Thomas Adès’s The Exterminating Angel, London, April 2017

[Sim]

Was anyone at the opening night tonight?  I am going on Thursday so would be interested to have any views.  It was the cast, not the content, that first attracted me to this piece:  turning a Bunuel film into an opera must be challenging, to say the least....I hope it has worked?!

[Geoff]

Sim, saw a critic friend yesterday who knows the work from seeing it in Salzburg last year. A few headlines: faithful to the film (although without the ending in the cathedral); female voice parts pretty unforgiving (not all the cast love the work); theatrically very enjoyable; John Tomlinson is not given a lot to do; there are live sheep. 

 

Most critics gave the Salzburg performances respectfully positive reviews, till someone (forgotten who) came out with an Emperor's New Clothes review, saying there is nothing of interest here. Looking forward to reading what you think.

[Sim]

Thanks Geoff.  A friend who was there last night emailed me and was pretty positive about it too, so I will see what I think.  My ear isn't particularly attuned to 'modern' opera (although much to my surprised I loved Anna Nicole!) so I will have to go with an open mind as well as open ears;  I will indeed let you know what I think!!

[Sim]

Wow.....a five-star review from The Standard!

http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/arts/the-exterminating-angel-opera-review-an-extraordinary-achievement-a3522776.html

 

And four stars from the Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/apr/25/the-exterminating-angel-review-ades-royal-opera-house-music-of-lingering-beauty

 

And three from The Stage....as always, such differing views from the critics!! 

https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2017/exterminating-angel-review-royal-opera-house-london/

[MAB]

I went last night and was impressed.  My only reservation is that the very claustrophobic atmosphere of the film didn't come across on the big stage, Very witty libretto and loved the bit where the orchestra breaks into Bach's 'Sheep shall safely graze, just before they are slaughtered.  Not the real ones though, you only see the live sheep on stage before the start.

[Jan McNulty]

Mark Ronan's review:  http://www.markronan.com/2017/04/the-exterminating-angel-royal-opera-roh-covent-garden-april-2017/

[Scheherezade]

There was an interesting interview with Tom Cairns, the director and librettist, in the Music Therapy and Mental Health broadcasts at 10.00pm on Radio 3 on Monday night. When asked for the opera with the best ending, he volunteered 'The Exterminating Angel'.

 

The Arts Desk, whilst having many favourable things to say, particularly about the performers, ventured the following, somewhat amusing appraisal: "Imagine chomping your way through an entire bar of artisan chocolate, 85 percent cocoa, expensively packaged, black and bitter to the end. It gets a bit much, like going cover to cover through a compendium of Gerald Scarfe cartoons."

 

The picture accompanying Don Carlo on the ROH website looks particularly suited to The Exterminating Angel.

Edited April 25, 2017 by Scheherezade
To add to post

[Geoff]

There is currently a single, rather amusing, comment posted on the ROH website:-

 

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/your-reaction-what-did-you-think-of-thomas-ades-the-exterminating-angel

[Scheherezade]

14 hours ago, Geoff said:

There is currently a single, rather amusing, comment posted on the ROH website:-

 

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/your-reaction-what-did-you-think-of-thomas-ades-the-exterminating-angel

 

So, Geoff's post led me to the ROH 'your reaction' page, more specifically to a posting from one, Sim, and, ah, memories of Bremner Bird and Fortune, Frances Barber, Pauline McLynn and their sublime 'chattering classes' dinner party sketches .....