Nixon in China (Adams) - Part 8 of 17

Houston Grand Opera, 1987

Music by John Adams
Libretto by Alice Goodman

Directed by Peter Sellars
Choreographed by Mark Morris
Conducted by John DeMain

Introduced by Walter Cronkite

Richard Nixon.......James Maddalena
Pat Nixon......................Carolann Page
Chou En-lai....................Sanford Slvan
Mao Tse-tung.................John Duykers
Henry Kissinger....Thomas Hammons
Chiang Ch'ing......Trudy Ellen Craney
Mao's Secretaries...............Mari Opatz Stephanie Friedman Marion Dry

Act One
The opera begins at Beijing Airport. A detachment of Chinese troops marches on to the stage and sings a 1930s Red Army song, The Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points of Attention. As the soldiers wait, an airplane taxis and lands on the stage - the Nixons and Henry Kissinger disembark and are greeted by Chou Enlai. As Nixon is introduced to various Chinese officials by Chou, he sings of his hopes and fears for his historic visit.
Later, Richard Nixon and Kissinger visit Mao's study along with Chou. While Nixon attempts to set out his stall with a simple and simplistic vision of peace between America and China, Mao wishes to discuss philosophy with Nixon and speaks in riddles. The visit is not entirely a success, and the elderly Mao is soon worn out. Chou departs with Nixon and Kissinger.
On the first night of the visit, a great feast for the American delegation is held in the Great Hall of the People. The Nixons and Chou gradually relax in one another's company as good food and strong drink takes its effect. Chou rises to make a toast to the American delegation, full of fulsome praise and wishes for peaceful co-existence. Nixon responds in kind, congratulating the Chinese for their hospitality and recanting his previous opposition to China. The party continues with mutual compliments and toasting.

Act Two
Pat Nixon is being escorted to various showcases of contemporary Chinese life - a glass factory, a health centre, pig farm and a primary school. However, the language of Pat's Chinese guides is stilted and formal - they hint darkly of the repressive side of Chinese life that lies underneath the façade shown to foreign dignitaries. Pat sings an aria of her own hopes for the future, a peaceful future of modesty and good neighbourliness, a future based on the values of the American heartland.
Later that night, the Nixons attend the Chinese opera, to see a piece written by Madam Mao called The Red Detachment of Women. The piece is a simplistic display of politicised music-theater, with the oppressed peasants of a tropical island saved from their brutal landlord by heroic women of the Red Army.
However, somehow the main characters are drawn into the opera, each revealing their true nature, with Pat Nixon defending the weak, Kissinger siding with the brutal landlord and Madam Mao's desire to save the peasants at all costs leading her to become more brutal than the landlord was in the first place. Eventually, a riot develops on stage with Chou and Madam Mao on opposite sides - the opera has become a rerun of the Cultural Revolution.

Act Three
On the Americans' final night in Beijing, it has become apparent to all that there will be no great breakthrough the Shanghai Communique is no more than words, a face-saving formula for the world's press to buy into. The main characters look back over their lives the Maos and the Nixons look back to the struggles of their early years together, Richard Nixon recalls his younger days as a sailor. Only Chou looks deeper, asking "how much of what we did was good?", before casting doubts aside and wearily carrying on with his work.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• john
• adams
• composer
• alice
• goodman
• peter
• sellars
• mark
• morris
• nixon
• in
• china
• modern
• opera
• minimalism
• minimalist
• houston
• grand
• richard
• pat
• mao
• zedong
• chou
• en-lai
• henry
• kissinger
• jiang
• qing
• walter
• cronkite

[incrediblub]

Hmmm.... I like John Adam's opera better than his commentary.

[shautbois]

Such a fantastic opera! I love how it is finally a opera about strong women, who are more than the damsels in distress that Wagner so likes to portray. This opera is as much about sexual oppression as it is about the actual historical event. Great Job Adams!

[mshellnj]

We can just say, I don't like it. For me, it isn't what I love about opera. It isn't far to compare it and make a statement that calls something not worthy, that can only be backed up by personal preference. There really is no way to defend that argument objectively.

[mshellnj]

@mshellnj Anyhow - I think as 20th century pieces go, this was an important piece. It has a unique voice and a very operatic one as well. There is nothing in it that is foreign when it comes to form and structure. There are arias, duets, and even a ballet. It has the makings, in form, of a french grand opera - minus 2 acts but I digress. It is not everyone's cup of tea, that is for sure. But I don't think we can make statements of it's worthiness in the history of music. cont...

[mshellnj]

@mwise7477 There was a time were new operas were expected. I am sure I don't need to tell you that. I think it is good to remind ourselves though, of all the operas that were written that we don't know about because they aren't what "we consider to be of a high caliber." That being said, "Nixon" didn't die after it's initial performances. It is being done throughout the states and right now being produced by Canadian Opera Company.

[mshellnj]

@mwise7477 I hope you didn't take my comment as an insult or anything.  I understand what you are saying about Nixon in comparison. But I have to say, as 20th century opera goes, it is very unique and has it's own voice. I don't think we really can compare new works to the likes of Puccini and Wagner - both of whom, I might add had similar comments made about some of their works. The only way for Opera to survive, however, is if we as audience members, can allow new pieces to exist.

[mwise7477]

@mshellnj Well, Thank you but I have studied the Nixon trip to China, as well as a great deal of the history of the age. Really, I am not concerned with the historical value of the opera, but the general quality of the work. When studying music and classical music throughout its existence, works such as this pale in comparison with the great operas such as those of Puccini and Wagner.True, however, "stupid" is a hasty comment. Let us say that it merely doesn't have the caliber of agreat opera

[mshellnj]

@mwise7477 I understand why you say that. I think if you really know the history and more about these people, you might be able to get into the show a bit more. I know I did.

[mwise7477]

John Adam's name is completely ironic. "Nixon in China" is the most stupid opera that I have ever seen. John Adam's is a terrible composer!!!