Nixon in China opens at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris

Nixon in China, Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, April 10 2012

Director ..... Chen Shi-Zheng
Conductor ..... Alexander Briger

Richard Nixon ..... Franco Pomponi
Pat Nixon ..... June Anderson
Henry Kissinger ..... Peter Sidhom
Mao Tse-tung ..... Alfred Kim
Chiang Ch'ing (Mme Mao) ..... Sumi Jo
Chou En-Lai .... Kyung Chun Kim
Mao's 1st Secretary ..... Sophie Leleu
Mao's 2nd Secretary ..... Alexandra Sherman
Mao's 3rd Secretary ..... Rebecca de Pont Davies

Orchestre de Chambre de Paris
Choeur du Châtelet

Adams and Glass in Paris

In the country of Boulez you don't expect to hear too much music by the American minimalists, such as John Adams or Philip Glass.

Yet in March there was a whole lot of events honoring John Adams, including the French premiere of his opera "A Flowering Tree" at the Cité de la Musique [Cité was co founded by Pierre Boulez!].
The press apparently liked the idea and appreciated the music by Adams. Moreover, the world's coolest television [Arte, of course] --via ARTE Live Web--  offered a free video of the entire concert with John Adams conducting the Asko-Schönberg Ensemble. The concert took place 10 days ago in Paris; the video is free and can be found here.

As for Philip Glass, his chamber operas have been relatively often performed but in smaller parisian theaters. To wit, "In the Penal Colony", that he composed in 2000, will be premiered tonight at the Théâtre Athénée with Yours Truly in the front row  :)