Britten: Peter Grimes - Cassilly, Harper, Bailey, Robinson, Allen, Lloyd; Atherton. London, 1977
$8.95
Listen to a Sample:
Jon Vickers' contribution to advancing Peter Grimes from curio to staple of the repertory cannot be overstated. The downside to Vicker's domination of that part was that it tended to drown out other valid approaches from other gifted singers. Richard Cassilly's Grimes is more human in scale and his ability to float high lying phrases with the sweetness of an Irish tenor (which he was by ancestry) gave the role a softer and more sympathetic tone. Although he may not have been as dynamic on stage as Vickers, his approach is more of a return to the sensitive outsider that Peter Pears created. Heather Harper reprises her celebrated Ellen Orford along with Norman Bailey as Balstrode. The smaller roles are filled with the likes of Thomas Allen as Ned Keene, Robert Lloyd as Hobson and Forbes Robinson as Swallow. The sound is very good.
OD 11010-2
