Opera in a prologue and two acts (1954)
A young woman is sent to the Bly estate as a governess to look after the upbringing of two orphans, Flora and Miles. However, the client, the children's uncle and guardian, does not want to be disturbed and demands absolute secrecy from the young woman regarding the events on the estate.
Image gallery
The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw
The governess quickly encounters strange behavior from the two children and strange occurrences in the house. The housekeeper, Mrs. Grose, who has apparently lived in Bly for many years, also remains a mystery to her. Eventually, the governess believes she sees shadowy apparitions of a man and a woman in the rooms, whom she recognizes as the ghosts of the former employees, Peter Quint and Miss Jessel.
It seems as if dark, demonic forces are at work on the estate, haunting everyone involved. In the end, it is determined that one person is dead. What happened beyond that, however, remains to be determined.
Benjamin Britten's enigmatic yet impressive chamber opera, The Turn of the Screw, reflects the fractured structure of the story and brings to life the protagonist's distorted and fragmented perceptions. Each scene illuminates the events from a different perspective, rendering the narrative from the governess's memory less of a coherent whole, but more like a puzzle with missing pieces.
Henry James, whose 1898 story, influenced by early ideas in depth psychology, served as the basis for Britten's opera, himself described it as a "play of strange encounters."
- Duration: approx. 1:45 hours without an interval
- Language: In English with German and English surtitles
Additional information
Prologue
A woman from a modest background, the daughter of a countryside vicar whose name we will never learn, is named governess at the country estate of Bly. Here, she is to take care of the two orphans Flora and Miles and provide for their upbringing. Her employer is the children’s uncle, who refuses to be bothered with such matters. A great responsibility weighs upon her shoulders.
Act one
With great dedication, the governess approaches her task at Bly. Alongside the two children, there is also the housekeeper Mrs. Grose. At first, the closed off cosmos of Bly with the angelic children seems like a perfect idyll. And yet, gradually, the untarnished nature of this world is shaken to the core. A letter arrives; Miles has been expelled from school. The reasons are unclear, leading to an initial sense of unease. The governess believes she sees spectral beings wandering across the rooms of Bly. Mrs. Grose thinks she can recognize the former employees Quint and Jessel, who died under mysterious circumstances. The governess is convinced that Miles and Flora are in danger and that she must protect her charges and save them. In her fantasy, she hears voices calling for the children.
Act two
The governess now can hardly find her way around Bly. She feels lost in her own "labyrinth" and the screw of disorientation continues to turn until she goes completely mad. The voices she hears become louder, the danger seems to grow. The governess tries to order events, as if she were reassembling the parts of a puzzle over and over again. Everywhere she suspects deception and seduction, is just about to flee. But then she decides to tell the uncle of the events. Due to this climax in events, Mrs. Grose leaves the house with Flora and travels to London. The governess is left behind with Miles, and is finally able to understand.
A woman from a modest background, the daughter of a countryside vicar whose name we will never learn, is named governess at the country estate of Bly. Here, she is to take care of the two orphans Flora and Miles and provide for their upbringing. Her employer is the children’s uncle, who refuses to be bothered with such matters. A great responsibility weighs upon her shoulders.
Act one
With great dedication, the governess approaches her task at Bly. Alongside the two children, there is also the housekeeper Mrs. Grose. At first, the closed off cosmos of Bly with the angelic children seems like a perfect idyll. And yet, gradually, the untarnished nature of this world is shaken to the core. A letter arrives; Miles has been expelled from school. The reasons are unclear, leading to an initial sense of unease. The governess believes she sees spectral beings wandering across the rooms of Bly. Mrs. Grose thinks she can recognize the former employees Quint and Jessel, who died under mysterious circumstances. The governess is convinced that Miles and Flora are in danger and that she must protect her charges and save them. In her fantasy, she hears voices calling for the children.
Act two
The governess now can hardly find her way around Bly. She feels lost in her own "labyrinth" and the screw of disorientation continues to turn until she goes completely mad. The voices she hears become louder, the danger seems to grow. The governess tries to order events, as if she were reassembling the parts of a puzzle over and over again. Everywhere she suspects deception and seduction, is just about to flee. But then she decides to tell the uncle of the events. Due to this climax in events, Mrs. Grose leaves the house with Flora and travels to London. The governess is left behind with Miles, and is finally able to understand.
Participating artists
Benjamin Britten (Komponist/in)
Myfanwy Piper nach Henry James (Autor/in)
Dates
April 2026
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
| ||
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
