Benjamin Britten feat. English Opera Group Orchestra & Sir Peter Pears - The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Prologue Lyrics

Lyrics The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Prologue - Benjamin Britten feat. English Opera Group Orchestra & Sir Peter Pears




It is a curious story
I have it written in faded ink
A woman's hand, governess to two children long ago
Untried, innocent, she had gone first to see their guardian in London
A young man, bold, offhand, and gay
The children's only relative
The children were in the country with an old housekeeper
There had been a governess, but she had gone
The boy, of course was at school, but there
Was the girl and the holidays now begun
This then would be her task, but there was one condition
He was so much engaged, affairs, travel, friends, visits
Always something, no time at all for the poor little things
She was to do everything
Be responsible for everything
Not to worry him at all
No, not to write, but to be silent, and do her best
She was full of doubts
But she was carried away, that he, so gallant and handsome
So deep in the busy world should need her help
At last



Writer(s): Benjamin Britten, Myfanwy Piper


Benjamin Britten feat. English Opera Group Orchestra & Sir Peter Pears - Britten Conducts Britten: Opera Vol. 2
Album Britten Conducts Britten: Opera Vol. 2
date of release
07-10-2004

1 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: Introduction: The Wood
2 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation XV - Scene 8: Miles
3 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation II - Scene 3: The Letter
4 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "My Gentle Robin, See'st Thou This Sweet Sight?"
5 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation XII - Scene 5: Quint
6 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Be Kind and Courteous to This Gentleman"
7 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Come, Now a Roundel and a Fairy Song"
8 The Turn of the Screw, Op.54: Interlude: Variation X - Scene 3: Miss Jessel
9 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "Epilogue: Is It All?"
10 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "She Sleeps As a Rose"
11 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Are We All Met?"
12 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation VII - Scene 8: At Night
13 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "This Lanthorn Doth the Horned Moon Present"
14 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "The Prosperity of the Etruscans"
15 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "Interlude: Here in This Scene"
16 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "It Is an Axiom Among Kings"
17 Death in Venice, Op. 88: Overture: Venice
18 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Now the Hungry Lion Roars"
19 Death in Venice, Op. 88: "Hey There, Hey There, You!"
20 Death in Venice, Op. 88: Children's Games: "Adziu, Adziu"
21 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "O Wall, Fur Often Hast Thou Heard My Moans"
22 Death in Venice, Op. 88: "Mysterious Gondola"
23 Death in Venice, Op. 88: "My Mind Beats On"
24 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "Who Reaches Heaven First"
25 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Puppet? Why So?"
26 Death in Venice, Op. 88: "There Is Indeed in Every Artist's Nature"
27 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation XIII - Scene 6: The Piano
28 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation VIII - Scene 1: Colloquy and So- Lioquy
29 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "Collatinus Is Politically Astute"
30 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation VI - Scene 7: The Lake
31 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "Within This Frail Crucible of Light"
32 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Prologue
33 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Theme - Scene 1: The Journey
34 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation III - Scene 4: The Tower
35 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "Maria Was Unmasked At a Masked Ball"
36 Death in Venice, Op. 88: "We Are Delighted to Greet the Signore"
37 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "My Horse! My Horse! Tarquinius Does Not Wait"
38 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "You Ladies, You Whose Gentle Hearts Do Fear"
39 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation I - Scene 2: The Welcome
40 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation IV - Scene 5: The Window
41 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation IX - Scene 2: The Bells
42 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Gentles, Perchange You Wonder At This Show"
43 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "I See Their Knavery"
44 Death in Venice, Op. 88: "Naturally, Signore, I Understand"
45 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "You Were Right"
46 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "Oh! What a Lovely Day!"
47 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Have You Sent to Bottom's House?"
48 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: "This Dead Hand Lets Fall"
49 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation V - Scene 6: The Lesson
50 Death in Venice, Op. 88: "Ah, Serenissima!"
51 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation XI - Scene 4: The Bedroom
52 Death in Venice, Op. 88: "Aou'! Stagando, Aou'"
53 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "How Now, Mad Spirit?"
54 The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54: Interlude: Variation XIV - Scene 7: Flora
55 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: 'There Goes a Happy Man!'
56 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Helena! Hermi! Demetrius! Lysander!"
57 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "What Thou Seest When Thou Dost Wake"
58 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Up and Down, Up and Down"
59 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Hail, Mortal, Hail!"
60 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Sweet Moon, I Thank Thee for Thy Sunny Beams"
61 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Flower of This Purple Dye"
62 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "In This Same Interlude It Doth Befall"
63 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "I Have a Reas'nable Good Ear in Music"
64 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "O Grim-look'd Night, O Night With Hue So Black"
65 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Come, Your Bergomask"
66 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Now, Fair Hippolyta"
67 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "This Is Thy Negligence"
68 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Asleep, My Love?"
69 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: Tarquinius does not dare
70 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: Here the thirsty evening
71 The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37: Rome is now ruled by the Etruscan upstart
72 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Oberon Is Passing Fell and Wrath"
73 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Well, Go Thy Way"
74 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "How Now My Love?"
75 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Be It On Lion, Bear, or Wolf, or Bull"
76 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Welcome Wanderer!"
77 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Is All Our Company Her?"
78 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Fair Love, You Faint With Wand'ring in the Wood"
79 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Through the Forest Have I Gone"
80 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: "Stay, Though Thou Kill Me, Sweet Demetrius"



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