Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Preview: Thomas Adès’ ‘The Exterminating Angel’ Makes US Premiere

By David Salazar

On Oct. 26, 2017, the Metropolitan Opera will present the American Premiere of Thomas Adès’ “The Exterminating Angel.”

The opera is an adaptation of Luis Buñuel’s famed film that showcases a group of people unable to get out of a room. As the days pass, the tension builds but the people find no answers to their odd situation.

The opera adaptation premiered at the Salzburg Festival in 2016 and has made the rounds at several other venues including the Royal Opera House where it was staged between April 24, 2017, and May 8, 2017.

The Met’s co-production of the work is with Salzburg, the ROH and The Royal Danish Theatre. The production is directed by Tom Cairns, who also wrote the libretto.

The opera will star a plethora of young and veteran artists. Leading the cast is Audrey Luna, one of Adès’ muses, who prominently interpreted his “The Tempest.” Alice Coote, who put together a celebrated interpretation of Idamante in “Idomeneo” this past season also returns, this time as Leonora Palma. Christine Rice performs as Blanca Delgado, having made her Met debut in 2014 while Iestyn Davies also returns to the Met. He made his debut in 2011 in “Rodelinda.” Joseph Kaiser, David Portillo, Amanda Echalaz, Rod Gilfry, Kevin Burdette, Christian Van Horn, and John Tomlinson round out the cast of veterans.

There will also be a number of debutants in this production. Among them are soprano Sally Matthews, soprano Sophie Bevan, tenor Frédéric Antoun, and baritone David Adam Moore.

Adès conducts his own opera which runs for nine performances, the last one on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. There will also be an HD broadcast of the performance on Nov. 18.

 

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