With Nixon in China, it's not just a new work or a new composer arriving on the Piermarini stage for the first time, but an entire repertoire that forms an essential part of twentieth-century music. John Adams's first opera turns forty and is an established classic: the tale of Richard and Pat Nixon's historic visit to China, where they were received by Mao Zedong and his wife Chiang Ch'ing, presents in a single fresco an episode of recent history—and once again highly topical—and a glimpse into marital history. Valentina Carrasco's production, born in Paris, sketches with wit and elegance the moves of what was called "ping-pong diplomacy," as do the characters of the protagonists, who have the charisma of Thomas Hampson and Renée Fleming. Kent Nagano returns to the podium at La Scala for the occasion.