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The live Met broadcasts of PETER GRIMES brought it to my attention with Jon Vickers, the Sea Interludes, and the haunting choruses. I heard Vickers do his last Grimes in 1983 and he was stupendous along with Colin Davis as conductor at The Met. Unforgettable.

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Not sure I would call Britten contemporary since he died decades ago.

Unfortunately, the recent Doyle production is laughable with creaking moving doorways.

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Oct 30, 2022Liked by Opera Daily

Heard an interview with the new Met production's Peter, Allan Clayton, on SiriusXM talking about his take on performing the role. His description of Peter's final descent into madness was relevatory. Britten really was an exceptional composer. I wrote my Senior Thesis on how Slater/Britten/Pears changed the character from Crabbe's original poem. He's much more sympathetic in the opera than in the poem. And for me Vicker's portrayal is closer to Crabbe than is Pears' portrayal. What Vickers does with "The Great Bear and the Pleiades" remains very special IMO.

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I did it with Vickers at HGO in '83 or '84. Also Josephine Barstow as Ellen. There were close to 80 of us in the chorus. First night when Vickers sang "The Great Bear And The Pleiades..." Every single one of us was so rapt, we forgot to sing! I'll never forget it.

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I did "Grimes" with Vickers at Houston Grand Opera in 1984/85. When Vickers sang his soliloquy "The great bear and Pleiades..." all 80 of us were so rapt that we forgot to sing. I've sung with many of the greats, but none held/hold a candle to Jon Vickers. This version of Peter Pears is really a revelation. It was indeed an amazing voice and presence.

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