The Nixon Tapes

John Adams’ thrilling opera Nixon in China has, inexplicably, never been seen in Sydney. Now thirty years after its premiere, Opera Australia is at least performing four extracts in a Concert Hall version, and dubbing it The Nixon Tapes.

Andrew Mogrelia conducts the full OA Orchestra and Chorus and five soloists singing the roles which made this historic 1972 meeting in Beijing.  

The contrasting scenes capture the score’s driving excitement as Nixon (Luke Gabbedy) and chorus sing of his arrival as a global news story and also the ordinary character of conversation as he and wife Pat (Jade Ede) prepare for dinner.

There Premier Chou En-Llan (Christopher Tonkin) toasts peace with solemn idealism while Pat’s private reflection is beautifully poetic celebrating basic American communities.  Kissinger (David Parkin) adds droll comment and a fiery Madame Ts-Tung (Eva Kong) concludes with her stamp.

This one-hour edit of Adams’ masterpiece samples his eloquent instrumental and choral variety, driven by a relentless pace, and a witty libretto rich in poetry but also the banter of common speech.   One day, after the Sydney Opera House renovations, perhaps we’ll see the full staged work.  Adams is 70 this year.

The program also included a short orchestral work for strings, Popcorn Superhot Receiver, by Jonny Greenwood, lead guitarist from Radiohead, which nicely hummed like a highway trip, punctuated by long sad chords and percussive plucking.  And a finely articulated orchestral journey, with added big brass and electric guitar, St Carolyn by The Sea, by Bryce Dressner from The National.

Martin Portus