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The Metropolitan Opera: The Exterminating Angel
After the acclaimed Met premiere of Thomas Adès's "The Tempest" in 2012, the composer returned with another masterpiece, this time inspired by filmmaker Luis Buñuel's seminal surrealist classic "El Ángel Exterminador", during the 2017–18 season. As the opera opens, a group of elegant socialites gather for a lavish dinner party, but when it is time to leave for the night, no one is able to escape. Soon, their behavior becomes increasingly erratic and savage. The large ensemble cast tackles both the vocal and dramatic demands of Adès's opera with one riveting performance after another. Tom Cairns, who also penned the work's libretto, directs an engrossing and inventive production, using a towering wooden archway to trap the characters onstage. And Adès himself takes the podium to conduct the frenzied score, which features a host of unconventional instruments, including the eerie electronic ondes Martenot.
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Plot Summary
Based on Luis Buñuel's surrealist film, this opera by Thomas Adès plunges a group of high-society guests into a nightmarish and inexplicable situation where they find themselves unable to leave a lavish dinner party. As the night progresses, social niceties dissolve into primal chaos, revealing the guests' deepest fears and desires. The opera explores themes of societal decay, religious allegory, and the human psyche under extreme pressure.
Critical Reception
The Metropolitan Opera's production of 'The Exterminating Angel' received considerable attention for its ambitious staging and the challenging nature of Adès's score. Critics praised the visual spectacle and the vocal performances, though some found the opera's narrative and musical complexity demanding. Audiences were intrigued by the operatic adaptation of a cult film, appreciating the Met's commitment to contemporary works.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its stunning visual design and the daring composition of Thomas Adès.
Noted for its intellectually stimulating, albeit sometimes challenging, operatic adaptation.
Recognized for strong vocal performances from the Met's ensemble cast.
Google audience: Audience feedback for this specific Met production is not widely available through aggregated Google reviews. However, general reception to the opera itself indicates appreciation for its unique artistic vision and the Met's high production values.
Fun Fact
The opera is based on Luis Buñuel's 1962 surrealist film of the same name, which also explored a similar inexplicable confinement of guests at a dinner party.
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