"Malo" in THE TURN OF THE SCREW

Composer Benjamin Britten

This year’s opera The Turn of the Screw doesn’t have the ever-popular songs that Oklahoma! does, or even the familiar musical moments of La Bohème, but composer Benjamin Britten did include verytuneful children’s songs in the opera.  Onenotable song that could have several meanings is Miles’ song “Malo.” This versewas originally a pneumonic device to help beginning Latin students remember thedifferent meanings and conjugations of the word “malo:” 1) verb “malo” meaning“I wish;” 2) the noun “malus” meaning “apple tree” and “malum” meaning “apple;”and 3) the noun “malum” meaning “evil” – but his song seems to have darkundertones, especially because Britten set it to very melancholy music. 
Here is the text of the song:
    Malo: I wouldrather be    Malo: in an appletree    Malo: than anaughty boy    Malo: inadversity       
Click here to hear ThomasParfitt as Miles sing this song at the 2011 Glyndebourne Festival.  Remember this song, because you’ll hear avariation of it at the end of the opera. 
Britten’s The Turn of the Screw may not be mainstream,but it certainly leaves an impression.  Wehope that you will get even more out of your experience having learned a littlemore about the music.  Enjoy theshow!     
The Turn of the Screwplays its final performance on Saturday, August 4 at 8pm. Hurry to see it beforeit disappears!
Want to know more? This blog post is part of the article Whatto Listen for in The Turn of the Screw, found in the 2012 Opera Insider (Festival Resource Guide - PDF). We alsoexcerpted the section on The Turn of theScrew’s twelve-tone row in a previousblogpost.