Nixon in China

Nixon in China is a significant three-act opera composed by John Adams. The work features a libretto, or the written text for the singers, by Alice Goodman. This opera is inspired by the 1972 visit of U.S. President Richard Nixon to the People's Republic of China. Rather than a simple history lesson, the creators intended the work to be a study of how contemporary history can transform into myth.

The musical construction of the opera is highly complex and varied. To achieve a specific sound, Adams augmented a traditional orchestra with a large saxophone section. He also included additional percussion and electronic synthesizers. The score does not follow a single musical style. Instead, it uses minimalism, a style associated with composer Philip Glass. It also incorporates passages echoing 19th-century composers like Richard Wagner and Johann Strauss. Adams further blends Stravinskian 20th-century neoclassicism with jazz and big band sounds. These musical shifts reflect the changing actions occurring on the stage.

The opera follows six central characters to explore the human side of political history. There are three Americans: President Richard Nixon, First Lady Pat Nixon, and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. The three Chinese characters are Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Chou En-lai, and Madame Mao (Chiang Ch'ing). The creators worked to move beyond simple stereotypes of these leaders. They wanted to examine their individual personalities and inner lives. For example, Adams cast Mao as a heldentenor, a type of powerful heroic voice. Nixon is portrayed as a baritone who shows moments of self-doubt and melancholy.

The story is organized into three distinct acts. In Act 1, the setting is Peking, where the American party arrives at the airport. The military chorus sings the Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention. The act includes a banquet at the Great Hall of the People where Nixon admits his past opposition to China. Act 2 focuses on Pat Nixon touring the city and visiting a commune. During this act, the characters watch a Peking Opera performance of a political ballet titled The Red Detachment of Women.

Act 3 moves to a more surreal and private setting. The characters are in their respective bedrooms on the final night of the visit. They engage in interwoven dialogues while reflecting on their personal histories and memories. The opera concludes with a thoughtful aria by Chou En-lai. He asks, "How much of what we did was good?"

The creation of the opera began in 1983 when director Peter Sellars approached Adams. Sellars saw the 1972 visit as both a cynical political move and a historical breakthrough. Adams was initially skeptical because he had never written an opera before. However, he eventually embraced the project as a way to explore mythic origins. In 1985, the creative trio met at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. to begin intensive research. They studied the historical context of the 1972 trip to build their characters.

The history of the work's performance shows its growing importance in the arts. It premiered at the Houston Grand Opera on October 22, 1987. While some early critics predicted the work would vanish, it has remained popular. It has been performed many times across North America and Europe. The opera has been recorded at least five times. In 2011, it made its debut at the Metropolitan Opera.

Nixon in China connects music, history, and political science. The opera captures a moment of major geopolitical change. In 1972, Nixon sought détente, which is the easing of strained relations between nations. His visit helped change the relationship between the United States, China, and the Soviet Union. This era of diplomacy led to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, known as SALT. The opera uses these massive global shifts to tell deeply personal stories about the people involved.