Peter Pears

Composers

Biography

Born: June 22, 1910; Farnham, England   Died: April 3, 1986; Aldeburgh, England  
Peter Pears, for many years, embodied British vocal music, both opera and song. Benjamin Britten wrote 14 operas and over 50 songs and song cycles for him, and he appeared in the premieres of many other major English works. He was one of the three founders of the Aldeburgh Festival, and he and Britten established the Britten/Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies, where he directed the various singing programs until his death.

Given Read more these impressive credentials and influence, it is rather surprising that as a singer he had distinct limitations. While he was capable of excellent singing, his voice was not especially beautiful, with a rather reedy tone, and at times also with a pronounced wobble. However, his musical intelligence, elegant phrasing, and expressive use of text and the vocal line were to create his place in music history.

His first musical career plan was to be an organist, and he studied that at the Hertford College of Oxford, but he later enrolled at the Royal College of Music in London, where he remained from 1933 to 1935 as an "Operatic Exhibitioner." He then pursued studies with Elena Gerhardt and Dawson Freer. He began his professional singing career as a member of the BBC Singers in 1934, and it was through that group that he and Britten first met.

His first recital with Britten was in 1937 at Balliol, followed by a tour of the United States and Europe performing chamber music, including material written by Britten. When they returned, they performed his Michelangelo Sonnets at Wigmore Hall. His operatic debut was as Hoffmann in Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann at the Strand Theater in London in 1942; he joined the Sadler's Wells Opera Company in 1943, singing lyric tenor leads. Britten had begun to write the role of Peter Grimes for him, with funding from the Koussevitsky Foundation, and the opera had its world premiere in 1945 at the Sadler's Wells. Thereafter, while he still appeared in other composer's works, he and Britten were an established musical team, and the next decades saw the appearances of many more operas written for Pears. In 1946, he created the role of the Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia, the title role of Albert Herring in 1947, Captain Vere in Billy Budd in 1951, Essex in Gloriana in 1963, Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw in 1954, Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1960, and Aschenbach in Death in Venice in 1973. He also created the role of Pandarus in Walton's Troilus and Cressida. In the song repertoire, he premiered Berkeley's Stabat Mater, Tippett's A Child of Our Time and Boyhood's End, as well as Britten's Michelangelo Sonnets, Donne Sonnets, and Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, to name just the most famous. He was a noted student of early music, frequently performing English lute songs in his recitals, and he and Britten published editions of several songs by Purcell.

While most strongly associated with English music and English venues, he was also a noted soloist at the Holland Festival and the Salzburg Festival.

Pears and Britten were necessarily discreet about the intimate nature of their relationship, but in music history, their lifelong partnership and love affair is one of the most productive and influential, perhaps surpassed only by that of Robert and Clara Schumann. They are buried next to one another in Aldeburgh. Read less

Featured Peter Pears CDs & DVDs:

Britten: Peter Grimes / Pears, Harper, Britten
Britten: Peter Grimes / Pears, Harper, Britten
Release Date: 07/08/2008   Label: Decca  
Catalog: 001147709  
On sale!
DVD: $24.99
In Stock
BUY 
On sale!   $29.98   DVD:  $24.99 Add to Cart

Peter Pears - An Anniversary Tribute
Peter Pears - An Anniversary Tribute
Release Date: 06/22/2010   Label: Decca  
Catalog: 001437802   Number of Discs: 6
On sale!
CD: $28.99
In Stock
BUY 
On sale!   $39.98   CD:  $28.99 Add to Cart

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex / Stravinsky, Pears, Modl, Rohr, Krebs
Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex / Stravinsky, Pears, Modl, Rohr, Krebs
Release Date: 04/30/2013   Label: Acanta/Pilz  
Catalog: 233694   Number of Discs: 2
On sale!
CD: $22.99
In Stock
BUY 
On sale!   $24.99   CD:  $22.99 Add to Cart

Browse 26-50 of 136 Available Recordings
1 2 3 4 5 6
  • 26.
    Holst: Humbert Wolfe Songs, Part-songs, Hymn Of Jesus / Pears, Britten, Holst
    Holst: Humbert Wolfe Songs, Part-songs, Hymn Of Jesus / Pears, Britten, Holst
    Label: Eloquence   Catalog: 4802327 Release Date: 01/25/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Performer:  Peter Pears,  Benjamin Britten
    Conductor:  Imogen Holst,  Sir Adrian Boult
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Purcell Singers,  BBC Chorus,  BBC Symphony Orchestra
    Import CD
    $12.99
    Low Stock
    BUY 
    CD:  $12.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 27.
    Holst: Songs For Voice & Violin, Part-songs, Terzetto, Canons, Choruses / Pears, Purcell Singers
    Holst: Songs For Voice & Violin, Part-songs, Terzetto, Canons, Choruses / Pears, Purcell Singers
    Label: Eloquence   Catalog: 4802328 Release Date: 01/25/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Performer:  Viola Tunnard,  Peter Pears,  Norbert Brainin,  Cecil Aronowitz  ... 
    Conductor:  Imogen Holst
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Purcell Singers,  English Chamber Orchestra
    Import CD
    $12.99
    Low Stock
    BUY 
    CD:  $12.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 28.
    Bach: Great Choral Works / Munchinger, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
    Bach: Great Choral Works / Munchinger, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
    Label: Newton Classics   Catalog: 8802001 Release Date: 07/27/2010   Number of Discs: 9
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Tom Krause,  Elly Ameling,  Helen Watts,  Yvonne Minton  ... 
    Conductor:  Karl Münchinger
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna Singakademie Chorus,  Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra,  Stuttgart Hymnus Choir  ... 
    Recommendation
    CD: $48.99
    In Stock
    BUY 
    CD:  $48.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 29.
    Britten: Les Illuminations; War Requiem; Berg: Sieben Fruhe Lieder
    Britten: Les Illuminations; War Requiem; Berg: Sieben Fruhe Lieder
    Label: Cascavelle   Catalog: 3125 Release Date: 07/13/2010   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Benjamin Britten,  Alban Berg
    Performer:  Suzanne Danco,  Heather Harper,  Peter Pears,  Thomas Hemsley  ... 
    Conductor:  Ernest Ansermet
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Suisse Romande Orchestra,  Suisse Romande Radio Chorus,  Pro Arte Chorus
    Recommendation
    CD: $28.99
    In Stock
    BUY 
    CD:  $28.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 30.
    The Britten-Pears Collection [6 DVDs]
    The Britten-Pears Collection [6 DVDs]
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 001445909 Release Date: 07/13/2010   Number of Discs: 6
    Composer:  Traditional,  Charles Dibdin,  Henry Purcell,  Franz Schubert  ... 
    Performer:  Peter Pears,  Benjamin Britten,  Rae Woodland,  Anthony Williams  ... 
    Conductor:  Benjamin Britten,  Meredith Davies,  Sir Charles Mackerras
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  English Opera Chorus,  English Chamber Orchestra,  Ambrosian Chorus  ... 
    Recommendation
    On sale! $59.98
    DVD: $49.99
    In Stock
    BUY 
    On sale!   $59.98   DVD:  $49.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 31.
    Peter Pears - An Anniversary Tribute
    Peter Pears - An Anniversary Tribute
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 001437802 Release Date: 06/22/2010   Number of Discs: 6
    Composer:  John Ireland,  Richard Rodney Bennett,  Frank Bridge,  Alan Bush  ... 
    Performer:  Benjamin Britten,  Peter Pears,  Joan Dickson,  Viola Tunnard  ... 
    Conductor:  Witold Lutoslawski,  Sir Colin Davis,  Benjamin Britten,  Eugen Jochum  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Zorian Quartet,  London Sinfonietta,  Goldsborough Orchestra  ... 
    On sale! $39.98
    CD: $28.99
    In Stock
    BUY 
    On sale!   $39.98   CD:  $28.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 32.
    Schumann - The Masterworks [35 CDs]
    Schumann - The Masterworks [35 CDs]
    Label: Deutsche Grammophon   Catalog: 001422902 Release Date: 05/25/2010   Number of Discs: 35
    Composer:  Robert Schumann,  Niccolň Paganini
    Performer:  Vladimir Ashkenazy,  Henryk Szeryng,  Lynn Harrell,  Anne-Sophie Mutter  ... 
    Conductor:  John Eliot Gardiner,  Rafael Kubelik,  Sir Georg Solti,  Uri Segal  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique,  Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra,  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra  ... 
    Recommendation
    Import CD
    $559.99
    3-4 Weeks
    BUY 
    CD:  $559.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 33.
    Shostakovich: Piano Quintet; Prokofiev, Seiber / Pears, Melos Ensemble
    Shostakovich: Piano Quintet; Prokofiev, Seiber / Pears, Melos Ensemble
    Label: Eloquence   Catalog: 4802152 Release Date: 04/20/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Dmitri Shostakovich,  Sergei Prokofiev,  Mátyás Seiber
    Performer:  Peter Pears
    Conductor:  Mátyás Seiber
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Melos Ensemble London,  Dorian Singers
    Import CD
    $12.99
    Low Stock
    BUY 
    CD:  $12.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 34.
    Handel: L'allegro ed il penseroso, Cantatas / Watts, Willcocks, Leppard
    Handel: L'allegro ed il penseroso, Cantatas / Watts, Willcocks, Leppard
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 433737 Release Date: 02/25/2010   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  George Frideric Handel
    Performer:  Helen Watts,  Elizabeth Harwood,  Elsie Morison,  Jacqueline Delman  ... 
    Conductor:  Raymond Leppard,  Sir David Willcocks
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  English Chamber Orchestra,  St. Anthony Singers,  Philomusica of London
    Recommendation
    On sale! $29.98
    ArkivCD $24.99
    Low Stock
    BUY 
    On sale!   $29.98   ArkivCD:  $24.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 35.
    Julian Bream Edition - Music For Voice & Guitar / Julian Bream, Peter Pears
    Julian Bream Edition - Music For Voice & Guitar / Julian Bream, Peter Pears
    Label: Rca Victor Gold Seal   Catalog: 61601 Release Date: 02/25/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Sir William Walton,  Benjamin Britten,  Peter Racine Fricker,  Mátyás Seiber
    Performer:  Peter Pears,  Julian Bream
    Recommendation
    ArkivCD $16.99
    In Stock
    BUY 
    ArkivCD:  $16.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 36.
    Britten At Aldeburgh - Bach: Cantatas; Purcell: Birthday Ode For Queen Mary
    Britten At Aldeburgh - Bach: Cantatas; Purcell: Birthday Ode For Queen Mary
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 466819 Release Date: 01/28/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Henry Purcell
    Performer:  Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau,  Peter Pears,  James Bowman,  Dame Janet Baker
    Conductor:  Benjamin Britten
    Recommendation
    ArkivCD $16.99
    In Stock
    BUY 
    ArkivCD:  $16.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 37.
    Britten At Aldeburgh - Mozart: Symphonies 39 & 41, Concert Arias
    Britten At Aldeburgh - Mozart: Symphonies 39 & 41, Concert Arias
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 466820 Release Date: 01/28/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer:  Peter Pears
    Conductor:  Benjamin Britten
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  English Chamber Orchestra
    Recommendation
    ArkivCD $16.99
    Low Stock
    BUY 
    ArkivCD:  $16.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 38.
    Britten: Peter Grimes / Pears, Watson, Britten
    Britten: Peter Grimes / Pears, Watson, Britten
    Label: Musical Concepts   Catalog: 2008 Release Date: 01/26/2010   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Benjamin Britten
    Performer:  Jean Watson,  James Pease,  Peter Pears,  Claire Watson  ... 
    Conductor:  Benjamin Britten
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus,  Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra
    Recommendation
    CD: $13.99
    In Stock
    BUY 
    CD:  $13.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 39.
    Britten: Serenade, Winter Words, Etc / Britten, Pears
    Britten: Serenade, Winter Words, Etc / Britten, Pears
    Label: London/Decca Historic Series   Catalog: 425996 Release Date: 01/12/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Benjamin Britten
    Performer:  Dennis Brain,  Peter Pears,  Benjamin Britten
    Conductor:  Benjamin Britten
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Boyd Neel String Orchestra
    Recommendation
    ArkivCD $16.99
    In Stock
    BUY 
    ArkivCD:  $16.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 40.
    Bach: St. Matthew Passion, Mass In B Minor / Jochum
    Bach: St. Matthew Passion, Mass In B Minor / Jochum
    Label: Gala   Catalog: 100661 Release Date: 12/23/2009   Number of Discs: 4
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Elisabeth Grümmer,  Gertrude Pitzinger,  Hermann Uhde,  Peter Pears
    Conductor:  Eugen Jochum
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Bavarian Radio Chorus,  Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
    CD: $29.99
    Back Order
    BUY 
    CD:  $29.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 41.
    Warlock - Collected 78rpm Recordings 1925-1951
    Warlock - Collected 78rpm Recordings 1925-1951
    Label: Divine Art   Catalog: 27811 Release Date: 12/08/2009   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Peter Warlock
    Performer:  Dennis Noble,  Flora Nielsen,  Rene Soames,  Billy Neeley  ... 
    Conductor:  Leslie Woodgate,  Constant Lambert,  Sir John Barbirolli,  Anthony Bernard
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Festival Singers,  Truro County Girls' School Choir,  BBC Chorus  ... 
    Recommendation
    CD: $24.99
    In Stock
    MP3 Available
    BUY 
    CD:  $24.99 Add to Cart

    MP3:  $19.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 42.
    Benjamin Britten - The Rarities
    Benjamin Britten - The Rarities
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 468811 Release Date: 10/09/2009   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Benjamin Britten
    Performer:  Peter Pears,  Benjamin Britten,  Mstislav Rostropovich,  Galina Vishnevskaya  ... 
    Conductor:  Benjamin Britten,  John Iveson,  George Malcolm
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Wandsworth School Boys' Choir,  London Symphony Chorus,  London Symphony Orchestra  ... 
    Recommendation
    On sale! $24.98
    ArkivCD $21.99
    Low Stock
    BUY 
    On sale!   $24.98   ArkivCD:  $21.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 43.
    Britten: Owen Wingrave / Britten, English Chamber Orchestra
    Britten: Owen Wingrave / Britten, English Chamber Orchestra
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 001304909 Release Date: 07/14/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Benjamin Britten
    Performer:  John Shirley-Quirk,  Benjamin Luxon,  Peter Pears,  Dame Janet Baker  ... 
    Conductor:  Benjamin Britten
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Wandsworth School Boys' Choir,  English Chamber Orchestra
    Import DVD
    $39.99
    Low Stock
    BUY 
    DVD:  $39.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 44.
    The Virtuoso: Music From The Novel
    The Virtuoso: Music From The Novel
    Label: Abc Classics   Catalog: 4763390 Release Date: 05/01/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Frédéric Chopin,  Robert Schumann,  Franz Liszt,  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky  ... 
    Performer:  Noel Mewton-Wood,  Peter Pears
    Conductor:  Walter Goehr
    On sale! $41.98
    Import CD
    $35.99
    Back Order
    BUY 
    On sale!   $41.98   CD:  $35.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 45.
    The Very Best Of Glyndebourne On Record - Mozart, Britten, Verdi, Stravinsky, Monteverdi, Rossini, Lehar, Etc
    The Very Best Of Glyndebourne On Record - Mozart, Britten, Verdi, Stravinsky, Monteverdi, Rossini, Lehar, Etc
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 64218 Release Date: 04/21/2009   Number of Discs: 5
    Composer:  John Gay,  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,  Benjamin Britten,  Giuseppe Verdi  ... 
    Performer:  Michael Redgrave,  Constance Willis,  Audrey Mildmay,  Roy Henderson  ... 
    Conductor:  Michael Muddie,  Fritz Busch,  Reginald Goodall,  Sir Thomas Beecham  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Glyndebourne Festival Chorus,  Glyndebourne Festival Orchestra,  English Opera Group Orchestra  ... 
    CD not available
    MP3 Available
    BUY 
    MP3:  $26.99 Add to Cart

  • 46.
    The Number One Handel Album
    The Number One Handel Album
    Label: Eloquence   Catalog: 4765907 Release Date: 03/20/2009   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  George Frideric Handel
    Performer:  Kenneth McKellar,  Peter Hurford,  Anthony Rolfe Johnson,  Kathleen Ferrier  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Academy of St. Martin in the Fields,  Handel Opera Society Chorus,  Handel Opera Society Orchestra  ... 
    Import CD
    $24.99
    3-4 Weeks
    BUY 
    CD:  $24.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 47.
    Royal Opera Gala
    Royal Opera Gala
    Label: Eloquence   Catalog: 4800952 Release Date: 03/06/2009   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Georges Bizet,  Gaetano Donizetti,  Hector Berlioz,  Modest Mussorgsky  ... 
    Performer:  Dame Joan Sutherland,  Josephine Veasey,  John Lanigan,  Joseph Rouleau  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Georg Solti,  Richard Bonynge,  Rafael Kubelik,  Edward Downes  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra
    Recommendation
    On sale! $18.98
    Import CD
    $15.99
    Low Stock
    BUY 
    On sale!   $18.98   CD:  $15.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 48.
    Britten: Spring Symphony, Cantata Academica, Etc / Britten
    Britten: Spring Symphony, Cantata Academica, Etc / Britten
    Label: London/Decca British Collection   Catalog: 425153 Release Date: 02/18/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Benjamin Britten
    Performer:  Jennifer Vyvyan,  Norma Procter,  Peter Pears,  Owen Brannigan  ... 
    Conductor:  Benjamin Britten,  George Malcolm
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Emmanuel School Boys Chorus,  Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus,  Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra  ... 
    ArkivCD $16.99
    Low Stock
    BUY 
    ArkivCD:  $16.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 49.
    The Hidden Heart - A Life Of Benjamin Britten And Peter Pears
    The Hidden Heart - A Life Of Benjamin Britten And Peter Pears
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 16571 Release Date: 02/10/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Benjamin Britten
    Performer:  Robert Tear,  James Gilchrist,  Galina Vishnevskaya,  Peter Pears  ... 
    Conductor:  Rupert Jeffcoatt,  Benjamin Britten
    Recommendation
    On sale! $23.98
    DVD: $21.99
    In Stock
    BUY 
    On sale!   $23.98   DVD:  $21.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

  • 50.
    Elgar: The Dream Of Gerontius; Holst: The Hymn Of Jesus
    Elgar: The Dream Of Gerontius; Holst: The Hymn Of Jesus
    Label: London/Decca British Collection   Catalog: 421381 Release Date: 01/30/2009   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Sir Edward Elgar,  Gustav Holst
    Performer:  John Shirley-Quirk,  Peter Pears,  Yvonne Minton
    Conductor:  Benjamin Britten,  Sir Adrian Boult
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Symphony Orchestra,  London Symphony Chorus,  BBC Symphony Orchestra  ... 
    On sale! $24.98
    ArkivCD $21.99
    Low Stock
    BUY 
    On sale!   $24.98   ArkivCD:  $21.99 Add to Cart

    WISH LIST

1 2 3 4 5 6