Castleton Festival of chamber opera kicks off in Rappahannock

The opera is on in Rappahannock County beginning tomorrow with a 7 p.m. performance of "The Turn of the Screw."

The first Castleton Festival -- believed to be the only chamber-opera festival in the country -- kicks off at the farm of Lorin Maazel, the recently retired director of the New York Philharmonic, and his wife, actress Dietlinde Turban L. MaazelMaazel. It'll run through July 19, with performances most days.

It will feature the Benjamin Britten pieces "The Turn of the Screw," "Albert Herring," "The Rape of Lucretia" and "The Beggar's Opera."

The productions are being put on by the Chateauville Foundation, a nonprofit group that fosters young talent. In recent years, Maazel has used his foundation to stage summer productions at the 130-seat Theatre House in Rappahannock.

This is the first year of what Maazel hopes will become an annual festival.

"He's 79, but since his father has lived to be 106, he's not planning on retiring," said Jenny Lawhorn, the spokeswoman for the festival.

Tickets are $50 to $80 per performance for the Britten operas, which were written for smaller venues, such as Maazel's, featuring chamber, not full, orchestras.

The festival orchestra will perform twice -- 7 p.m. shows July 11 and 19 -- with tickets for $50 and $60.

There also will be two shows featuring resident artists.

Philip Myers, the principal horn for the New York Philharmonic, will be joined by Liang Wang on oboe and Virginia Perry Lamb on piano for a performance next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Robert Langevin, the principal flute for the orchestra, will perform July 15 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per show.

Festival organizers will host an open house Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will include shows by festival artists and tours of the farm it's a working operation, with 150 head of cattle and an assortment of more exotic creatures and various venues. While the 5 p.m. opera will be a ticketed affair, a free concert of jazz standards and other compositions will follow the 9 p.m. fireworks show.

A new "festival tent" -- with air conditioning,seating and a formal stage; it's a tent in name only -- opens in time for Sunday's performance of "The Beggar's Opera."

Contact Zachary Reid at (804) 775-8179 or .