# Peter Grimes: First Vickers/Harper, Then Which?



## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

I have never listened to Peter Grimes all the way through but I bought the Covent Garden/Colin Davis DVD with Jon Vickers who gives an amazing (and celebrated) dramatic and vocal interpretation, and it is a shattering drama that I had never fully appreciated until now.

But.

Vickers just does not have an appealing voice, even though it has incredible stentorian power. I see now how he could perform Tristan. But he also scoops up to almost every note when he starts a new line, and the voice is not innately appealing. 

So. Should I go back and try the original Grimes interpretation with Peter Pears (another voice I'm not at all fond of)? Or should I go forward and get the Met DVD with Anthony Dean Griffey and Patricia Racette? All comments appreciated, as always.

:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

I got to know Peter Grimes via the Britten/Pears recording and would agree that I never found Peter Pears' voice to be appealing. For a long time I also had the Davis/Vickers which I was lucky enough to see in person. Last year I did some checking around and listening and ended up choosing the Richard Hickox / Philip Langridge recording which I would recommend.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Britten/Pears is the recording for me--and imo Pears' voice is as appealing as the character deserves!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Peter Pears' voice is unappealing to a lot of people, but Britten wrote a lot of works with him in mind. He was certainly a fine artist. Britten didn't care for Vickers in the role, though I don't know why. It may have had less to do with music than with Britten's personal relationship with Pears.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> Peter Pears' voice is unappealing to a lot of people, but Britten wrote a lot of works with him in mind. He was certainly a fine artist. Britten didn't care for Vickers in the role, though I don't know why. It may have had less to do with music than with Britten's personal relationship with Pears.


I believe that the reason had more to do with the very different perspective that Vickers (and Colin Davis) had for Grimes. He was made into a much less appealing character.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Becca said:


> I believe that the reason had more to do with the very different perspective that Vickers (and Colin Davis) had for Grimes. He was made into a much less appealing character.


He was, in fact, a very unappealing character. Britten had far too much sympathy for him.

But some fine music in that opera!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I found this DVD very reasonable, not much Peter Grimes fan though.

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Arthaus+Musik/100383


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

The reason Britten didn't like Vickers in the role was that Vickers was much closer to Crabbe's original poem whereas Britten envisaged Grimes more as a misunderstood outsider


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