NIXON IN CHINA
opera by John Adams
State Opera Budapest
WORLD PREMIERE September 2024
WORLD PREMIERE September 2024
Conductor Gregory Vajda
Director András Almási-Tóth
Stagedesign, Light and Video Sebastian Hannak
Costumes Richard Marton Choreography Eszter Lázár
Stagedesign, Light and Video Sebastian Hannak
Costumes Richard Marton Choreography Eszter Lázár
John Adams first opera NIXON IN CHINA is about the then US president's five-day visit to China in 1972. A mesmerizing score in which minimal music is combined with melodic lines of great lyricism of a grand orchestra enriched with references from Jazz, Big Band and neoclassical works. The power of Adams' music stems from the contrast between the two worlds and customs, the meeting point of American and Chinese culture.
As much as politics and human nature drive the tale, the opera also deals with the influence of the media: Nixon in China was for the sure the first opera ever to use a staged “media event” as the basis for its dramatic structure.
As much as politics and human nature drive the tale, the opera also deals with the influence of the media: Nixon in China was for the sure the first opera ever to use a staged “media event” as the basis for its dramatic structure.
The events and venues the opera revisits start on February 21, 1972 when President Nixon disembarks to the airfield outside Beijing. An evening’s banquet is held, Mrs. Nixon gets to visit Beijing, later they all attend a performance of a revolutionary ballet devised by Mao’s wife.After all the pomp and public displays of the presidential visit we encounter all characters in the solitude of their private rooms.
The general idea was to enhance the meeting of two different cultures. Adams' music stems its power from the contrast between the two worlds and customs, the meeting point of American and Chinese culture and also tries to convey how mythic origins may be found in contemporary history.
I had a chance to produce this hungarian world premiere in a 19th century train hall of 70 m length and the black box theatre next to it. I covered the walls of the hall in a 90m long handpainted chinese allegory as well as red velvet on the opposite side.The venues of the operas are distributed all over the space on illuminated platforms. Since there is a huge vintage Train and a railway car, we implemented this seamlessly into the scenography. The grand Orchestra is situated between the Grandstands with which i created an immersive situation with Grandstands for 400 visitors. Three huge LED screens enable us to show intimate live moments as well as historical footage of the visit.
