsen and gave the impression of a weak woman under pressure. Bryn Terfel was just as good as Balstrode as he was in Vienna and it was great to see John Tomlinson dominating the stage as Swallow.
The chorus at Covent Garden were superior to the chorus in Vienna and the Covent Garden orchestra under Mark Elder were on this occasion superior to the Vienna Philharmonic and were greeted by a roar before the final act. Above all Deborah Warner’s updated production did not trash the opera as some modern opera productions have done at Covent Garden. (Katie Mitchell’s ‘Lucia’ for one!) Instead it enhances the drama which makes Grimes a great opera. Occasionally it went over the top. Did we really need a swinging Grimes over the stage at the conclusion of the opera? Why did Alan Clayton have to sing his most delicate aria facing away from the audience? However, despite these caveats, it is a great production, the theatrical direction making sure you are engaged with every scene, and at times the power of the mob was truly terrifying. It truly is a Grimes for our times, but for me it is the greatest Grimes of all times.
This was the last night of this run, but the good news is that Covent Garden has filmed it and will at some time show it in cinemas or live streaming. Don’t miss it. However, if you want the real thing, it’s a co~production with Paris and they will be doing it next season. Having sold out at Covent Garden I’m sure it will be back there soon. This truly is a Grimes that will stay with us.
