SAMSON AND DELILAH AN OPERA BY CAMILUS SAINT-SAINS

SAMSON AND DELILAH
AN OPERA BY CAMILUS SAINT-SAINS
Conductor - Ivan KOZHUKHAROV
Director - Alexander TEKELIEV
Scenography and costumes - Katalin ARBORE
Choir conductor - Nevena MIHAILOVA
Choreography - Galina KALCHEVA
Concertmaster - Hristo BELCHEV
Soloists:
Delilah - Daniela DYAKOVA
Samson - Daniel DAMYANOV
High Priest of Dagon - Alexander KRUNEV
Abimelech - Delyan Slavov
The old Jew - Diman PANCHEV
Messenger of the Philistines - Lubomir TODOROV
First Philistine - Milen DINOLOV
Second Philistine - Branimir NEDKOV
Orchestra, choir, and ballet of the State Opera - Burgas

Samson and Delilah, an opera in three acts by Camille Saint-Saëns (contents)
published on 22.11.19 at 08:48
"Samson and Delilah" (Gustave Doré, 1860)
"Samson and Delilah" (Gustave Doré, 1860)
Libretto: Ferdinand Lemaire based on a text from the Old Testament

Actors:
Delilah, priestess of the god Dagon - mezzo-soprano
Samson, leader of the Jews - tenor
High Priest - Baritone
Abimelech, satrap of Gaza - bass
The old Jew-bass

Set in Gaza, Palestine, in biblical times (1150 BC)

First act
The Jews gathered in the square in front of the temple of Dagon. They pray to their God for deliverance. Samson, who possesses great physical strength, cheers up his countrymen. All are hopeful and ready to follow Samson in the struggle for liberation. The satrap Abimelech arrives, accompanied by his associates and a detachment of Philistine warriors. He haughtily threatens the Jews and his soldiers attack them. Samson confronts Abimelech, snatches the sword from his hands, and kills him. The soldiers run away, and the Jews go after them. The high priest vows revenge on Samson. He foretells his doom: his death will come from the woman he loves. The spring festival begins. Philistine maidens come out of the temple together with the beautiful Delilah and begin to dance. The beautiful priestess approaches Samson and confesses her love to him - that night she will be waiting for him. Samson can't take his eyes off her. An old Jew warns him not to trust the Philistine woman, but Samson is already completely conquered.

Second act
In the garden outside her home, Delilah awaits Samson's arrival. A storm is coming. The High Priest appears, advising her to learn the secret of Samson's superhuman strength. Delilah vows that she will do anything to destroy the enemy of her people. Samson comes, plagued by contradictions. He wavers between a strong passion for the Philistine woman and a duty to his people. The Jew informs Delilah that he actually came to say goodbye. But Delilah is irresistible. Samson has lost control over himself and confesses his love. Amid passionate words, she asks him about the secret of his strength. The question troubled the Jewish warrior. Delilah challenges him, calls him a coward, and enters her home. Samson descends after her. Thunder echoes in the sky. Dark shadows appear in the garden - these are the Philistine wars awaiting Delilah's signal. Suddenly she appears triumphantly on the balcony with Samson's severed hair in her hands. The Jewish leader's secret is revealed and his power is taken away. The soldiers descended on the helpless enemy.

Third act
The Jews mourn the loss of their leader and his apostasy from the God of their fathers. In the dungeon, the blinded Samson is chained to a millstone that must turn continuously. After his capture, the Jews were again slaves to the Philistines. Samson hears the groans of the captives and their reproaches. Philistine soldiers come and take him away.

Inside the temple of Dagon there is rejoicing – the Philistines are celebrating the victory over the Jews. The guards bring in the chained Samson. A small boy leads him into the crowd, everyone starts to make fun of him. Delilah mockingly reminded him of the minutes spent in her arms. The high priest declares in front of everyone that he will become a Jew if Jehovah God restores Samson's sight. The Jew raises his hands to heaven and asks for help. The sacrifices begin, culminating in Samson bowing before the statue of Dagon. To the sounds of a triumphant hymn, the boy leads the blind man between two huge columns. The Jew leans over to the boy and tells him to leave the temple quickly. Hymns and bacchanalia reach their climax. Samson embraces the two columns and asks God for one last time to endow him with his inhuman strength. The columns are collapsing and with them the temple. The ruins buried all the Philistines, along with Samson and Delilah.