“Peter Grimes” instead of “Boris Godunov” – last performances of Britten’s opera at the Polish National Opera
The premiere of Mariusz Treliński’s staging of “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky at the Polish National Opera, lined up for June, depends on the situation in Ukraine. Following the world premiere in Tokyo in 2022, the Warsaw theatre has consistently refused to show Russian repertoire due to the ongoing war across the border. “Boris Godunov” has thus been replaced with other scores, including the return of Britten’s “Peter Grimes” – also directed by Treliński, which opened at the Polish National Opera last year.
The theatre has announced the shows on June 5, 7 and 9 will be the last performances of the title. English tenor Peter Wedd revisits the title role. Michał Klauza conducts. The production was streamed on the operavision.eu platform, where it was seen by more than 30K viewers.
Benjamin Britten composed “Peter Grimes” in the 1940s. The libretto tells the story of a fisherman who dreams of making big money. He is at odds with the local community, facing accusations of brutality towards his young apprentices. He is blamed for causing the death of one of them.