'Screw' turns in despair

In a world of demonic despair, only the strong survive. Whether the strength of a young governess can or cannot save the life of a boy, the world of evil is much stronger than either of them. The same is true within the world of opera, where the strength of a singer's voice can be overpowered by the orchestra. In the efforts to stay on top of things, an opera singer sometimes concentrates too hard on sticking to the notes, and, in turn, ignores the clarity of his or her voice.

Such was the case on Thursday, when University Productions and the School of Music presented their spring opera, "The Turn of the Screw." While the presentation included one standout performance, the rest of the small cast didn't captivate. The main problem existed because the performers didn't enunciate their words. Because most of the opera is sung dialogue, it is important to concentrate on most of the words, at the very least.

Courtesy of University Productions Deborah Gover and Alex Vassos star as the Governess and Miles, respectively, in "The Turn of the Screw."

"The Turn of the Screw," written by Benjamin Britten, is based upon a ghost story by Henry James. The story tells the tale of two children who are overtaken by the presence of two supernatural spirits, who provoke them to misbehave. A new governess takes over their charge, and she is disturbed by the unnatural apparitions.

Directed by visiting opera director Nicolette Molnar, "The Turn of the Screw" showcased the divine talents of Jennifer Larson, an acclaimed soprano who shined as the Governess. Her light, yet strong, voice captured the emotions of Britten's music and brought a realistic interpretation to her disturbed character.

A satisfying performance was delivered by Andrew Foster, who portrayed Quint, a former manservant of the house whose ghost haunts the children. His sweeping vocal range swept the children into a trancelike state, reminding operagoers of the famed "Phantom of the Opera."

Portraying the other poltergeist was Julie De Vaere as Miss Jessel, a former governess to the two children. Her singing remained strong and powerful throughout the opera, as her acting grew stronger and stronger, making her character become more and more evil and grotesque as the night wore on.

REVIEW
	The Turn of the Screw Mendelssohn Theater March 26, 1998

Eliza Warner, who portrayed Mrs. Grose, the housekeeper, was slightly disappointing in her performance. While it was apparent that Warner was skillfully singing her role, it was hard to understand anything she was singing.

As the two children, Deborah Lifton and Hugh Dowell seemed playful siblings. While Lifton's excellent singing far outshined the other supporting cast members, she appeared to have been entirely misplaced in such a smaller role. Dowell, a singer from the Boychoir of Ann Arbor, represented the youth of the opera well. While his singing remained breathy and airy, his performance was a great challenge for an amateur singer and he did well.

Accompanied by members of the University Philharmonic Orchestra, the opera's strongest moments were delivered by the talented group of musicians. Conductor Martin Katz, a Music professor, should be commended for the performance he brought out of his students. Britten's music is very intelligent and challenging. He made the orchestra sound near-perfect. The musicians gave the best performance of the entire production.

Katz's influence gave an even greater depth to Britten's music, bringing life to the transitions between the many moods through which the music passes. At one moment, the music can be bright and stirring, but at the turn of a screw it can become demonic and daring. The artistic beauty of the opera lies within its score.

It came as a surprise to see the University present "The Turn of the Screw" as part of its spring opera. With such a small cast of six performers, the opera is usually reserved for professional companies. With such a plentiful supply of talented singers on campus, it was a shame to display only a handful of good performers.

03-30-98