# San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall, June 26, 2014

[San Francisco Symphony](http://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2013-2014/Britten-Peter-Grimes.aspx) presents Benjamin Britten's _Peter Grimes_  
2014-06-26  
[Davies Symphony Hall](http://www.sfsymphony.org)  
[201 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=201+Van+Ness,+San+Francisco,+CA&hl=en)  
8:00 PM, Thursday, June 26, 2014

[[2014-06-25|Back to the previous event]] ☸ [[:#section2014|Back to the 2014 yearbox]] ☸ [[:2014#january_events|Back to the 2014 event list!]] ☸ [[2014-06-27|On to the next event!]]

## Britten: Peter Grimes

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976): _Peter Grimes_ (1945)

[7:55 PM, orchestra noodling, choir coming in]  
[8:m PM lights down, announcements]

### Prologue

(5 parts, ending with 1st interlude)  
[section ends 8:m PM]

### Act I

(2 scenes, 1 interlude, 19 parts)  
[section ends 9:00 PM; set break!]

### Act II

[9:19 PM lights down for the second half, let's go!]

(2 scenes, 2 interludes, 14 parts)  
[section ends 10:15 PM, no pause before proceeding]

### Act III

(2 scenes, 2 interludes, 12 parts)  
[section ends 10:55 PM]  
[show ends 11:02 PM after lengthy applause]


## Performers

### Cast

* Kim Begley: tenor vox, as _Reverend Horace Adams_, the rector;
* John Bischoff: bass vox, as 1st Fisherman;
* [Eugene Brancoveanu](http://www.barrettvantage.com/artist.php?id=ebrancoveanu): baritone vox, as _Ned Keene_, apothecary and quack
* Adam Cole: vox, as 1st Burgess;
* Richard Cox: tenor vox, as _Bob Boles_, fisherman and Methodist;
* Nikki Einfeld: soprano vox, as first "Niece", one of the main attractions of "The Boar";
* Kevin Gibbs: tenor vox, as 5th Burgess;
* Jimmy Kansau: tenor vox, as 3rd Burgess and A Lawyer;
* Rafael Karpa-Wilson: boy (silent role);
* Kevin Langan: bass vox, as _Hobson_, a carrier;
* Peg Lisi: mezzo-soprano vox, as Fisherwoman;
* Nancy Maultsby: mezzo-soprano vox, as _Mrs. Nabob Sedley_, a rentier widow of an East India Company's factor;
* Ann Murray: mezzo-soprano vox, as _Auntie_, landlady of "The Boar" tavern;
* Abigail Nims: mezzo-soprano vox, as second "Niece", another of the main attractions of "The Boar";
* [Alan Opie](http://www.rayfieldallied.com/artists/alan-opie/): baritone vox, as _Captain Balstrode_, retired merchant skipper;
* Matthew Peterson: baritone vox, as 2nd Burgess;
* [John Relyea](http://www.johnrelyea.com/): bass vox, as _Swallow_, a lawyer
* Steven Rogino: baritone vox, as 4th Burgess;
* [Stuart Skelton](http://www.stuartskelton.com/): tenor vox, as _Peter Grimes_, a fisherman.
* Chung-Wai Soong: bass vox, as 2nd Fisherman;
* Michael Taylor: baritone vox, as 6th Burgess;
* [Elza van den Heever](http://www.elzavandenheever.com/): soprano vox, as _Ellen Orford_, a widow, schoolmistress of the Borough
* David Varnum: bass vox, as _Dr. Crabbe_ (a silent role!?);
* Cindy Wyvill: soprano vox, as a Woman.

### San Francisco Symphony

[San Francisco Symphony](http://www.sfsymphony.org)

* [Michael Tilson Thomas](http://www.michaeltilsonthomas.com/): conductor, music director;
* symphony members vary by program, see the [[http://www.sfsymphony.org/About-Us/Musicians-Conductors|current list]].


### San Francisco Symphony Chorus

[San Francisco Symphony Chorus](http://www.sfsymphony.org/About-Us/Musicians-Conductors/SFS-Chorus)

* Ragnar Bolin: director;
* [performers](http://www.sfsymphony.org/About-Us/Musicians-Conductors/SFS-Chorus/Chorus-Roster) vary by program

### Production Credits

* Benjamin Britten: composer;
* [James Darrah](http://www.jamesdarrah.com/): stage direction, production and costume design;
* Michael Egan: stage manager;
* Adam Larsen: cinematography;
* Emily Anne MacDonald: associate scenic design;
* Cameron Jaye Mock: scenic and lighting design;
* Sarah Schuessler: associate costume design;
* Montague Slater: libretto.


## Notes 

Quite a fine production! I like being up close, but pitched over to the right as I am is tough on the neck -- when the action is on Stage Rt (as at the very start), I need to crane over to glimpse what's going on. Conversely, when the cast is spread (as in the bar scene), I can't put them all in my field of view. Makes for an interesting acoustic! That sense of spread is exaggerated even more when the singers at center turn and sing to the far side or back of the stage... it's immediately obvious that they're no longer singing in my direction. Tonight would have been a good one to get a seat upgrade; I'll have to remember that for future  shows!

### Other Reading

* Sean Martinfield posted an [[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sean-martinfield/tenor-stuart-skelton-on-p_b_5508738.html|interview]] with tenor Stuart Skelton on HuffPost.
* Jean Schiffman posted an [[http://www.sfarts.org/feature.cfm?title=sf-symphony-stages-multidisciplinary-benjamin-britten-fest|article]] about the multimedia aspects of this production on the SF/Arts website.
* David Wiegand posted a laudatory [review](http://www.sfgate.com/music/article/S-F-Symphony-review-Peter-Grimes-a-high-water-5585528.php) of the show on SFGate.

{{tag>music opera Peter_Grimes San_Francisco_Symphony San_Francisco_Symphony_Chorus Davies_Symphony_Hall Michael_Tilson_Thomas Ragnar_Bolin Kim_Begley John_Bischoff Eugene_Brancoveanu Adam_Cole Richard_Cox Nikki_Einfeld Kevin_Gibbs Jimmy_Kansau Rafael_Karpa-Wilson Kevin_Langan Peg_Lisi Nancy_Maultsby Ann_Murray Abigail_Nims Alan_Opie Matthew_Peterson John_Relyea Steven_Rogino Stuart_Skelton Chung-Wai_Soong Michael_Taylor Elza_van_den_Heever David_Varnum Cindy_Wyvill Benjamin_Britten James_Darrah Michael_Egan Adam_Larsen Emily_Anne_MacDonald Cameron_Jaye_Mock Sarah_Schuessler Montague_Slater}}

[[2014-06-25|Back to the previous event]] ☸ [[:#section2014|Back to the 2014 yearbox]] ☸ [[:2014#january_events|Back to the 2014 event list!]] ☸ [[2014-06-27|On to the next event!]]