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Boston Lyric Opera presents Turn of the Screw
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Benjamin Britten’s Turn of the Screw is the sort of opera that has brought the centuries-old medium barreling into the 21st century. Based on the 1898 novella by Henry James, the haunting and horrific tale will soon find its home with Boston Lyric Opera February 3, 5 and 6, 2010. The opera will take place at a special location, The Park Plaza Castle, 130 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA.
Turn of the Screw is a psychological thriller that finds a young governess taking the job of looking after two young children in an isolated estate. When she arrives she finds that the parentless children are anything but alone, and that the typical innocence and goodness that children represent has been replaced by something far worse—something pure evil. The beauty of the story is that these supernatural elements can be interpreted in many different ways, as extrapolated on by Turn of the Screw director Sam Helfrich, “its meanings are elusive, and a great deal of what the piece might be “about” is in the hands of the director and the production…without giving too much away, I would say that my ’take’ on the piece is to exploit these ambiguities, to cast doubt in the mind of the audience, and to have people leave the show slightly uncertain, as James did.”
Britten’s musical interpretation of the story is equally as macabre. The minor chords and discordant rhythms found throughout keep the audience on edge and create a sense of tension that is as scary as any modern day horror film. Says Helfrich, “Genius. Seriously, I have had the opportunity to work on a great deal of 20th century opera, including quite a bit of Britten, and this music is something unique. You can listen to it and respond emotionally to the moods, the atmospheres, the often achingly melancholic arias and ensembles, which suddenly and unexpectedly turn into forward moving. There is a puzzle like quality to the music sometimes that, for me, has proved endlessly fascinating for a long time.”
Turn of the Screw will be performed at Boston Lyric Opera February 3,5 and 6, 2010. For more information or to purchase tickets please visit www.blo.org.