PETER GRIMES

   
   

 

FRANKFURT - MAY 2003



John Treleaven acts and sings Grimes with a deep intensity. With a dark, resounding tenor timbre he brings this forceful character to life, letting its ambivalent moods become perceptible: its inner unrest portrayed by wild, irregular intervals; its mania, by prolonged bars insisting on a tone higher. Finally, is its endless yearning, for which Britten composed deeply melancholic, long, flowing cantilenas, which Treleaven achieves with lyrical emphasis.
Frankfurter Allgemeine

John Treleaven, in the title role of "Peter Grimes" delivered a mixture of emotionless shock and incomprehensible, almost mystic pride, an eerie and hubristic portrayal. The first highpoint was his Pleiades Aria, only surpassed by the final Monologue which is a frenzy of incurable madness before Captain Balstrode sends him out to sea to a "voluntary" suicide.

Süddeutsche Zeitung
After the last notes had faded away John Treleaven as Peter Grimes was enthusiastically applauded and justifiably so. With complete dedication and a compelling charisma he sang and played the part of this unpredictable fisherman, who is one of the most interesting operatic characters. Despite its foreboding qualities Treleaven imbued the role with a human warmth. From the softest pianissimo to the most tremendous forte outburst he achieved a vast vocal range of expressive nuance.
Der Neue Merker

Frankfurt has a new favorite: “Peter Grimes.“ Its tumultuous reception being largely due to the exquisite casting of the Cornish born tenor John Treleaven in the title role. A singer who brilliantly fulfills the taxing demands of the composition. Treleaven gives the part authenticity both dramatically and vocally, with a fascinating capacity for security in the upper register and an expressive timbre.

Frankfurter Neue Presse
John Treleaven - sensational in the title role! Central to the acclamations of the evening were John Treleaven's vocal and acting abilities, creating a sensational performance. The inner turmoil of the Fisherman's character came across so vividly, that one could almost believe that by the end, the tenor had genuinely fallen victim to insanity. Furthermore, this tenor has proved himself in the Wagnerian-Fach at the highest level. This versatile voice has at its disposal not only sheer power but also the ability to vary tone colour. In addition, Treleaven handles the expressive passages technically well. In the Finale, with virtually no orchestral accompaniment, the incoherent words, which he utters in the throes of insanity, send cold shivers down the spine of the audience. Such a perfect interplay between expressive singing and dramatic realization of a role has not been seen in Frankfurt for a very long time.
Maintal Tagesanzeiger
Ovations greeted John Treleaven, who sang the title role of "Peter Grimes" powerfully and with an austere vocal timbre. Especially in his monologue in Act 3 he found the introverted tones that depict the other side of this brutal character. The opera is sung in English (with German surtitles) and John Treleaven's precise diction is particularly clear and understandable, as Britten intended his "Peter Grimes" to be.

Wiesbadener Kurier

 

STRASBOURG - JUNE 1999



The overall level of this production would not have been impossible without the contribution of John Treleaven, who knows the role well and who joined the Britten-Team at the last minute. He is a character tenor who has continuously refined his heroic potential. He is a broad-shouldered man who - all credit to the director for realising this - worked himself impressively into Peter‘s insanity. John Treleaven is a singer with a wide range of expression which he uses to great effect. He entered fully into this character who is beyond all help on this earth.
Badische Zeitung

An ensemble of predominantly British soloists were well received not only through musical bravura, but also through their impressive theatrical presence, especially John Treleaven in the title role. He showed great virtuosity in his often exposed, unaccompanied solo cadenzas. He dominated the show.

Radio Opera
John Treleaven was a theatrically imposing Peter Grimes who sang the part with ever-increasing certainty.
Basler Zeitung

The tenor John Treleaven compellingly sings and plays the fisherman Peter Grimes...... he manages the strife-torn melodics of his part dramatically, often harsh, deliberately husky and then again with warm tones.

Regio
Remarkably played by the tenor John Treleaven...

l' Alsace

 

GENOA - OCTOBER 1997
From the musical point of view, above all we must praise the excellent performance by the tenor J.T. as Grimes. Exceptional mezzevoci, a great tragic and anguished interpretation of the long madness scene, moving musicality and involving dramatic abilities. All this sung by a very good voice and an astonishing dynamic palette.
OperaWeb

Bravo J.T. The music historians will have no quarrel with him, and he is splendidly unlikely to quarrel with anybody when it comes to vocal line, intonation or lyricism.

Il Giornale
J.T. resolved the conflicts within the tremendous part of Peter Grimes with transports of feeling.
La Stampa

J.T. is a Grimes in giant format, yet he knows how to be gentle and above all moving.

La Repubblica
In particular J.T., the protagonist, has some truly memorable moments. For example, when he enters the inn during the storm, he sings softly and tragically. At the end, however, his desperation builds to a climax of bitter fury.
Il Giorno
Three glorious principals all gave remarkable interpretations....J.T. brought out the inner conflict in Grimes between his fury and his struggling desire for reconciliation.

L‘Unita

 

MANNHEIM - OKTOBER 1991



Peter Grimes

Above all the English guest tenor, John Treleaven, is to be greatly appreciated. How this singer lived through the part! How he used his smoothly contrasted and richly shaded tenor voice, with its wonderfully dark timbre in the middle, to portray the suffering of Britten‘s stage figure. This was surely an event. It seems as though the producer drew the best out of him, the inner tension corresponding with musical expression and gesture.
Mannheimer Morgen

In the title role, which Britten first created for Peter Pears, you can experience the Cornish tenor John Treleaven, who has already sung Peter Grimes at Covent Garden in 1989. His outstanding performance is grounded on flexible voice that fulfills all the heights and depths of expression. Clear diction and an intensive portrayal, make the conflict of the figure truly believable. After the Premiere there was enthiusiastic applause for the conductor and the singers, but most of all for John Treleaven.

Darmstädter Echo
The Englishman John Treleaven is a phenomenal title hero, equal to the first interpretor of the role, Peter Pears. His final monologue, that is only accompanied by fog-horns, is the most gripping scene of this opera evening. Treleaven portrays it powerfully and yet with soft nuances. Vocally and dramatically convincing, yes, moving in every phase.
Rhein Neckar Zeitung

John Treleaven, a superb singing portrayal, made Peter Grimes his own from the very first brusque appearance to the resignation of the readiness for death in the big „Mad Scene“ at the end. It is vocally and dramatically a dazzling performance. The presentation of the character is compelling, the bright tenoral timbre convincing.

Rheinpfalz
There is nothing more moving or difficult than the final monologue of the title role. Sung a cappella, the dramamtic impact is made all the more intense. This scene with John Treleaven, who sang brilliantly the whole evening, was the climax of this new production.
Badische Neueste Nachrichten
A convincing actor, John Treleaven displayed all the complexities of the character in the title role - violent tempered, brusque but also a dreamer.

Frankfurter Rundschau

 

BUENOS AIRES



Peter Grimes

A fiendish score, this Peter Grimes found in John Treleaven an outstanding protagonist. With harrowing intensity he took me to the heart of the matter from the beginning, stalking eerily or reducing to pathetic shambles, up to his hallucination end. He must come back - artists of this calibre do not abound.
Buenos Aires Herald
John Treleaven, a vocally and visually excellent Grimes.

Opera Magazine, London