Samson et Dalila is a Grand Opera in three acts and four scenes by Camille Saint-Saëns with a French libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire.
It is about the biblical characters Samson and Delilah. Samson was a military leader with incredible strength. He loved Delilah. She was bribed to find the source of his strength. On discovering it was his hair, she order a hair cut while he slept.
Without his strength, Samson was turned over to his enemies and placed into slavery. When taken to their temple of Dagon, Samson prayed, his strength was restored and he tore down the temple, killing his enemies and himself.
Samson et Dalila premiered at the Ducal Theater in Weimar, Germany in 1877, and at the Metropolitan Opera in 1895. It is the only Saint-Saëns opera in popular production today.
Two of Dalila’s arias are popular:
- Printemps qui commence (Spring begins)
- Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix (My heart opens itself to your voice)
Samson et Dalila 2018
Mark Elder conducts Samson et Dalila from September 24, 2018 to March 28, 2019. There is one cast in September and October 2018 and another in March, 2019.
A New Darko Tresnjak Production
Darko Tresnjak (Serbia) is best known for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder for which he won a 2014 Tony Award for “Best Direction of a Musical.”
Tresnjak makes his Met debut with the first new production of Samson et Dalila in twenty years.
September – October Cast
The opening cast stars Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and French tenor Roberto Alagna.
Monday, September 24, 2018 at 6 pm
Friday, September 28, 2018 at 7:30 pm
Monday, October 1, 2018 at 7:30 pm
Friday, October 5, 2018 at 8 pm
Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 13, 2018 at 1 pm
Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 1 pm
Dalila
Mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča (Latvia)
Samson
Tenor Roberto Alagna (France)
High Priest
Bass-baritone Laurent Naouri (France)
Abimélech
Baritone Elchin Azizov (Azerbaijan)
The Old Hebrew
Bass Dmitry Belosselskiy (Russia)
March Cast
The March cast stars mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili (Georgia) and tenor Aleksandr Antonenko (Latvia).
Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at 8 pm
Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 8 pm
Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at 8 pm
Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 1 pm
Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 8 pm
Dalila
Mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili (Georgia)
Samson
Tenor Aleksandr Antonenko (Latvia)
High Priest
Bass-baritone Laurent Naouri (France)
Abimélech
Bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny (Poland)
The Old Hebrew
Bass Günther Groissböck (Austria)
Samson et Dalila Tickets
From $30