Samson et Dalila Is the March 23, 2019, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Samson et Dalila Is the March 23, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, numbering 17th of 24 in the 2018-2019 season’s schedule.

set designer Alexander Dodge’s Temple of Dagon in Serbian-American theater director Darko Tresnjak’s new staging of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Aug. 10, 2018

Samson et Dalila is the March 23, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as the 17th of 24 scheduled Saturday matinee radio broadcasts during the 2018-2019 Met Opera season.

French Romantic Era composer Camille Saint-Saëns (Oct. 9, 1835-Dec. 16, 1921) set his musical score for Samson et Dalila to a French libretto by French librettist Ferdinand Lemaire (1832-Aug. 10, 1879). The inspiration for Lemaire’s libretto is the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament.

Samson et Dalila premiered Dec. 2, 1877, at the Grand Ducal Theatre (Grossherzogliches Hoftheater) in Weimar, Thuringia, east central Germany. The premiere was performed in German, with a libretto translated from Lemaire’s French original into German by German composer and music critic Richard Pohl (Sept. 12, 1826-Dec. 17, 1896).

Samson et Dalila’s Metropolitan Opera premiere happened Feb. 8, 1895. The Me notes that the premiere was “probably in French” even though the singers were Italian, with the exception of French operatic bass Pol Plançon (June 12, 1851-Aug. 11, 1914). Pol Plançon performed as Abimélech and the Old Hebrew.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season offers 13 performances of Samson et Dalila. Opening night took place Monday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The month’s second performance occurred Friday, Sept. 28, at 7:30 p.m.

Six performances were offered in October. The month’s performances took place Monday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 13, at 1 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Oct. 20, at 1 p.m.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season offers five spring performances, all taking place in March. The month’s first two performances happened Wednesday, March 13, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m. The month’s last three performances are slated for Tuesday, March 19, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 23, at 1 p.m.; and Thursday, March 28, at 8 p.m. The performance March 23 airs as the season’s 17th Saturday matinee radio broadcast.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s Falstaff has an estimated run time of 3 hours 20 minutes. Act I spans 46 minutes. An intermission of 37 minutes follows. Act II is estimated at 43 minutes. An intermission of 37 minutes precedes Act III, which is estimated at 37 minutes.

Mark Elder conducts all performances. The British conductor’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Dec. 15, 1988, in the opera house’s 308th performance of Le Nozze di Figaro by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

Elīna Garanča appears in all autumn performances in the title role of the beautiful seductress who discovers the secret of Samson’s strength. The Latvian operatic mezzo-soprano’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Jan. 12, 2008, as Rosina in the opera house’s 565th performance of Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868).

Anita Rachvelishvili appears in all spring performances in the title role. The Georgian operatic mezzo-soprano’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Jan. 5, 2011, as the title role in the opera house’s 970th performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875). In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Anita Rachvelishvili also appears as Amneris in Aida by 19th century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901) and as Princess of Bouillon in Adriana Lecouvreur by Italian composer Francesco Cilea (July 23, 1866-Nov. 20, 1950).

Roberto Alagna appears in all autumn performances in the title role of the Hebrew fighter and judge who loses and then fatefully regains his great strength. The French tenor’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened April 10, 1996, as Rodolfo in the opera house’s 1,031st performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). During the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Roberto Alagna also appears as Don José in Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Aleksandrs Antonenko appears in spring’s first four performances (March 13, 16, 19, 23) in the title role. The Latvian tenor’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened March 9, 2009, as the Prince in the opera house’s 16th performance of Rusalka by Czech composer Antonín Leopold Dvořák (Sept. 8, 1841-May 1, 1904). In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Aleksandrs Antonenko also appears as Radamès in Verdi’s Aida.

Per The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera Twitter update March 14, 2019, Gregory Kunde replaces ailing Aleksandrs Antoneko in the title role for three March performances (Saturday, March 16; Tuesday, March 19; Saturday matinee, March 23). The American operatic tenor's Metropolitan Opera debut happened March 3, 1987, as Des Grieux in the opera house's 218th performance of Manon by French Romantic Era composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912).

Kristian Benedikt appears as Samson in the opera’s closing night performance Thursday, March 28. The closing night performance marks the Lithuanian tenor’s Metropolitan Opera debut.

Laurent Naouri appears in all performances as the High Priest, who expects Dalila’s beauty to be Samson’s undoing. The French bass-baritone’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Feb. 17, 2012, as Sharpless in the opera house’s 838th performance of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

Elchin Azizov appears in all autumn performances as Abimélech, who is killed with his own sword by Samson. The Azerbaijani operatic baritone’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Jan. 29, 2015, as Ibn-Hakia in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Iolanta by Russian late-Romantic composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840-Nov. 6, 1893).

Tomasz Konieczny appears in all spring performances as Abimélech. The Polish bass-baritone’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened as Alberich March 9, 2019, in the 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s Saturday matinee radio broadcast of Das Rheingold by German composer and librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883). During the 2018-2019 Met opera season, Tomasz Konieczny also appears as Alberich in Wagner’s Siegfried.

Dmitry Belosselskiy appears in all autumn performances as the Old Hebrew, who unsuccessfully tries to warn Samson away from Dalila. The Ukrainian bass made his Metropolitan Opera debut Nov. 5, 2011, as Zaccaria in the opera house’s 54th performance of Verdi’s Nabucco. In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Dmitry Belosselskiy also appears as Ramfis in Verdi’s Aida; as Fafner in Wagner’s Das Rheingold; and as the Commendatore in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

Günther Groissböck appears in all spring performances as the Old Hebrew. The Austrian bass made his Metropoitan Opera debut Dec. 1, 2010, as Colline in the opera house’s 1,224th performance of Puccini’s La Bohème. During the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Günther Groissböck also performs in two Wagner operas: as Fasolt in Das Rheingold and as Hunding in Die Walküre.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s performances of Samson et Dalila debut new staging by Darko Tresnjak. The Serbian-American theater director’s production team comprises Alexander Dodge, set designer; Linda Cho, costume designer; Donald Holder, lighting designer; and Austin McCormick, choreographer.

The takeaways for Camille Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila as the March 23, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast are that the Biblical opera of seduction versus strength airs as one of the season’s four new productions and as the 17th of the 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s 24 scheduled Saturday matinee radio broadcasts.

Serbian-American theater director Darko Tresnjak (right, in baseball cap), during technical rehearsals of his new staging of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Aug. 11, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

set designer Alexander Dodge’s Temple of Dagon in Serbian-American theater director Darko Tresnjak’s new staging of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Aug. 10, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160891158775533/

Serbian-American theater director Darko Tresnjak (right, in baseball cap), during technical rehearsals of his new staging of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Aug. 11, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160894917325533/

For further information:

“Debut: Anne Sofie von Otter, Mark Elder.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 294810 Le Nozze di Figaro {308} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/15/1988.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=294810

“Debut: Dmitry Belosselskiy.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354136 Nabucco {54} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/05/2011.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354136

“Debut: Elina Garanca, José Manuel Zapata, John Moore.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352298 Il Barbiere di Siviglia {565} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/12/08.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352298

“Debut: Laurent Naouri.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354365 Madama Butterfly {838} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/17/2012.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354365

“Debuts: Aleksandrs Antonenko, Brenda Patterson.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352925 Rusalka {16} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/09/2009.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352925

“Debuts: Anita Rachvelishvili, Margaret Thompson.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353729 Carmen {970} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/05/2011.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353729

“Debuts: Dimitri Tiliakos, Günther Groissböck, Brandon Mayberry.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353654 La Bohème {1224} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/01/2010.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353654

"Debuts: Gregory Kunde, Erich Parce." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 287620 Manon {218} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/3/1987.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=287620

“Debuts: Roberto Alagna, William Shimell, Simone Young.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 323890 La Bohème {1031} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/10/1996.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=323890

Marriner, Derdriu. “2018-2019 Metropolitan Opera Season Presents Four New Productions.” Earth and Space News. Monday, June 25, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/06/2018-2019-metropolitan-opera-season_25.html

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Added a new photo.” Facebook. Aug. 11, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160894917325533/

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Director Darko Tresnjak, who won a Tony Award for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder in 2014, makes his Met debut with the season-opening new production of Saint-Saëns’s Samson et Dalila on September 24. Tickets on sale now: bit.ly/2LNZPF6.” Facebook. Aug. 14, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160907130550533/

Metropolitan Opera ‏@MetOpera. "Gregory Kunde will replace Aleksandrs Antonenko, who is ill, as Samson in the March 16, 19, and 23 performances of Samson et Dalila. #castchange." Facebook. March 14, 2019.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1106314854460063744

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “We're in tech! Check out photos from this week’s early technical rehearsals for the Opening Night new production of Saint-Saens’s Samson et Dalila, directed by Tony Award–winning director Darko Tresnjak and starring mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca and tenor Roberto Alagna. Tickets on sale now: bit.ly/2LHcsp9 Photos by Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera.” Facebook. Aug. 10, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160891158775533/

“Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Samson et Dalila.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356997 New Production Samson et Dalila {227} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/24/2018.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356997

“New Production: Samson et Dalila.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355173 New Production Falstaff {176} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/06/2013.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355173

Pohl, Richard, trans. Samson und Delila: Oper in Drei Akten und Vier Bildern. Berlin, Koln, Leipzig: Albert Ahn, n.d.
Available via Library of Congress @ https://www.loc.gov/item/2010667342/