NIXON IN CHINA Adams – Hungarian State Opera

In February 1972, the American president Richard Nixon went to China to meet Mao Zedong. In the context of the war in Vietnam and the cold war, this encounter marked a turning point in Chinese‑American relations. Nixon in China addresses the political thaw instigated by ping-pong diplomacy, which began by an invitation of the American table tennis players to their Chinese counterparts, one year before the presidential visit. Composer John Adams made this event of modern history the subject of his first opera. Premiered in 1987, this a mesmerising work in which the pulsations and repetitions typical of minimalism are combined with melodic lines of great lyricism. Rather than a political pageant in poster colours, Nixon in China puts great emphasis on the protagonists as real people. From the pomp of the public displays to the intimacy of the protagonists’ most private moments, Adams and librettist Alice Goodman reveal the characters behind the headlines. This landmark American opera is live on OperaVision from Budapest for the Hungarian premiere at the State Opera in a production directed by András Almási-Tóth and conducted by Gergely Vajda. Full performance streamed LIVE on OperaVision on 29 September 2024 at 19:30 CET and available until 29 March 2025 at 12:00 CET: CAST Richard Nixon Károly Szemerédy Pat Nixon Klára Kolonits Mao Zedong Zoltán Nyári Jiang Qing Rita Rácz Zhou Enlai Azat Malik Henry Kissinger István Kovács Nancy Tang, first secretary to Mao Diána Ivett Kiss Second secretary to Mao Anna Csenge Fürjes Third secretary to Mao Lusine Sahakyan Cast of the ballet ’The Red Detachment of Women’ Aleksandra Abrashina Florence Joffre Ágnes Riedl Roland Jónás Patrik Keresztes László Takács Orchestra Hungarian State Opera Orchestra Chorus Hungarian State Opera Chorus Music John Adams Text Alice Goodman Conductor Gergely Vajda Director András Almási-Tóth Set, lighting and video Sebastian Hannak Costumes Richárd Márton Movement director Eszter Lázár Sinologist Ágota Révész Film Zsombor Czeglédi Hungarian translations Minka Benkő Artistic assistants Erika Tóth Albert Mányik Musical assistants László Bartal Kálmán Szennai Bálint Zsoldos Balázs Kálvin Zsófia Faragó Dárius Teremi Ballet master Katalin Stáry Chorus Director Gábor Csiki OperaVision is a freeview opera streaming platform, supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. Watch live streams as the performances themselves unfold in the opera house. Enjoy a variety of shows - including opera, operetta, musical theatre, dance, ballet and concerts. Opera connaisseur or curious newcomer, there is something for everyone on OperaVision. @operavision