The Turn of the Screw (opera) The Turn of the Screw (opera) The Turn of the Screw is a 20th-century English chamber opera composed by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by Myfanwy Piper, "wife of the artist John Piper, who had been a friend of the composer since 1935 and had provided designs for several of the operas". The libretto is based on the novella "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James. The opera was commissioned by the Venice Biennale and given its world premiere on 14 September 1954, at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice. The original recording was made during that year, with the
The Turn of the Screw Tintner include "The Secret Garden" (1911), by Frances Hodgson Burnett; "Poor Girl" (1951), by Elizabeth Taylor; "The Peacock Spring" (1975), by Rumer Godden; "Ghost Story" (1975) by Peter Straub; "The Accursed Inhabitants of House Bly" (1994) by Joyce Carol Oates; and "Miles and Flora" (1997)—a sequel—by Hilary Bailey. Further literary adaptations identified by other authors include "Affinity" (1999), by Sarah Waters; "A Jealous Ghost" (2005), by A. N. Wilson; and "Florence & Giles" (2010), by John Harding. Young adult novels inspired by "The Turn of the Screw" include "The Turning" (2012) by Francine Prose and "Tighter" (2011) by Adele Griffin.