A new masterpiece by the composer of the prizewinning Powder Her Face, which took both audiences and critics by storm in 2016.

After a festive evening in the Opera, a group of jet setters gather for a later dinner party. But something is terribly wrong: A curse seems to have been cast on the party, making it impossible for anyone to leave the house. Soon, desperation sets in, and the dinner escalates into a nightmarish fight for survival.

The Exterminating Angel is inspired by Luis Buñuel’s surrealistic cult film classic from 1962. An extra layer is added to Buñuel’s universe with Thomas Adès’ seductive musical universe, which abounds with sounds of musical masters of the past, from Wagner and Mussorgsky to Bartók, Nielsen, Ravel and Shostakovich and with a hint of Stravinsky’s wild abandon. The piece’s no fewer than twenty-two characters emphasize the immensity of its universe, set to the music of one of the most notable composers of our time.

The Exterminating Angel had its world premiere at the 2016 Salzburg Festival and is a coproduction between the Salzburg Festival, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Royal Danish Opera.

The Exterminating Angel is performed in English with Danish surtitles.