Peter Grimes (1990)

A request made by the Composer in the program for the world premiere in 1945: The Management would be grateful if applause were reserved until after the final scene of each act, as the musical action is continuous.

The action takes place in the nineteenth century in The Borough (now known as Aldeburgh, or The Old Borough), a small fishing town on the east coast of England.

The Sea Interludes between each scene are intended to be psychologically descriptive as well as meteorological and each serves as a musical introduction to the following scene.

PROLOGUE

An inquest in the Moot Hall into the death of Grimes’s previous apprentice. Ellen offers Peter her support.

ACT ONE

Interlude 1: Dawn
On the Borough beach, a few days later, in spite of the Borough’s objections, Ellen volunteers to fetch Peter’s new apprentice from the workhouse. Balstrode tries to persuade Peter to marry Ellen and leave the Borough, but Peter’s pride forbids him to consider this.

Interlude 2: The storm
The townsfolk, including Peter whose visionary outburst arouses their unease, take refuge in Auntie’s pub, ” The Boar.” W hen Ellen and Hobson bring Peter’s new apprentice to him, the unease rises to an extreme antagonism.

ACT TWO

Interlude 3: Sunday morning
During church, Ellen (wrongly) accuses Peter of mistreating John, his apprentice. Peter cannot bear her apparent betrayal and their argument gives rise to a public demand for an explanation of Grimes’s ” exercise.” Spurning the women, the men go to seek him out.

Interlude 4:
A Passacaglia leads the way to Peter’s hut, where Peter arrives first with the boy. Peter has seen a large shoal they are to fish for, but the psychological shock of Ellen’s betrayal causes disturbing memories of his first apprentice’s death and his mind begins to fragment. The Borough’s arrival distracts Peter as he helps John to climb down the cliff, and the boy falls to his death.

ACT THREE

Interlude 5: Moonlight
A dance is in progress in the Moot Hall and the inebriated excitement turns too easily into a ferocious manhunt when Mrs. Sedley dis- closes what she has overheard from Ellen and Balstrode: Peter has returned, and the boy is not with him.

Interlude 6: Fog and judgment
Peter, hounded by guilt, betrayal and the manhunt, is completely deranged. Balstrode’s apparent betrayal is the final stroke and Peter puts out to sea with the intention of drowning himself. As dawn breaks, life in the Borough resumes as if nothing of any consequence had happened.