one interval
Hovering between reality and fantasizing. Constant uncertainty, both on stage and in the auditorium. A psychological drama disguised as a horror story. Opera productions have been the most prominent performances of the Festival Orchestra for years. This time, Iván Fischer has chosen a truly special piece: he directs and conducts Britten's chamber opera, The Turn of the Screw. The story of two orphans and their Governess is made creepy by the ghosts of a former Governess and a former Manservant. Even creepier is the possibility that these ghosts may only exist in the imagination of the current Governess.
The opera with a tragic ending which, due to the unreliability of its narrator, never offers a clue to those in search of the truth, is a real showpiece musically and for its director as well. With the world-famous soloists returning to the Budapest Festival Orchestra, an experience that will remain with its audience is guaranteed.
Britten was eighteen years old when he first came across Henry James's 1898 novelette in the form of a radio drama. The eerie story grabbed the young composer right away, but it was only later that he composed an opera from it. It was Britten's friend, former artist Myfanwy Piper, who realized that the text was suitable material for a libretto. Their joint work went smoothly, despite the two co-authors living far away from each other, and having to rely upon letters and long conversations over the phone. The opera in two acts, commissioned by the Venice Biennale, was finished by 1954 and was premiered at the Teatro La Fenice on September 14.
Undoubtedly, The Turn of the Screw is a musical bravura. Consisting of a Prologue outlining the basic situation and sixteen scenes, each episode of the opera begins with an instrumental introduction, which, put together, turn out to be a musical theme and its fifteen variations. Britten's and Piper's characters are enchanting and spine-chilling at the same time - apart from its form, this is another outstanding quality of the opera. The Governess is sung by Miah Persson; the Swedish soprano is well-known to BFO audiences. Two singers with a breathtaking range of voice perform the roles of the Housekeeper and the ghost-Governess - Laura Aikin, who has sung under the baton of the greatest conductors, and Allison Cook, whose Miss Jessel was dubbed by the critic of Opera Magazine as "spellbinding”. They will be joined by the British tenor Andrew Staples, a former student of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
The performance will be preceded, at 5.30 pm, by an introductory discussion in the Auditorium, with admission open to anyone who is holding a valid ticket for the opera performance on 9 or 10 September and pre-registered on our website.
Presented by: Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer Opera Company, Müpa Budapest
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We wish to inform you that in the event that Müpa Budapest's underground garage and outdoor car park are operating at full capacity, it is advisable to plan for increased waiting times when you arrive. In order to avoid this, we recommend that you depart for our events in time, so that you you can find the ideal parking spot quickly and smoothly and arrive for our performance in comfort. The Müpa Budapest underground garage gates will be operated by an automatic number plate recognition system. Parking is free of charge for visitors with tickets to any of our paid performances on that given day. The detailed parking policy of Müpa Budapest is available here.
