Turn of the Screw
Utah Opera, March 8, 1997

Conducted by-----Terence Kern *
Directed by------Alexander Gelman
Set Design-------Russell Parkman (from Opera Memphis)
Costume Design---Susan Memmott-Allred
Lighting---------Nicholas Cavallaro

Prologue/Quint---Robert Breault
Governess--------Lori Ann Phillips *
Miles------------Michael Denos *
Flora------------Laurel James
Mrs. Grose-------Jennifer Lane
Miss Jessel------Amy Schroeder *

*-Utah Opera Debut

My first encounter with the operas of Benjamin Britten came with the "Billy Budd" Met broadcast in March 1992. Since that time, my appreciation for this great composer has gron with broadcasts, recordings, and videos of many of his works, but never any live performances. Yesterday, finally, besides the fine broadcast of "Billy Budd", I also saw my first live performance of one of Britten's stage works, "The Turn of the Screw."

This was not the first performance of a Britten work by Utah Opera: previously, "Curlew River", "The Burning Fiery Furnace", and "The Prodigal Son" were performed in Salt Lake's Catholic cathedral. This was, however, the first one performed in the theatre. Inevitably, such a small-scaled work loses something in a larger house (I, for one, occasionally had trouble telling Mrs. Grose from the Governess...I guess that's what I get for buying balcony seats), but the musical virtues of the performance could not be denied.

The finest performance of the evening was undoubtedly that of Quint: Robert Breault combines a ravishing tone with the aristocratic phrasing that one hears in recordings of Peter Pears. Michael Denos was also very accomplished as Miles. While his movement on stage was sometimes rudimentary, his singing could not be faulted. His "Malo" song was the single most creepy moment of the evening.

Lori Ann Phillips was the Governess instead of the originally announced Lauren Flanigan. While it was a disappointment to miss a performance by Flanigan, Phillips was a very good substitute. She did take some time to warm up, but by the second act, her fight for Miles' soul was both passionate and beautiful. Her voice combined the motherly British sound of a singer like Heather Harper, as well as the beauty and reserve of a Renee Fleming.

The remaining singers were on a similar level of excellence: Laurel James was convincing as Flora, Jennifer Lane a model of compassion as Mrs. Grose, and Amy Schroeder as a shameless, evil Miss Jessel.

The staging of the opera was not wholly convincing. During the first act, the difference between the living and the dead was only clear during the scene at the lake and the final scene. Peter Quint's first appearance unfortunately resembled a stage hand who accidently finds himself in view of the audience. By the second act, however, the other-wordliness of Quint and Jessel is clear. Eventually, the performance was frightening for even this jaded "Generation X-er."

Hopefully, audience response will merit future productions of Britten's operas. I can only dream of Robert Breault as Grimes, Aschenbach, Vere, Albert Herring...