The High Priest of Dagon swears to avenge the death and plans to use the beautiful Dalila to entrap the rebel leader [6 ] Maudite a jamais soit la race The Hebrews sing a hymn of joy and look forward to deliverance from their oppressors [7] Hymne de joie, hymne de dilivrance Dalila enters and sings of her love for Samson, inviting him to follow her to the Valley of Sorek [9] Je viens cilebrer la victoire..
Warned by an old Hebrew, Samson calls for protection from her enticing charms. The Priestesses of Dagon dance in front of the temple [10] and Dalila sings a seductive song, further testing Samson's self-control [11] Printemps qui commence..
After an atmospheric prelude [12] , Dalila is discovered in thoughtful mood, confident of her power over Samson [13] Amour! Viens aider ma faiblesse! The High Priest arrives and reports the easy Hebrew victory over the Philistine forces. On being offered gold to capture Samson, Dalila refuses it, telling the High Priest that she acts purely out of hatred of the Hebrews and for the love of her gods [15] II faut, pour assouvir ma haine Together they determine to humble the proud Hebrew leader [16] En ces lieux, malgre moi Samson arrives to bid farewell to Dalila, [1] Ah!
Dalila's scheming continues as she pretends to doubt his love, while trying to discover the secret of his extraordinary strength. He refuses to tell her and she rushes off, followed reluctantly, yet all too eagerly, by Samson [3] Mais!
Philistine soldiers who have lain in wait for their opportunity to trap Samson follow them, as he realises too late that he has been betrayed. Act III. Samson is imprisoned, chained, blinded, with his hair - the source of his strength - shorn; he labours at turning a millstone. In the depths of despajr he offers his life as a sacrifice. His fellow Hebrew prisoners deplore their capture, all due to his infatutaion for Dalila [4] Vois ma misere, helas!
Last but not least, the many orientalisms are also a characteristic of this opera. Saint-Saens is to be credited for treating this aspect with great mastery. You will find a nice insight into this in the commentary on the Bacchanale of the third act further below. But when he finished the work in , the role came too late for her. Synopsis: A public square in the city of Gaza in Palestine, twelve hundred years before Christ. Hebrew people pray to God to hear them in the distress of the Philistine occupation.
The choir is introduced by a short prelude. Its beginning is very unusual, one hears three wind tones one after the other, they should probably imitate the sound of a historical instrument.
After undulating violin sounds, which remind some listeners of the prelude to the Rhinegold, the choir begins with ecclesiastical sounds. The listener imagines himself in an oratorio. Synopsis: Samson is among them and turns to them with the request to resist. The crowd will not follow him, lacking faith and weapons. But Samson manages to strengthen their faith in God and their resistance against the Philistines.
Samson convinces his people with a grand gesture. The enthusiastic crowd responds in a beautiful choral piece, which is led in two voices and is accompanied by a multi-layered orchestral accompaniment. We listen in the role of Samson Placido Domingo. He is perhaps the greatest Samson in recording history. The role was tailored to his voice, it is composed in the middle register and requires great endurance.
His rich and opulent voice and his endurance let the power and beauty of Samson blossom. Synopsis: Abimelech appears, followed by Philistine arriors and soldiers. He mocks the cowardly and powerless God of the slaves, who was subjugated by their god Dagon, who led their army of the Philistines into the victorious battle against the Jews.
Saint-Saens shows his sympathies with his music. Synopsis: Samson rises and proclaims the revenge of the Hebrew gods and the Jewish people against the oppressors. Euphorically the people tune in. Abimelech draws his sword and dashes on Samson to slay him. Samson snatches his sword away and strikes him down. Synopsis: The guards are retreating.
The head priest appears and berates their cowardice. The Jews escape and start an uprising. The head priest curses the revolting people and their leader Samson. Saint-Saens draws a dramatic appearance of the high priest. The low strings play a military motif, which becomes one of the important leitmotifs of the opera. Synopsis: A new day begins. The Jews were able to defeat the oppressors and celebrate their liberation.
Before he is made to kneel, Samson prays to God for strength once more. They have performed it on numerous occassions, including the instance in this video. Logan Martell has been with OperaWire since He initially started off covering the general news, but is now focused on reviews and interviews in New York City. His passion for storytelling has led to opportunities studying under Broadway luminaries as he strives to take his work to ever-higher levels.
As the High Priest of Dagon once again curses Israel, his best weapon may be a woman, the flamboyant Dalila who wants to seduce Samson…. In fact Dalila dreams only of punishing Samson, who rejected her initially: the High Priest of Dagon joins Dalila and stirs up her thirst for vengeance. Does she want gold for seducing Samson? Not at all! Her desire for revenge is all she needs. Touched by the young woman, Samson gradually allows himself to be charmed by her spells.
A passionate duet reunites them, during which Samson gives in to Dalila.
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