This week we feature highlights from Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saens. It took twenty five years and the help of Franz Liszt to get a complete Samson and Delia on stage in Paris. The French public in the late 19th century considered religious subjects on stage to be sacrilige, so no one was interested in producing it. Saint-Saens got the idea for the opera in 1868 and by 1874, in spite of the informal prohibition of biblical stories on stage, the composer had a second act, which he saw performed in a private theater. But, worthy as it was, because it was a religious subject, no impresario touched it, including the head of the Paris Opera, who saw the performance.
But shortly after, when Saint-Saens told Liszt of his frustration with the opera, Liszt without hearing any of the music, told him to complete it, and promised the French composer a performance of the complete opera in Weimar.
And so it happened. In 1877 it premiered in Weimar, and slowly, over the course of fifteen years made it's way to Paris in 1892 by way of performances all over Europe. In the next 30 years, the Paris Opera gave 500 performances of Samson and Delila. Only Faust and Rigoletto had more.
In ancient Palestine, the Hebrews are held in bondage to the Philistines. Samson, the leader of the Hebrews, leads his people in a revolt against their enslavers. His amazing strength defeats all foes. But, a beautiful Philistine woman, Dalila, seduces him. He tells her the secrets of his strength, his long hair, and at her first opportunity, she cuts it off, and the Philistines re-conquer the Hebrews. In the end, Samson is able to conjure up his strength one last time to destroy both the Philistines and himself.
Jose Cura and Olga Borodino sing the title roles, with Colin Davis conducting the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
