From February 24 to March 20, 2026, the Bastille Opera welcomed Nixon in China, the John Adams opera staged by Valentina Carrasco.
The Paris National Opera resumes from February 24, 2026 Nixon in China, the emblematic opera of John Adams, in a production entry to the house’s repertoire in 2023. Inspired by the historic visit of Richard Nixon In China in 1972, the work is part of the minimalist American music, carried here by a colorful orchestration and a powerful lyricism. The staging, entrusted to Valentina Carrasco, favors allegory and the marvelous to the strict historical reconstruction, introducing a poetic look at a marking diplomatic episode of the Cold War.
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The frame of Opera follows the main highlights of the official trip: the arrival of the American president in Beijing, the exchanges with Mao Zedong et Zhou Enlai, and the movements of Pat Nixon in the heart of popular China. The booklet ofAlice Goodman gives an important place to the personal and symbolic dimensions of this political event, and the music of John Adams Amplifies this double reading by alternating ritual sequences and moments of introspection. The third act moves away from realism to evoke the memories and intimate aspirations of the protagonists, in a universe where history and illusion merge.
This production is for amateurs contemporary opera and those who are interested in the historical stories treated from an original angle. The dreamlike staging, the references to the “ping pong diplomacy” and the use of spectacular visual paintings make it a striking scenic experience. Spectators more attached to the romantic opera or to a classic narrative treatment could however be confused by the singular approach of this work.
This article is based on information accessible to the public and is not based on direct experience in the show.
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