Scottish Opera presents: Nixon in China
A first for Scottish Opera. John Fulljames – Director of Opera at The Royal Danish Theatre – directs Adams’ iconic work, with designs by the ever-inventive Dick Bird (The Mikado 2016).
Inspired by Nixon’s much-publicised visit to China in 1972, this groundbreaking piece explores the reality behind the hype. It is as much about the private moments as the public, about the wives as much as the husbands, and about what we choose to remember as much as what actually happened…
‘THE MOST INFLUENTIAL OPERA OF THE LAST FEW DECADES, IT HAS LOST NONE OF ITS POWER AND REMAINS ADAMS’ FINEST STAGE WORK.’
The Guardian
Famed for giving minimalism a human face, Adams mixes a huge range of sounds in his eclectic score. Pre-recorded electronics sit alongside live passages echoing Wagner and Johann Strauss; jazz references alongside big band sounds that evoke the 1930s of Nixon’s youth. Acclaimed Portuguese conductor Joana Carneiro leads an exciting cast including American baritone Eric Greene, Swedish soprano Julia Sporsén (Ariadne auf Naxos 2018), British tenor Mark Le Brocq (Anthropocene 2019) and South Korean soprano Hye-Youn Lee (La bohème 2017).
Running time approx. 3 hrs 30 mins
Sung in English with English supertitles