Singer

For racist reasons, Leonora's father disapproves of her relationship with the stranger Alvaro. The two, however, refuse to let go of each other and decide to flee. In doing so, Alvaro unwittingly becomes the father's murderer. Leonora's brother seeks revenge for his father, and a cycle of violence ensues. La forza del destino is Giuseppe Verdi's most expansive opera: a spectacular portrayal of close family ties in times of war, of the Church, of escapism – like a painting by Brueghel. And no matter how much the protagonists resist, they experience life and the world as determined by fate, without escape and without hope for peace and forgiveness.

La forza del destino

City Theatre, Bern

Two of the world’s most powerful men shake hands – as the world looks on. With their opera about the state visit by US President Nixon to China in 1972 composer John Adams and librettist Alice Goodman rendered a recent historical event in operatic form. They envisioned a »heroic opera« telling of modern myths and the power of images. This rapprochement between the two great powers gave rise to one of the most prodigious media spectacles of the 20th century. Nixon himself put the event on a par with the moon landing. The opera, whose composition was pushed for by Peter Sellars, the director of the eventual premiere, is a depiction of both the details of the visit and the coverage by the media. Alice Goodman’s libretto reflects the tradition of 19th-century opera, with larger-than-life characters interacting and the protagonists dealing with both affairs of state and their private lives. Staged in the style of an excessively satirical documentary, the minimal-music opera sticks close to protocols from the state visit, depicting the larger-than-life protagonists swerving between exhibitionism, helplessness and the desire to reach a mutual understanding.

Nixon in China

Deutsche Oper Berlin

A contemporary and topical opera for our time: When US President Richard Nixon lands on Chinese soil one foggy February morning in 1972, the world holds its collective breath. After decades of silence, the rival powers are starting to come together. A momentous instant in diplomatic history and a superlative media spectacle unfolds as cameras and microphones follow Nixon and Mao Zedong constantly. American composer John Adams and librettist Alice Goodman have taken original, historical documents to create a poppy narration of modern myths and spectacular imagery politics. This minimalist music opera follows the protocol of the state visit like a satirically exaggerated TV documentary, and shows figures between larger-than-life self-presentation and boundless self-deception. Musical theatre collective Hauen und Stechen, known for its anarchic directorial bent, focuses amidst the rush of images on the propagandistic aspect of the summit and provides furious insight into the power plays of the 20th century.

Unknown

Gina-Lisa Maiwald

Events

Upcoming events

May 5 - Jun 19, 2026

La forza del destino · Bühnen Bern

10 - 30 Jan, 2027

Nixon in China · Deutsche Oper Berlin

Past events

May 5 - Jun 19, 2026

La forza del destino · Bühnen Bern

Feb 28 - Mar 5, 2025

Nixon in China · Deutsche Oper Berlin

Future and recently performed repertoire

Kumernissa in La forza del destino by Verdi

Bühnen Bern

Ching Hua (Actress 1) in Nixon in China by Adams

Deutsche Oper Berlin

Ching Hua (First Actress) in Nixon in China by Adams

Deutsche Oper Berlin

About

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