LITTLE ROCK — Our view of Richard M. Nixon’s presidency is understandably informed by the Watergate scandal, his resignation and the pardon he received from his successor, Gerald Ford.
But Nixon’s time in the Oval Office included an undeniable political triumph that changed the world - his visit to China in 1972.
Nixon’s meeting with Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai and other Chinese Communist leaders was grand political theater; no wonder it became a grand opera some 15 years later.
Nixon in China, created by composer John Adams, librettist Alice Goodman and director Peter Sellars, debuted in Houston in 1987. However, it wasn’t until2011 when the Metropolitan Opera - which is much more contemporary-opera-friendly these days- finally produced it for the first time.
A recently issued DVD/ Blu-ray combo (Nonesuch, $29.99) captures the Met performance, which also was broadcast to theaters and on PBS-TV. It’s a dazzling presentation, in both the performances and visual and sound quality.
Adams conducts the Met’s orchestra, bringing his spectacular first opera score to a stunning fruition; it is tense, tender, richly melodic and, at times, dreamlike. Baritone James Maddalena, who created the title role in the original production, makes his Met debut in his best-known role.
The engaging and involving Nixon in China opens at an airfield near Beijing, where Chinese military personnel sing a hypnotic, rich and intricate passage of minor scales, with poetic lines such as “Soldiers of heaven hold the sky/The morning breaks and shadows fly.” The Met’s chorus delivers a memorable opening scene.
After the Nixons descend from Air Force One, Maddalena’s aria “News” is an almost stuttering staccato passage as his character is caught up in the excitement and significance of the moment. His years of playing Nixon make his performance as an actor strong.
As first lady Pat Nixon, Janis Kelly will break your heart with her tender, emotionally textured, aching and elegant performance. Russell Braun is especially impressive as a philosophical Chou En-Lai (when the opera was written, Chinese names were transliterated differently from the way they are today). Robert Brubaker brings the complexity of Mao Tse-tung to a fascinating, sometimes scary life, while Kathleen Kim oozes malevolence and unexpected vulnerability as Madame Mao. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (Richard Paul Fink) comes across as more comic than smart.
Mark Morris’ choreography amps up the drama and emotion during Act 2’s revolutionary ballet “The Red Detachment of Women” which leads to an explosive aria by Kim.
We’ll never know what was going on inside the heads of the participants, but Nixon in China’s plot follows the course of history. The characters and staging lift this work to a nearly mythic experience. At times, it seems the creators are tapping into archetypes or, at least, Greek mythology in these very powerful and very human characters. While some may disagree with the psychological aspects that emerge, Nixon in China is not a documentary. It is opera. And a grand one at that.
The program is about three hours long and among the DVD options are subtitles in several languages, including English.
BRIEFLY ... Woody Herman, Blue Flame: Portrait of a Jazz Legend, Jazzed Media, $18.99
The great jazz bandleader Woody Herman is celebrated in this documentary that looks at his 50-year career, which ended with his death in 1987. Interviews include Herman, Joe Lovano, Phil Wilson and Frank Tiberi and there are several live performances by Herman. His bands worked through several jazz eras, including swing, bebop, cool jazz and jazz/rock. Entertaining and informative.
Various artists, A Musi-Cares Tribute to Barbra Streisand, Shout Factory, $16.99
MusiCares, which provides financial and medical support to musicians, honored Streisand as its person of the year Feb. 11, 2011. Guest performers included Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Seal, Faith Hill, Arturo Sandoval and others. Streisand also takes the stage for a pair of tunes. An enjoyable, well-paced program.
Don McLean, American Troubadour, Time-Life, $19.99
Yes, McLean’s classic “American Pie” is here and so are “Vincent,” “And I Love You So” and “Crying” in this documentary by Emmy Award-winner Jim Brown (Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, A Vision Shared: A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly). Those interviewed include Brian Wilson and Mike Mills of R.E.M. A shorter version of this documentary was broadcast by PBS. Bonus material includes full-length versions of “Wonderful Baby,” “Infinity” and “Building My Body” and interviews with McLean and historian/journalist Douglas Brinkley.
E-mail:
Style, Pages 47 on 01/13/2013