Peter Grimes

Benjamin Britten's first undisputed operatic masterpiece, this 1945 tale follows the titular fisherman, who is first ostracized by his fellow villagers and then persecuted after a young apprentice dies in his employ. Peter Grimes serves as an epitome of stories about outsiders oppressed by unsympathetic communities—a theme to which the composer, a pacifist and homosexual, was always drawn, and which he dramatized brilliantly here. This 2012 production hails from Milan's Teatro alla Scala, but the conductor, director, and virtually all of the singers are British. Musically, this is a superb performance, with Robin Ticciati leading the company orchestra in an intense, thoroughly idiomatic reading of the score. John Graham-Hall delivers an impassioned turn as the volatile Grimes, while Susan Gritton is equally compelling as Ellen, the schoolmistress who tries to stand up for Peter against the other townspeople. Some viewers may object to Richard Jones's updating of the work from the early-19th to the late-20th century, but the change works remarkably well, reflecting Britten's modernist musical style while maintaining the narrative's psychological power. Presented in DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include a “making-of” featurette and a cast gallery. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)