Who’s deceiving whom?

The more often I see Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, the more I am bewildered and fascinated by it.

The more often I see Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, the more I am bewildered and fascinated by it. There is no question that it is one of his most brilliant operatic scores, if not the most brilliant of all. One thing that never fails to astonish is the variety of interpretations that the work is susceptible of, both the score and the drama, though of course in a fine production they are complementary — and almost every production I’ve seen has been good. The latest version, from Opera North, is one of the most bemusing so far. About the musical side of it there can be no two views: Richard Farnes coaxes from his 13 players a performance of the most intense refinement, as well as of extraordinary richness.