Saint Saens (1835-1921), an admirer of the oratorios of Handel and Mendelsohnn, originally intended to write Samson and Delilah as an oratorio. However, his librettist, Ferdinand Lemaire (1832-1879), convinced him that the story would be better suited to opera.
Writing Samson and Delilah as an Opera
He worked on Act Two first, holding a private performance in 1870. The French public reacted negatively to a biblical topic being brought to the opera stage, and he left the work to one side for many years. Franz Liszt (1811-1886) encouraged Saint Saens to finish the opera, offering to mount a full production in the grand ducal opera house in Weimar.
In 1875 Act One was given a private trial performance, and again, Parisian audiences gave it a bad reception. However, Liszt continued his support and the opera opened in Weimar in December 1877 with a German translation of the libretto. The premier was a resounding success with German audiences and critics.
The Characters in Samson and Delilah
- Delilah, mezzo soprano
- Samson, tenor
- High Priest of Dagon, baritone
- Abimelech (satrap of Gaza), bass
- An old Hebrew, bass
- The Philistine’s messenger, tenor
Act One
The act begins with the sounds of the Philistines of Gaza forcing the captive Israelites to work. Although the Israelites despair of their fate, Samson addresses them in an attempt to rouse them from their despondency. He is unsuccessful in his first two attempts, Arretez o mes frères and L’as-tu donc oublie, but his third try is so effective that Abimelech comes with his guards to investigate the change. Despite hearing the defiance in the voices of the Israelites, Abimelech mocks their one God, who he says has been singularly unsuccessful in rescuing them.
Seizing Abimelech’s sword, Samson kills the satrap, inciting the Israelites to fall upon the Philistine guards, who are unable to withstand the sudden onslaught. As the Israelites begin to celebrate in the face of the High Priests curses, Delilah and her maids enter, appearing to pay homage to the victorious Samson. Samson is a Nazarite, and vowed to celibacy, so he tries to ignore both Delilah and her dancing maidens. However, her aria, Printemps qui commence, breaks through his resistance.
Act Two
Delilah waits at her house in the valley of Sorek. Her emotions are complicated by her attraction to Samson but her hate for him for rejecting her. When the High Priest presses her, she resolves to avenge herself by finding out the secret of his superhuman strength.
Samson arrives, still torn between his vow and his attraction to Delilah, having convinced himself he is only there to say goodbye. She flatters, cajoles and uses all her wiles, culminating in the show stopping aria, Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix , and he capitulates to her seduction. However, he continues to resist revealing his secret, so she runs from him into her house. Vacillating only a moment, Samson follows her, and from offstage the audience hears Delilah’s cry of triumph, which summons the waiting Philistines. Caught by surprise, Samson is shorn of his hair and his eyes are put out. He is overcome.
Act Three
Blinded and powerless, Samson languishes in the dungeons. Adding to his torment are the sounds of his countrymen being beaten and abused. In his aria, Vois ma misere, helas, his voice joins those of his unfortunate compatriots who blame him for his weakness and their plight.
Philistine soldiers come to take him to celebrations in the temple of the god, Dagon. Mockery and scorn are poured upon Samson when he appears in the temple and the High Priest invites him to sing to Delilah, who joins in by mocking the erstwhile hero.
Once more, Samson prays to his God that he may have back his strength. As the celebration becomes wilder, he has himself led to the supporting pillars of the temple. Clasping them, he pulls them down, bringing the entire temple down in destruction on the celebrating Philistine people.
Samson and Delilah in Mainstream Repertoire
Although the first performance in Weimar was successful, the opera did not fare well for many years. The first revival was in Hamburg in 1882, followed by the first French performance in Paris in 1890. It wasn’t until the early twentieth century that it began to be picked up by international companies. However, it has matured into being part of general repertoire for many opera houses and continues to be a popular part of the French repertoire.
Karen Finch - Karen is a Sydney based freelance writer, artist and musician. To learn more, click on her name to read her profile.
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