Problem: This article: In 1983, theater and opera director Peter Sellars proposed to American composer John Adams that he write an opera about Nixon's 1972 visit to China. Sellars was intrigued by Nixon's decision to make the visit, seeing it as both "a ridiculously cynical election ploy ... and a historical breakthrough". Adams, who had not previously attempted an opera, was initially skeptical, assuming that Sellars was proposing a satire. Sellars persisted, however, and Adams, who had interested himself in the origin of myths, came to believe the opera could show how mythic origins may be found in contemporary history. Both men agreed that the opera would be heroic in nature, rather than poking fun at Nixon or Mao. Sellars invited Alice Goodman to join the project as librettist, and the three met at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. in 1985 to begin intensive study of the six characters, three American and three Chinese, upon whom the opera would focus. The trio endeavored to go beyond the stereotypes about figures such as Nixon and Chinese Chairman Mao Tse-tung and to examine their personalities.As Adams worked on the opera, he came to see Nixon, whom he had once intensely disliked, as an "interesting character", a complicated individual who sometimes showed emotion in public. Adams wanted Mao to be "the Mao of the huge posters and Great Leap Forward; I cast him as a heldentenor". Mao's wife, on the other hand, was to be "not just a shrieking coloratura, but also someone who in the opera's final act can reveal her private fantasies, her erotic desires, and even a certain tragic awareness. Nixon himself is a sort of Simon Boccanegra, a self-doubting, lyrical, at times self-pitying melancholy baritone."Goodman explained her characterizations: A writer tends to find her characters in her self, so I can tell you ... that Nixon, Pat, Mme. Mao, Kissinger and the chorus were all 'me.' And the inner lives of Mao and Chou En-Lai, who I couldn't find in myself at all, were drawn from a couple of close acquaintances. contains an answer for the question: What is the first name of the person who came to believe the opera could show how mythic origins may be found in contemporary history?, what is it ?

A: John

Problem: This article: "Shine" is a reggae pop and ska song that lasts three minutes and 24 seconds. It is composed in the key of E minor using common time and a moderately fast tempo of 140 beats per minute. Instrumentation is provided by strings, horns, a guitar, and a piano, to create what Music Times' Carolyn Menyes described as a "crawling beat". March Robisch of Thought Catalog described the single as having "that ska quality that made No Doubt so successful". Digital Spy's Lewis Corner and Amy Davidson wrote that it is a "ska-flecked romp of pumped-up foghorns and plodding brass". A writer from Capital XTRA described it as having a "mellow beat", while Rolling Stone's Daniel Sannwald wrote it has a "party-vibe production".During the track, Stefani's vocal range spans from the low note of D3 to the high note of A4. Williams equated Stefani's tone to that of a "child whisperer" due to her ability to make music that appeals to children. The lyrics are about Paddington Bear and his travels; Rolling Stone called it "a pop-reggae allegory about a bear with an identity crisis". The song opens with Stefani singing the first verse and Williams joining in the chorus, the lyrics including "When you're trying to get home / When you don't wanna be alone / Look at yourself in the mirror / That's your way home". The hook features Stefani repeatedly singing "Shine!" and Williams screaming "Hey!". Andy Morris from Gigwise noted the lyrics, "So we're in a strange new land in Paddington station / But you end up in good hands in the fancy British nation" and "that bear with the red hat", as obvious references to Paddington. According to Sannwald, the lyrics include "Pharrell's 'Happy"-ish 'Everybody is the same inside' bridge" that allows the song to appeal to both children and their parents "without sounding overly patronizing". "Shine" ends with Williams singing in the falsetto register.When discussing the development of the single with MTV News, Stefani said that she initially disagreed with Williams' approach to the lyrics. Williams was... contains an answer for the question: What publication did the artist that repeatedly sings the word "Shine!" tell that she initially disagreed with Williams' approach to the lyrics?, what is it ?

A: MTV News

Problem: This article: William Etty (17871849), the seventh son of a York baker and miller, had originally been an apprentice printer in Hull, but on completing his seven-year apprenticeship at the age of 18 moved to London to become an artist. Strongly influenced by the works of Titian and Rubens, he submitted a number of paintings to the Royal Academy of Arts and the British Institution, all of which were either rejected outright or drew little attention when exhibited. In 1821 he finally achieved recognition when the Royal Academy accepted and exhibited one of his works, The Arrival of Cleopatra in Cilicia (also known as The Triumph of Cleopatra). Cleopatra was extremely well received, and many of Etty's fellow artists greatly admired him. He was elected a full Royal Academician in 1828, beating John Constable to the position.Following the success of Cleopatra, over the next decade, Etty tried to replicate its success by painting nude figures in biblical, literary and mythological settings. Between 1820 and 1829 Etty exhibited 15 paintings, of which 14 depicted nude figures. While some nude paintings by foreign artists existed in private collections, England had no tradition of nude painting and the display and distribution of nude material to the public had been suppressed since the 1787 Proclamation for the Discouragement of Vice. Etty was the first British artist to specialise in nude studies, and although his portraits of male nudes were generally well received, many critics condemned his repeated depictions of female nudity as indecent. contains an answer for the question: What is the first name of the person whose repeated depictions of female nudity were condemned by many critics as indecent?, what is it ?

A:
William