Please watch the three operas at first, thank you!(Link below)
Choose either or both Turandot by Giacomo Puccini and/or Nixon in China by John Adams and compare and contrast with Dream of the Red Chamber by Bright Sheng in terms of its portrayals of China and Chinese culture. Be sure to consider the historical context in which the opera was created and also the background of the composer. Be sure to also consider the music and its role in either supporting or not supporting these depictions of China.
Consider the following questions:
Does the opera contain elements of or embody Orientalism?
Is the opera imperialist in nature?
Does the opera exoticize its subject?
How does the music reflect or support the above
In all cases does the genesis or the composer’s background affect the answers to the above questions?
Turandot by Giacomo Puccini：
Nixon in China by John Adams ：
Dream of the Red Chamber by Bright Sheng：