The Exterminating Angel (El ángel exterminador) is Luis Buñuel’s 1962 surrealist film, and Thomas Adès’ Salzburg Festival (2016) and Met Opera (2017) production.
The Exterminating Angel Movie
Spanish-Mexican director Luis Buñuel’s film stars Silvia Pinal.
The Exterminating Angel Synopsis
Señor Edmundo Nóbile and his wife Lucia host an elegant dinner party that the guests cannot leave.
The guests become panicked, but Dr. Carlos Conde keeps his cool and takes over the situation. The guests survive the long ordeal by killing and cooking some sheep who have wandered into the room.
Leticia, a young guest, notices that when they all take their original seats from the dinner party, they are able to leave the room.
Outside they are greeted by police and servants who couldn’t get in either.
At a Mass of thanks in the cathedral, the churchgoers become trapped, but the dinner guests have disappeared. A flock of sheep enters the church.
Interpretations
The surrealist story has many interpretations. American film critic Roger Ebert has written that the dinner party represents the ruling elite in Franco’s Spain. Having defeated the working class in the Spanish Civil War, they sit down to enjoy a feast, but they become trapped in their own indulgence, and separated from the world.
The Exterminating Angel is considered one of the best 1,000 films by The New York Times (2004).
The Exterminating Angel Opera 2017 – 2018
The Exterminating Angel is Thomas Adès 2016 English opera. The libretto by Tom Cairns is based on the screenplay by Luis Buñuel and Luis Alcoriza.
This Tom Cairns production premiered at the Salzburg Festival in 2016. Composer Thomas Adès conducts. This is the Met Opera and American premiere.
The Metropolitan Opera performs The Exterminating Angel eight times between Thursday, October 26 and Tuesday, November 21, 2017.
The Exterminating Angel Cast
South African soprano Amanda Echalaz is Lucía de Nobile.
English bass Sir John Tomlinson is Dr. Carlos Conde.
French-Canadian Tenor Frédéric Antoun is Raúl Yebenes.
Mexican-American Tenor David Portillo is Eduardo.
The Exterminating Angel October 2017
Thursday, October 26 at 8 pm. OPENING NIGHT
Monday, October 30 at 7:30 pm
The Exterminating Angel November 2017
Friday, November 3 at 8 pm
Tuesday, November 7 at 7:30 pm
Friday, November 10 at 8 pm
Tuesday, November 14 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 18 at 1 pm
Tuesday, November 21 at 7:30 pm CLOSING NIGHT
The Exterminating Angel Tickets
Tickets start at $25
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