The Exterminating Angel [Alf:12-0571539696]

Ad¨s's third opera, The Exterminating Angel, premiered at the Salzburg Festival in July 2016. Based on Luis Buħuel's surrealist classic El Ħngel exterminador, the opera sees a collection of society's grandees inexplicably trapped in a room. The libretto, adapted from the original Buħuel-Alcoriza screenplay by the composer together with the director Tom Cairns, brilliantly captures their descent into anarchy. Featuring a jaw-dropping 15 principals (who remain on stage for the majority of the piece), The Exterminating Angel is a true ensemble opera, and the skill with which Ad¨s delineates the many intricacies and undercurrents present over its densely packed span (just under two hours plus interval) is breathtaking.