Marlies’Artbeat: Adès’s Newest Opera “The Exterminating Angel"

By Marlies Wolf

Thomas Adès’s surrealistic opera, The Exterminating Angel, made its much acclaimed debut in Salzburg in 2016, and arrived at the MET this season. Based on the film of the same name, by Luis Buñuel, the famous Spanish director, it is the quintessence of the 20th Century surrealist movement.

To define Surrealism, why not turn to André Breton, the leader of the movement, to describe what this esoteric, hard-to-understand genre is all about. Breton defined Surrealism thus: “Pure psychic automatism through which it is intended to express, either orally or in writing, or in any other way, the actual way thought works.” And here, most of us associate it with a few scratchy, extant foreign films and the antics of Salvador Dali! But I don’t mean to belittle what was the impetus of an extraordinary artistic and important output.

One of the advantages of experiencing the debut of an opera by a living composer, is that he is around to be asked questions and explain what he was trying to achieve. Thomas Adès is not a stranger to the MET. (You might recall the production of his 2nd opera The Tempest in 2012). Fortunately he is an articulate and entertaining expounder.

He explains that he saw the movie as a very young teenager, but for him operatic ideas take a long time to come to fruition. “They have to fertilize.” He was attracted by the “absurd, fairy tale quality” that tells a horror story as well.

The film by Buñuel (1900-1983) was the director’s 26th cinematic achievement. His was an exciting life. Born into a wealthy Spanish family, he early on traveled in the most important artistic circles in Paris; worked a bit in Hollywood and directed anti-nazi films for the American Army during WWII. He ultimately moved his wife and children to Mexico and lived there for the rest of his life.

Thanks to Netflix I was able to secure the film to endeavor to prepare and compare.

Released in 1962, Buñuel’s Exterminating Angel tells the tale of a set of upper-class guests who, after attending an opera, (some were performers in it), are invited to supper at the mansion of an aristocratic couple. Oddly, neither the hosts, nor the guests find themselves able to leave the dining salon. Their inability seems psychological; trapped by a sense of helplessness, a powerlessness against unforeseen forces taking over. They lack the will to act. Trapped for days, bodily discomfort has them turning against each other and committing despicable acts. When they finally muster the will to escape, disaster seems inevitably displayed. I use the word “seems” because clothed in surrealism nothing is fully logical in exposition.

All of it is interspersed with weird, supposedly comic touches, but the feeling of impending disaster provides a horror that pervades as the days inexplicably pass by. The clever way of informing us of the stench in the ornate salon, is a master stroke. And one sequence with a cut-off hand creeping about, was especially petrifying. And, just to bring this totally up to date, “creeping” in today’s new sense, is also present.

The opera’s producer, Tom Cairns, also created its libretto. He has it adhere extremely close to the Buñuel version. The opening words and opening scenes, for instance, are identical in their repetitive, surrealistic rendition.

During the charming and enlightening intermission interviews by the HD host Susan Graham, we were informed that necessity called for limiting the number of protagonists. That, however, still meant we were offered 15 world-class singers, many of them very familiar to the Met. Were I to list and accredit each, this review would be longer than the opera itself. Indeed, the primary reason this opera may not become part of the modern repertory, is its demand for the huge number of singers.

But some mentions must be made: Udrey Luna (who was also in Adès’s The Tempest), plays the soprano “Guest of Honor” of the party. Much authentic publicity has been given her uncanny vocal range. Adès has her display A above high C, which is believed to be the highest note ever hit on a Met stage. Luna, an attractive actress as well, was so relaxed, that she winked at the camera as she exited backstage after the accomplishment.

The mezzo soprano Alice Coot, fabulously remembered as the haughty, mannish Elizabeth I, in the Met’s 2012 Maria Stuarda, again showed her vocal and physical capabilities as the bilious, needy Leonora Palma.

Sir John Tomlinson, the well-known bass, masterfully carried the role of Dr. Carlos Conde, who tries his best to prevent more deaths in the totally unhygienic environment. It is safe to say, that the rest of the 15 top artists delivered incredibly well. Just learning the intricate score must have been a major challenge.

Adès’s rhythmic, sinister pulsations often jar, but when needed for the libretto, he also gives us sonorities that translate into inviting, yet innovative lyricism. Ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument, is but one of his unusual harmonic choices. Using children-sized violins to supply an especially spooky sound, is another innovation.

He introduces sound effects, such as the emphatic slamming of a door. Saucepans and a washboard are also on the musical board.

Since Mr. Adès’s conducted the Met orchestra himself, he made full use of its famous ability to deal with whatever it performs in world-class fashion. And the Met’s chorus contributed its mastery of the difficult tessitura as well.

Tal Yarden’s use of projections provided many a spine-chilling moment. Modern opera benefits mightily from these contemporary elements. Wagner surely would have been delighted had they existed in his time. He would have thrilled to the use of the rotating stage when the group finally is able to get up the will to entrap itself.

During one of the backstage interviews, a cast member mentioned that the Met audience responded with more laughter than the Austrian. In our movie theater, although we had some applause and bravos at the end, there had been nary a chuckle any time before. Indeed, I thought there was nothing in the least funny about any of the opera. I wonder whether in some of the over 70 countries around the globe it might be received as more comical.

The suggestion has been made that both the cinematic and operatic versions of

The Exterminating Angel are political statements. It
certainly would not be unique to use the operatic stage in such a
manner. If that is Adès’s intent, he has joined the company as such
luminaries as Mozart, Puccini, Giordano, just to cite a few.

Come see for yourself what you think. The Encore in most places is this Wednesday, November 22, 2017. Check your local venue for time.