Benjamin Britten’s first great opera, Peter Grimes, made him world-famous overnight in 1945. As a tribute to his East Anglian homeland, Britten tells the story of the introverted and irascible fisherman Peter Grimes in a profound psychological drama. After the tragic death of his apprentice, the villagers’ accusations force Grimes to take his own life on the open sea. As an unpredictable, shadowy, and at the same time beautiful force of nature, the sea in Britten’s music becomes an inexhaustible synonym for interpersonal entanglements. The opera’s symphonic scene change music — the intensely atmospheric Sea Interludes — has also achieved international fame as a reflection of suppressed longings and unleashed emotions. Britten’s music drama, which is considered one of the most significant of the 20th century, explores the tension between the individual and society, posing the issue of each and every person’s guilt and responsibility.
