BENJAMIN BRITTEN: PETER GRIMES Peter Pears (Peter Grimes); Claire Watson (Ellen Orford); James Pease (Captain Balstrode); David Kelley (Hobson) Owen Brannigan (Swallow); Lauris Elms (Mrs Sedley); Geraint Evans (Ned Keene), et al. Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Benjamin Britten - conductor Decca Legends, 467 682-2 2 CDs; ££ TPT: 144' 22

A yardstick performance of Britten's disturbing opera. At a cost of two for the price of one, it cannot be missed.

Britten's tragic opera about a cruel fisherman, rooted in an intolerant landscape amongst a narrow-minded, gossip-loving community, is a disturbing, yet hauntingly-beautiful work. On the surface, it is the story of a child-abusing tormentor, whose treatment of his boy apprentices leads to their premature, wretched ends. But if we scratch below the surface we see a slightly more uncomfortable and disturbing picture that is perhaps a little too close to the bone: one of a heartless humanity in which there are neither heroes nor villains, only victims. Britten's penetrating and disturbing characterisations produce only a sense that, at heart, it is not the individual, but society that is flawed: despite his failings, we cannot help but feel a certain sympathy for the hapless Grimes, an outsider in every respect of the word; likewise, the hopelessly-deluded Ellen Orford, whose failure to see the 'real' Grimes, ultimately brings about one youngster's death; Balstrode, an affable character, nevertheless knowingly sends Grimes to his own tragic demise, and the townspeople, so likeable as individuals, coagulate to form a horrific, seething mob.

This second re-release on CD of Britten's original 1958 recording on the mid-price Decca Legends series, and the first since 1989, is a welcome and long-overdue addition to the catalogue of available performances. Remastered 'at 96kHz in 24 bit digital stereo from the original analogue mastertapes' (we are told), it is worth remembering that whilst Davis' performance on Philips might still retain a greater dynamic range (and less hiss), producer Erik Smith's attempt to suggest a live performance does not fall far from the mark – for a recording that is older than my wife (dare I make the joke?), the sound is crystal clear and the individuality of Pears' voice, the quintessential sound that Britten envisaged during its composition, is as clean and fresh as ever. His interpretation is vastly different from Colin Davis' Jon Vickers; he is less tortured and less prosaic, and his attention to phrasing and detail (no doubt assisted by the authoritative knowledge of the conductor), makes this a preferable alternative.

As for the remainder of the cast, what can one say other than that,on the whole, I prefer their portrayal, especially Geraint Evans' vibrant Ned Keene and Claire Watson's more at arms' length depiction of Ellen Orford than either Heather Harper for Davis or Yvonne Barclay's performance for Hickox's quirky 1996 release on Chandos (LSO/CHAN 9447). The only thing that does rankle slightly is its release on two discs, rather than the three, one-to-an-act recording release of 1989.

The performance is perhaps one of the most thrilling available, and certainly makes its mark as one of the most exciting performances of Britten conducting. A fantastic bargain and a wonderful addition to any CD collection.

Ian le Prévost