*2021 stock* Angelus novus is the third opera by Madrid composer Jorge Fernández Guerra. This time, he draws on a selection of texts by Walter Benjamin, which he uses to create a dialogue of sorts between a male character and a female character, who could be an alter ego or perhaps an angel.

The dialogue appears to transpire during the final moments of the character’s life, which may be reminiscent of Benjamin’s final moments at the Spanish border as he fled the Nazis. 

Angelus novus premiered at Madrid’s Teatros del Canal on 21 May 2015, with a passionate team of artists, conducting by Juan Carlos Garvayo (who is also featured in this recording), and high-intensity staging by stage director Vanessa Montfort.