For other uses, see Nixon in China (disambiguation).
Nixon in China
Opera by John Adams
2015 poster of the San Diego Opera
Librettist
Alice Goodman
Language
English
Premiere
October 22, 1987 (1987-10-22)
Wortham Theater Center, Houston
Website
www.earbox.com/nixon-in-china/
Nixon in China is an opera in three acts by John Adams with a libretto by Alice Goodman. Adams's first opera, it was inspired by U.S. president Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China. The work premiered at the Houston Grand Opera on October 22, 1987, in a production by Peter Sellars with choreography by Mark Morris. When Sellars approached Adams with the idea for the opera in 1983, Adams was initially reluctant, but eventually decided that the work could be a study in how myths come to be, and accepted the project. Goodman's libretto was the result of considerable research into Nixon's visit, though she disregarded most sources published after the 1972 trip.
To create the sounds he sought, Adams augmented the orchestra with a large saxophone section, additional percussion, and electronic synthesizer. Although sometimes described as minimalist, the score displays a variety of musical styles, embracing minimalism after the manner of Philip Glass alongside passages echoing 19th-century composers such as Wagner and Johann Strauss. With these ingredients, Adams mixes Stravinskian 20th-century neoclassicism, jazz references, and big band sounds reminiscent of Nixon's youth in the 1930s. The combination of these elements varies frequently, to reflect changes in the onstage action.
Following the 1987 premiere, the opera received mixed reviews; some critics dismissed the work, predicting it would soon vanish. However, it has been presented on many occasions since, in both Europe and North America, and has been recorded at least five times. In 2011, the opera received its Metropolitan Opera debut, a production based on the original sets, and in the same year was given an abstract production in Toronto by the Canadian Opera Company. Recent critical opinion has tended to recognize the work as a significant and lasting contribution to American opera.
NixoninChina is an opera in three acts by John Adams with a libretto by Alice Goodman. Adams's first opera, it was inspired by U.S. president Richard...
1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China The 1972 visit by United States president Richard Nixon to the People's Republic of China was an important strategic...
landslide re-election. Nixon's primary focus while in office was on foreign affairs. He focused on détente with the People's Republic of China and the Soviet...
Christopher Nixon Cox (born March 14, 1979) is an American lawyer based in New York. He is the son of Tricia Nixon Cox and Edward F. Cox, and grandson...
"Pat" Nixon (née Ryan; March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993) was the First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974 as the wife of President Richard Nixon. She...
Hubert Humphrey. Nixon ended American involvement in Vietnam combat in 1973 and the military draft in the same year. His visit to Chinain 1972 eventually...
States (1969–1974), and his wife Pat Nixon. Located in Yorba Linda, California, on land that President Nixon's family once owned, the library is one...
of Richard Nixon (1969–1974) focused on reducing the dangers of the Cold War among the Soviet Union and China. President Richard Nixon's policy sought...
and oversees the banquets in Hell while having a good singing voice. The Behemoth is also mentioned in the opera, NixoninChina, composed by John Adams...
President Richard Nixon. Born in Whittier, California, Edward was the youngest child of Francis and Hannah Nixon. In addition to his brother Richard...
Donald Nixon (November 23, 1914 – June 27, 1987) was a younger brother of U.S. President Richard Nixon. He was the third of five sons: Harold Nixon (June...
is a porcelain statue of mute swans gifted by Richard Nixon to The People's Republic of China during his 1972 diplomatic visit to the country. The production...
The impeachment process against Richard Nixon was initiated by the United States House of Representatives on October 30, 1973, during the course of the...
The Richard Nixon Birthplace is the birthplace and early childhood home of Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States. It is located on the...
the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in his hometown of Yorba Linda, California. He was the first former president to die in 21 years since...
Opera production of NixoninChina and the television broadcast the following year, as well as the 1991 PBS Great Performances: Dance in America staging of...
which is utilized in other works like Phrygian Gates, Shaker Loops, and NixoninChina. This style derives from minimalism as defined by the works of Steve...
Kurlyatev, The Enchantress Prosdocimo, Il turco in Italia Raimbaud, Le comte Ory Richard Nixon, NixoninChina Ruggiero, La Juive Rigoletto, Rigoletto Rodrigue...
In 2012, she sang in a performance of Adams's NixoninChina at the BBC Proms, and also sang Mozart's Mass in C minor with the Oslo Philharmonic. In September...
(Judith Weir, 1987) and NixoninChina (John Adams, 1987). The influence of Chinese and East Asian music has also been evident in popular music, from musical...
role in developing the relationship between the United States and the People's Republic of China during the Nixon administration, which culminated in Nixon's...
She has written the libretti for two of the operas of John Adams (NixoninChina and The Death of Klinghoffer) and the text of a cantata by Tarik O'Regan...
Global Information