- Title
- Interpretation and performance: The Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten and Myfanwy Piper
- Creator
- Ewans, Michael
- Relation
- Journal of Adaptation in Film & Performance Vol. 14, Issue 3, p. 259-279
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/jafp_00057_1
- Publisher
- Intellect
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- This article revisits the important fields of dispute about The Turn of the Screw whether the ambiguity about the reality of the ghosts, which is present in Henry James's novella, carries over into the opera; what the Governess's state of mind is; what kind of possession of the children is sought by the ghosts; and how the closing moments are to be interpreted. The focus is not just on what the libretto and score can tell us when studied by themselves; examples of decisions by directors and singing actors are drawn from two productions available on DVD, and one available on YouTube, ranging from a 1983 production recorded at a 1990 revival via a 1992 staging to a new production in 2019. There is also reference to some pre-1985 productions cited by Patricia Howard. The discussion widens in the Conclusion to draw out the implications of the analysis for the production of other operas. An Appendix provides a comparative synopsis of the opera and the novella.
- Subject
- Benjamin Britten; Henry James; Louise Muller; Michael Hampe; Myfanwy Piper; Neil Armfield
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1468739
- Identifier
- uon:48094
- Identifier
- ISSN:1753-6421
- Language
- eng
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