The Exterminating Angel
Synopsis
After last seasonâs The Dante Project, the Paris Opera continues to explore the music of contemporary composer Thomas AdĂšs with the French premiere of The Exterminating Angel. Inspired by Luis Buñuelâs 1962 surrealist film, which offered a scathing critique of the bourgeoisie, the work begins with a dinner among upper-class friends in a plush mansion after an opera performance. But, gradually, a mysterious force prevents the fifteen guests from leaving the reception. In this confinement for no apparent reason, drawn out over several days, the veneer of propriety cracks, revealing the worst of human nature. Thomas AdĂšs has written a rich and tense score, amplifying the librettoâs strange atmosphere with unusual instruments such as the ondes Martenot. The Paris Opera has entrusted the staging of this huis-clos to Calixto Bieito. The director has long been fascinated by Buñuelâs universe.
Where to watch
Not currently available to stream in United States.
Top cast
Jacquelyn Stucker
Lucia de Nobile
Gloria Tronel
Leticia Meynar
Hilary Summers
Leonora Palma
Claudia Boyle
Silvia de Avila
Christine Rice
Blanca Delgado
Amina Edris
Beatriz
Nicky Spence
Edmundo de Nobile
Frédéric Antoun
Comte Raul Ybenes
Jarett Ott
Colonel Alvaro Gomez
Anthony Roth Costanzo
Francisco de Avila