Paradoxically, the opera's most beautiful music is reserved for Caliban, the natural man. Mr. Adès is not sentimental about Caliban (William Ferguson), who lusts after Miranda and is easily tempted to murder and mayhem. But when the "civilized" characters depart at the end, to reconstitute their complex society back in Italy for better or for worse, Caliban's final song, echoed by Ariel's offstage vocalise, casts his island as a kind of Eden.

Jonathan Kent's skillful direction enhanced the pacing of the opera and precisely depicted its characters. Paul Brown's simple set was a clever metaphor -- the lovely yellow sands were actually quicksand, which could swallow up characters at a moment's notice, and his costumes were equally evocative, ranging from Caliban and Ariel's near-nakedness to the absurdly colorful contemporary dresses of the chorus women. Duane Schuler's lighting reflected the storms and calms. Conductor Alan Gilbert led a nuanced account of this complex and rewarding score.