This Peter Grimes from 2004 is most noteworthy for the outstanding performance of the LSO, which plays with sonic depth and vigor and benefits from conductor Colin Davis' many years of experience with the piece. It may be the finest orchestral realization of the score yet put to record. The cast is also excellent, headlined by Glenn Winslade and Janice Watson, and packed with star power in smaller roles, like baritone Nathan Gunn as Ned Keene. But overall it is unlikely to supplant Davis' own studio recording of the work ...
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This Peter Grimes from 2004 is most noteworthy for the outstanding performance of the LSO, which plays with sonic depth and vigor and benefits from conductor Colin Davis' many years of experience with the piece. It may be the finest orchestral realization of the score yet put to record. The cast is also excellent, headlined by Glenn Winslade and Janice Watson, and packed with star power in smaller roles, like baritone Nathan Gunn as Ned Keene. But overall it is unlikely to supplant Davis' own studio recording of the work starring Jon Vickers, or Benjamin Britten's version starring Peter Pears, in the hearts of opera fans. Unlike some other operatic entries in the LSO Live series, it often sounds like what it is: a concert. The fact that it's live is not the issue. It's that the sense of space and the subtle distance of an operatic stage are replaced here by the compact, fully forward experience of an oratorio, making it easy to appreciate the greatness of Britten's music for Peter Grimes -- the...
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