Peter Grimes must write an opera, and where I belonged. Britten returned to England in April 1942. Soon after his return, he asked Montagu Slater to be his librettist for "Peter Grimes". Britten and Pears both had a strong hand in drafting the story, and in this process the character of Grimes became far more complex. Rather than being the clear-cut villain he is in Crabbe's version, he became a victim of both cruel fate and society, while retaining darker aspects in his character. It is left to the audience to decide which version is more true, and to see how clear-cut
The Peony Pavilion (opera) for Part Two. The Peony Pavilion (opera) The Peony Pavilion is a 1998 production by Peter Sellars, in a mix of Chinese and English translation, of the Ming Dynasty play "The Peony Pavilion". Part One is an avant-garde staging of the traditional Kunqu form of Chinese opera's staging of the play, which is how the play is usually performed in China. Part Two is a specially-composed two-hour opera by Tan Dun, mixing Chinese and western forms and instruments. Sony Classics released a 1998 CD, "" sung in English by Ying Huang and the New York Virtuoso Singers based on portions