The opera is based on the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah found in Chapter 16 of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament. It is the only opera by Saint-Saëns that is regularly performed. The second act love scene in Delilah's tent is one of the set pieces that define French opera. Two of Delilah's arias are particularly well known: "Printemps qui commence" and "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix", the latter of which is one of the most popular recital pieces in the mezzo-soprano/contralto repertoire. Staged by greek director Yannis Kokkos and conducted by Valery Gergiev on May 25th, 2016 at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Cast

Ekaterina Semenchuk

Dalila

Gregory Kunde

Samson

Mikhail Petrenko

Abimélech

Valery Gergiev

Conductor

Roman Burdenko

High Priest of Dagon

Stanislav Trofimov

Old Hebrew

Mariinsky Orchestra