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The Turn of the Screw
105
English
Synopsis
A young Governess is hired to care for two orphaned children, Miles and Flora, at a remote English estate. She soon becomes haunted by the ghosts of two former servants, Peter Quint and Miss Jessel, who died under scandalous circumstances. Quint, a charismatic, amoral man, had corrupted the boy Miles and had a sexual relationship with Jessel. The Governess tries to protect the children from the ghosts’ “corruptive” influence, but the ambiguity remains: are the ghosts real, or figments of her own repressed neurosis? The opera ends with the Governess exorcising Quint’s spirit from Miles, but Miles dies in her arms.
Composer
Benjamin Britten
Lyricist / Librettist / Playwright
Myfanwy Piper (based on Henry James’s 1898 novella)
Year of composition/publication / premiere
1954
Genre
Opera
LGBTQAI+ category
Queer
Level of centrality
Main character
Characters
Peter Quint; Miles
Voice type
Soprano, Tenor
Pronouns
he/him
Publisher / Rights holder
Boosey & Hawkes
Where to buy / access the work
Performance rights
For performance rights, please contact the composer and/or publisher to ensure legal compliance.
Official website
Audio recording(s)
Video performance(s)
Keywords
Britten, queer opera, Peter Quint, corruption, ghost story, pedophilic innuendo, the Governess, Henry James, chamber opera, ambiguity