The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: This Saturday and on Wednesday, Nov. 29, “Live From the Met in HD” will feature the Thomas Adès operatic remake of Luis Buñuel’s film “The Exterminating Angel.” Here is background and a review of the production
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By Jacob Stockinger
Talk about the dinner party from Hell!
It may not be the most popular production this season staged by the famed Metropolitan Opera in New York City, but it is certainly the newest as well as the most unusual and interesting production.
It is an operatic remake of Spanish Surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel’s 1962 movie ‘The Exterminating Angel” (below is the poster).
You can see it in a live performance in the next “Live From the MET in HD” broadcast that will take place this coming Saturday afternoon with encore presentations on Wednesday afternoon and night.
On this Saturday, the show time is 11:55 a.m. at the Marcus Point Cinemas and the Marcus Palace in Sun Prairie. On Wednesday, Nov. 29 — postponed because next Wednesday is the day before Thanksgiving — the encore presentations at both cinemas are at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Running time is 2 hours and 40 minutes. The opera will be sung in English with surtitles in German, Spanish and English.
Tickets are $22, $18 for seniors.
Here is a link to the Met’s website with information about the production, including a cast sheet and a synopsis:
http://www.metopera.org/Season/2017-18-Season/exterminating-angel-ades-tickets/
Here are stories that provide some background.
The first is a general background piece about the opera (below, in a photo by Eamon Hassan for The New York Times) from the “Deceptive Cadence” blog written for NPR or National Public Radio:
Here are two guides, from The New York Times, with what you need to know about the opera and production:
And here is a rave review from Anthony Tommasini, the senior critic for The New York Times, who says if you only see one Met production this season, “The Exterminating Angel” should be it (below is a trailer on YouTube):
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/27/arts/music/exterminating-angel-review-metropolitan-opera.html
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The Well-Tempered Ear 
Classical music: This Saturday brings Alban Berg’s “Lulu,” one of the most unusual and noteworthy offerings of the “Live From the Met in HD” series of operas shown in cinemas this season.
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By Jacob Stockinger
This Saturday, “Live From the Met in HD” features Alban Berg’s opera “Lulu,” a difficult landmark work know for both its 12-tone music and its plot of social commentary, all marked by the violent and decadent German Expressionist sensibility.
The opera will be shown at the Marcus Corporation‘s Point Cinemas on Madison far west side and — now that the Eastgate Cinemas have closed — at the Marcus Palace Cinema in Sun Prairie, a bit past Madison’s far east side.
The production by the Metropolitan Opera in New York City starts at 11:30 a.m. and has a running time, with two intermissions, of 4-1/2 hours. (Below, in a photo by Sara Krulwich of The New York Times, is Marlis Petersen, who is known for the role of Lulu — but who says she will retire the role after this production — and Donald Brenna as a smitten man. Susan Graham, not shown, also stars.)
Tickets are $28 for adults; $22 for seniors; and $18 for young people.
Here is a synopsis and notes about the cast:
http://www.metopera.org/Season/In-Cinemas/SynopsisCast/Lulu/
And here is a link to more about the cast and production with video samples:
http://www.metopera.org/Season/2015-16-Season/lulu-berg-tickets/
The Ear thought some other things might be useful and might whet your appetite to see this unusual production.
Here is a fascinating background piece by Zachary Woolfe of The New York Times, who interviewed several sources involved with the production and are knowledgeable about the opera (below is a photo of the German Expressionist set, taken by Sara Krulwich for The New York Times):
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/01/arts/music/in-lulu-the-question-that-stops-an-opera.html
And if you are undecided or wavering about going to the acclaimed production, directed by William Kentridge, here is a rave review by senior music critic Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/07/arts/music/metropolitan-opera-lulu-review.html?ref=topics
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Tags: 12-tone, Alban Berg, Anthony Tommasini, Arts, choral music, cinemas, Classical music, decadent, Donald Brenna, Expressionism, Expressionist, German Expressionism, German Expressionist, Jacob Stockinger, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Live From The Met in HD, Lulu, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Marcus Cinemas, Marlis Petersen, Metropolitan Opera, movie theaters, movie theatres, Music, New York City, New York Times, opera, Palace Cinema, Point Cinema, social commentary, Susan Graham, theaters, theatres, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, violence, violent, vocal music, William Kentridge, Zachary Woolfe