Samson et Dalila

Posted on October 14, 2025 by cordellreports

In the performance world, a title comprised of a man’s and a woman’s name is pretty reliably a love story, sometimes tragic – Romeo and Juliet, Abelard and Heloise, and so on.  For those not versed in the Biblical saga of Samson from Judges, Chapter 16, they may expect “Samson and Delilah” might fall into that category.  But rather, it is a grand deception. The Philistine seductress is motivated by hatred for the enemy Hebrew people and by revenge for what she wrongly believes is her paramour’s rejection and ridicule of her.

Today, we accept Biblical stories and personages on the stage as routine.  But when the French opera, Camille Saint-Saёns’ Samson et Dalila, with libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire, premiered in 1877, such representations were typically banned from performance, especially in English speaking countries.  Interest in the composer’s home country of France was so tepid that it opened in Germany.  However, this masterpiece worked its way into the repertoire and has become an understandably beloved work.

Illustrative of French music of the late 19th century, Samson et Dalila has much to recommend it.  Its lush orchestration and its stirring choruses are compelling.  Arias and ensembles are melodic and important to the plot.  Especially noteworthy is the trio in which the Old Hebrew warns Samson that love for Dalila would lead to tragedy.  Saint-Saёns also adopted Wagnerian motifs.  Most enchanting is the graceful fluttering, especially of the flute, that produces anticipation for the opera’s signature aria.  And while the basic plot line is known to most opera goers, it is nonetheless dramatic in its consequences and its execution.

West Bay Opera’s production extracts all that can be expected from the opera by a company of its size, and that is considerable.  As the first opera that General Director José Luis Moscovich ever saw, his enthusiasm and search for excellence in the piece come through in his spirited conducting, bobbing and weaving with exacting thrusts at the instruments as they deliver highlights in the score.  The resulting sound is exemplary.

Veteran of recent West Bay productions, John Kun Park as Samson brings a powerful tenor voice and presence to the role.  He is imposing in his portrayal, first strutting and energetic as the potent leader of the Hebrew people enslaved by the Philistines and later subdued as the blinded and weakened shadow of his former self.  Park’s particular strength is in revealing anguish in his singing and acting, whether depicting rage or submission.  Despite his ability to achieve great passion and volume, however, his timbre is a little muffled, having less than exemplary clarity.

Dalila is among the more venomous, detestable title characters in all of opera.  Yet this is one of the great mezzo-soprano roles.  Although the gullible womanizer Samson is deluded into thinking that she loves him, betrayal and destruction motivates her from the start.  Mezzo-soprano Kim Stanish is Dalila. She possesses the demanding vocal characteristics required for the role, which include a strong and complete mezzo range and the ability to sing with the extremes of sweetness or anger.

The aria “Amour! Viens aider ma faiblesse” (“Love! Overcome my weakness”) early in Act 2 tests the artist.  Stanish conquers it with a delightful ascending run from her resonant chesty lows to her bright heady highs.  If there is a vocal weakness, she doesn’t fare as well in competing with the orchestra at points in her mid-range.  In terms of her portrayal, perhaps the wig, makeup, or costumery undermine her, but she doesn’t convey the grim resolve as convincingly as desired.

The signature aria in the opera is Dalila’s captivating, unforgettable “Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix” (“My heart opens at your voice”), which has even crossed over into other musical genres.  Given its opening line, and as one of opera’s truly beautiful arias, most listeners would expect that it is a sincere love song, but it is really a hypocritical deception.  Stanish gives a completely pleasing rendering of the aria, and when it turns into a beautifully harmonized asynchronous duet, Park joins in showing a mellifluous quality to his voice.

With the French market of the period in mind, the composer also inserted ballet, most significantly the Bacchanale, which contains the other most recognizable music from the opera.  Unlike the remainder of the score, the exotic, heavily punctuated dance music is very Middle-Eastern.  The writhing dance is well choreographed and performed.  However, while the orgiastic theme and dance fits with the storyline, it comes at a strange time in the opera, just when the audience is looking for denouement and closure.

The overall production, stage directed by Maestro Moscovich, works nicely.  West Bay has long been adept at making the stage seem larger than it is through tiering and projections, with credit as usual to Peter Crompton and Frédéric O. Boulay.  Callie Floor’s extensive costumery also adds to the look of the production.

While the stage isn’t large enough to accommodate several columns from the temple physically collapsing at the conclusion, a combination of live action and graphics is used to depict the destruction.  But for some reason, the simple act of the Philistines falling to the ground to demonstrate that Samson destroyed everyone in the temple does not occur.  Notwithstanding these minor quibbles, the opera and this production are highly worthy and enjoyable.

Samson et Dalila, composed by Camille Saint-Saёns with libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire and based on the book of Judges Chapter 16 from the Bible, is produced by West Bay Opera and plays at Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA through October 19, 2025.

https://cordellreports.com/2025/10/14/samson-et-dalila/

Review: West Bay Opera stages strong ‘Samson et Dalila’

Saint-Saëns’ epic captures biblical tale’s drama with rare choral elements, meaty roles for powerful voices

The little company that could is at it again, presenting the kind of opera that even the big companies do only once every 10 years. Saint-Saëns’ “Samson et Dalila” is the kind of lesser known treasure that makes a great addition to any aficionado’s list. Although West Bay Opera’s production suffers a few dips in energy, it features some excellent voices that fully reveal the score’s innovative musicality and achieves an agreeably adrenalizing climax.

An immediate difference comes in the first act, which features so much ensemble music you might think you’ve entered a choral performance. The Hebrews, firmly under the thumb of their Philistine oppressors, lament their haggard conditions in a handful of numbers, and even offer a fugue — an operatic rarity — in “Nous avons vu nos cités renversées.” Bruce Olstad’s chorus handles the material adeptly, and it’s a real treat for those who enjoy choral music.

The Hebrew leader is their warrior, Samson (he who once slaughtered a thousand enemies using the jaw of an ass), who is indulging in a bit of rabble-rousing, looking for a bit of good trouble to help his people. He is met with a perfect opening when the Philistine leader Abimelech (baritone Casey Germain) attacks him with a sword. Samson wrests the weapon away and slays the poor schmuck, which inspires the Hebrews to rise up against their overlords.

Just like that, the Hebrews are celebrating their victory, but the Philistine high priest (bass-baritone Kellen Schrimper) has a Plan B, in the (luscious) form of Dalila. The professional seductress makes a grand entrance, immediately drawing the attentions of Samson. This leads to an intriguing trio with an old Hebrew (Casey Germain again!) who gives plentiful warnings to his warrior friend.

Schrimper gives a solid lower-toned authority to our villain, without going over the top (just doing his job, really). Mezzo Kim Stanish’s default expression is bemusement, which suits Dalila well. Her performances of the two well-known arias, “Amour! Viens aider ma faiblesse” and the show-stopper “Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix,” accentuate her truly lush lower tones, a trait that is sorely underestimated in the world of High C’s.

Tenor John Kun Park brings a powerful voice and an energetic physicality to the role of Samson. His most moving moments came in the third act, after his dalliance with Dalila has condemned him to blindness and prison (something about hair?). You can really feel his despair, having lost his strength and failed his people with one wrong move.

The only drawback came in Act II, when the two met at Dalila’s mountain retreat. 

Although the singing was beautiful, the chemistry just wasn’t there. Even a little more physical closeness would help. This opera works at its best when there’s a bit of actual affection between the two; it makes the subsequent betrayal that much deeper. As it is, the final move to lovemaking seems a little sudden and jarring.

Fortunately, the Act III buildup to the destruction of the temple is utterly satisfying and dramatic, in terms both theatrical and musical. It’s notable that the opera has one of the quickest endings ever. The temple comes down and bam! Curtain.

Conductor Jose Luis Moscovich and his orchestra handled the score with aplomb, notably in the strings, bringing out all of the inventiveness that initially brought Saint-Saëns some harsh critiques (including comparisons to Meyerbeer, who was the popular whipping boy of the day for his over-the-top creations). I especially enjoyed the music of the Philistines, where strong percussion and the use of tambourines, triangles and bells was used to illustrate a certain barbarism.

This pagan bent was also brought out by a captivating trio of dancers choreographed by Daiane Lopes da Silva: Aikaterini Bousleli, Lydia Lathan and Tai Lum. Meant to illustrate an evil lasciviousness, the dances instead forged a sublime fusion of sexuality and artistic beauty. (Sadly, the Philistines were absorbed into the Babylonian culture and aren’t around to defend themselves. We have since turned their very name into an insult.)

I always enjoy the projections of Peter Crompton and Frederic O. Boulay. The images of primitive sculptures used in various scenes were roughly gorgeous. I longed for a temple destruction that perhaps featured a few fragments falling from the flies, but it could be I’m asking too much. 

Kudos to child actor Hayden Alexander Beattie, who did an excellent job of leading the blind Samson around the temple.

The prosthetic used to feign Samson’s blinded eyes didn’t quite work; from the audience, it resembled a pair of rose-colored glasses. The action of the opera takes place in Gaza, 1150 BC, which certainly creates a few modern-day echoes.

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Samson et Dalila presented by West Bay Opera was spectacular

Barbara Keer·Global & Regional On-Stage·October 20, 2025·3 min read.

Seeing Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA. on the evening of October 18, 2025 was a thrill. The production was spectacular with sets and projections which enhance the story, the voices, the drama and the music that was provided by the wonderful orchestra and created an experience that brought the enthusiastic audience to their feet.

This was a new production of the opera which was presented by WBO in 2011 and initiated the WBO’s 70th season, 2025-2026. The story is based on the Biblical tale of Samson and Delila which is found in Chapter 16 of the “Book of Judges” in the Old Testament, and is the only opera by Saint-Saëns that continues to be regularly performed.  The highly dramatic third act includes two of Delilah’s arias which are particularly well known: “Printemps qui commence” and  “Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix” (“My heart opens itself to your voice”), and beautiful.

At this performance Maestro José Luis Moscovich, whom we always look forward to seeing, was suddenly indisposed, sadly. Nevertheless, the “show went on” with the evening’s music ably conducted by one of the orchestra’s cellists, Thomas Shoebotham, who stepped in on very short notice.

The story tells of the enslavement of the Hebrews by the Philistines. Samson urges them to resist their masters. The High Priest of Dagon uses Delilah to destroy Samson.

Delila betrayed Samson because the Philistine rulers bribed her with a large sum of money, 1,100 pieces of silver, to discover the secret of his strength. She used charm and emotional manipulation to pressure him until he finally revealed that his supernatural strength came from his uncut hair, after which she had his hair cut while he slept and handed him over to his enemies, the Philistine soldiers, who blind him and put him in shackles. Brought to the temple to be mocked and sacrificed, he implores God to grant him just a moment of his former strength. His wish granted, he pushes the columns causing the temple to collapse, killing him and the Philistines. 

What a wonderful cast. Tenor John Kun Park as Samson was convincing and his voice has a beautiful richness.  Making her West Bay Opera debut as Delila, mezzo-soprano Kim Stanish was a very convincing Delila.  Her voice was remarkable from higher to lower registers. She inhabited the character, vicious, plotting, while gorgeous and seductive. Baritone Kellen Schrimper was the High Priest, his deep tones were right on though eerie. Casie Germain was perfect in the two roles of Abimelech and the Old Hebrew.

In addition, the 30-person chorus gave the production depth. The full orchestra led by Thomas Shoebotham was perfection, enhancing the action on the stage including the ballet choreographed by Daiane Lopez da Silva that accompanied the famous bacchanal.

Always spectacular and surprising, the sets and projected images by Peter Crompton were a show in themselves. The costumes by Callie Floor were rich, vibrant and contrasting and consistent with the time period depicted. Lighting designer Danielle Ferguson; props designer Shirley Benson; projection systems designer Frederic O. Boulay, sound designer Giselle Lee and makeup and wig designer David Gillam are the important group who “put the frosting on the cake”.

This special year continues with the opportunity to see two more fabulous operas.

https://splashmags.com/2025/10/samson-et-dalila-presented-by-west-bay-opera-was-spectacular/