Nixon in China

The opera dramatizes Richard Nixon's 1972 presidential visit to China, depicting the diplomatic meetings between Nixon and Chairman Mao Zedong, the formal banquets, and encounters between Pat Nixon and Madame Mao. Rather than a conventional political thriller, it explores the human dimensions of the historic encounter.

The libretto was written by Alice Goodman, and the original production was directed by Peter Sellars. Adams, Goodman, and Sellars later collaborated again on Adams's 1991 opera 'The Death of Klinghoffer.'

The opera premiered at the Houston Grand Opera on October 22, 1987, directed by Peter Sellars with choreography by Mark Morris. The premiere production was subsequently seen at major opera houses in Europe and the United States.

The score uses Adams's minimalist idiom, built on repeating rhythmic patterns, steady pulse, and slowly evolving harmonies. Nixon's famous aria 'News has a kind of mystery' blends these minimalist techniques with traditional operatic lyricism.