Castleton Festival opens

The reviews are in for the opening of the Castleton Festival, a production of Britten's "The Turn of the Screw."

The festival, staged by conducted Lorin Maazel and his wife, Dietlinde Turban-Maazel, at Castleton Farms, their estate in Rappahannock County, continues through July 19 with productions of Britten's "The Rape of Lucretia" and "Albert Herring" and the composer's adaptation of "The Beggar's Opera" in the 131-seat Theatre House (a converted hatchery building), as well as two outdoor orchestra concerts and other events on the farm and at satellite locations. (For details, see the July calendar.)

My introduction to the Castleton Festival, with comments from Lorin Maazel, in print in Style Weekly, online at:

http://www.styleweekly.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=92CBF6163B1A49EDA35EE49A248BA3C9&AudID=C3A7C1EDE4E54E24AF4637F9AAFFD1B6

Here's Anne Midgette's review of "The Turn of the Screw" in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/05/AR2009070502601.html

Tim Smith's review and take-you-there in the Baltimore Sun:

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/classicalmusic/2009/07/castleton_festival_on_lorin_ma.html#more

Charles T. Downey's review, posted on Ionarts:

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2009/07/summer-at-opera-castleton-festival-1.html