SAMSON AND DELILAH
BY CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS
A Study Guide
Prepared by Virginia Opera
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cast of Characters2
Brief plot summary2
Full synopsis with musical examples4
Historical Background12
Discussion questions16
A Short History of Opera17
The Operatic Voice19
Opera Production20
Glossary of Operatic Terms21
SAMSON AND DELILAH
Music by Camille Saint-Saëns
Libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire
Premiere
First performance on December 2, 1877 at the Grand Ducal Theater, Weimar, Germany
Cast of Characters
ABIMÉLECH, Satrap of GazaBass
HIGH PRIEST OF DAGONBaritone
FIRST PHILISTINETenor
SECOND PHILISTINEBaritone
A PHILISTINE MESSENGERTenor
AN OLD HEBREWBass
DELILAH, a Philistine priestess, Samson’s former loverMezzo soprano
Hebrews and Philistines
Brief Plot Summary
ACT 1
Scene: the city of Gaza in Biblical times.
In the shadow of the temple of the god Dagon, a crowd of Hebrews bemoan their persecution at the hands of the Philistines. Samson emerges, exhorting his people to trust their God to deliver them from oppression. They are slow to respond, but at their leader’s passionate urging, at last express renewed faith and hope. Abimélech mocks the Hebrews and their God, causing Samson to rise up in anger. Killing Abimélech, he holds the Philistine forces at bay, then joins the Hebrews as they flee.The High Priest of Dagon, infuriated at the Hebrew rebellion, curses Samson. The Philistines depart, bearing Abimélech’s body.
As the sun rises, some Hebrew women and old men sing a hymn of praise to God for their deliverance. Led by Delilah, a group of priestesses emerges from the temple, singing of the pleasures of spring. Delilah declares that Samson has won her heart. As he looks on, she tempts him to join her in the valley of Sorek. Samson prays to God for the strength to resist her as an old Hebrew man warns him of the danger of giving in to temptation.
ACT 2
Scene: Delilah’s home in the valley of Sorek. Evening.
Alone, Delilah calls upon the power of love to assist her in subduing Samson. The High Priest reports that the Hebrews have overpowered the Philistines thanks to Samson’s fearsome strength. Aware that Samson has yielded to Delilah in the past, he offers to pay her if she can entrap the Hebrew leader. Delilah scorns any payment, saying her hatred of Samson is her sole motivation. The two swear to have vengeance as the High Priest withdraws.
As lightning signals an approaching storm, Samson enters in a state of anxiety; ashamed of his desire for Delilah, he is unable to resist her. When Delilah offers herself to him, Samson declares his love. Seizing the moment, Delilah claims to disbelieve him, saying that if he truly loved her he would reveal the secret of his great strength. Samson replies that he has taken an oath never to share the secret. Feigning fury, Delilah orders him away, running into her home. As the storm erupts, Samson begins to leave, hesitates, then follows her inside. Philistine soldiers descend upon her dwelling, taking Samson captive.
Act 3
Scene: a mill in Gaza, shortly before dawn.
Samson, blinded and in chains, is slowly grinding a large mill-stone. He laments having disobeyed God. Distant voices of the Hebrew people, who once again are held in bondage, rebuke Samson for his faithlessness as he prays for death.
At the temple of Dagon, the Philistines greet the rising sun as they prepare for a ritual celebration of their triumph. A bacchanal ensues, with dancing of ever-increasing wildness and eroticism. Samson is led into the temple by a boy. Delilah mockingly recalls how she conquered him. The High Priest laughingly dares Samson to call on his God to restore his sight as the Philistine people jeer.
Delilah joins the High Priest in preparing for a sacrifice to Dagon, leading the Philistines in a hymn of praise. Sacred wine is poured on a burning altar; Samson stands alone with the child, lost in prayer. The High Priest calls for Samson to be brought to the altar. Samson instructs the boy to lead him between two pillars supporting the temple. Amidst the Philistine revelry, Samson offers up a final prayer. Asking God to restore his strength, he pushes the pillars apart, causing the temple to collapse. All are crushed to death as the curtain falls.
Full Synopsis With Musical Examples
Act 1
Scene: a public square in the city of Gaza facing the temple of the Philistine god Dagon. Biblical times. The Israelites are currently enslaved by the Philistines.
A brief orchestral introduction depicts the suffering of the Hebrew people.An incessant string pattern churns over groaning notes in the low strings:
Example 1
As the curtain rises, Hebrew slaves sing of their desolation, pleading with God to hear their prayers and expressing frustration that their people have been shamed and defiled.
Samson, a man of God-given physical strength, emerges to address the crowd. Telling his people that God has promised to end their suffering, he offers to be their champion. The Israelites, however, respond with pessimism and despair. Undeterred, Samson continues to exhort them to remain faithful, making a final impassioned plea with sweeping vocal lines:
Example 2
The Hebrews are roused by his fervor and, their spirits restored, sing a lively chorus of faith and courage.
This commotion attracts the attention of the Philistine forces, led by Abimélech, the satrap of Gaza. (A satrap, in ancient times, was a local provincial governmental official.) Warning the Hebrews not to rebel against their enslavers, he goes on to express his scorn for the Hebrew God boasting of Dagon’s superiority. Samson answers with a rousingly defiant declaration of liberty for Israel:
Example 3
The Hebrews echo his anthem. Samson goes on to condemn Abimélech’s blasphemy, prophesying that the Lord will destroy the Philistines. As he describes the striking down of the enemy, a repeated descending chromatic motive appears in the orchestra, played by trombones:
Example 4
This motive, as we shall discover, will appear in various forms and always represent the concept of doom and the downfall of a person or people. We shall refer to it as the “downfall motive”.
As the Hebrews respond to Samson with growing enthusiasm, Abimélech draws his sword. Using his superior might, Samson seizes the sword, killing Abimélech with one blow. As the Hebrews begin to flee, Samson holds the Philistine soldiers at bay before making his own hasty exit.
The temple doors open as the High Priest of Dagon enters, accompanied by a retinue of priests. Taking in the flight of the Hebrews and the corpse of Abimélech, he angrily questions two Philistine guards as to how these disastrous events came to happen. Shamefully, they confess that Samson’s prodigious strength was too much for them.
A messenger enters, breathless with the news that the escaping Hebrews are destroying Philistine lands. The guards are reluctant to make war on a leader like Samson, but the High Priest sings a fiery aria in which he curses Samson and vows to destroy him. The solo is marked by a strongly rhythmic vocal line of martial character:
Example 5
In the course of his solo, the High Priest suggests that betrayal by a loved one may be the way to bring about Samson’s doom. The Philistines exit, bearing the body of Abimélech.
Calm has been restored as dawn breaks the following morning. A group of Hebrew women and old men quietly sing a hymn of gratitude to God for their deliverance. The style, at first unaccompanied and then set only with simple chords, attempts to simulate the ancient musical device of plainchant:
Example 6
As Samson returns to the square, A group of Philistine women bearing flowers enters, led by the beautiful Delilah. They sing an alluring chorus of the pleasures of roses, love and springtime. Delilah speaks directly to Samson. Recalling their previous amorous affair, she declares her desire for him, inviting him to go with her to her home in “the sweet valley of Sorek”.
Example 7
Samson tries to turn a deaf ear to her words of love, praying to God for strength. However, he is clearly conflicted. An old Hebrew man warns Samson to stay away from her, saying she is full of poisonous guile as the three characters form a brief trio.
Delilah begins to dance, joined by the other Philistine women. Delilah moves with seductive grace, aware that Samson’s eyes are fixed on her in spite of himself. In an aria, Delilah sings that she cannot enjoy the pleasures of spring unless she can have the heart of the man she loves.
Example 8
The “downfall motive” appears briefly in the orchestral strings as Delilah sings of her tears at the memory of Samson’s love, indicating that she already has a plan in mind to set a seductive trap for him:
Example 9
This passage foreshadows one of the themes of Delilah’s duet with Samson in Act 2 (see Example 13).
The Old Hebrew, aware of Samson’s internal struggle, repeats his warning as the “downfall motive” rumbles in the low strings. Delilah, aware of her power over the Israelite champion, regards his discomfort as the scene draws to a quiet close.
Act 2
Scene: Delilah’s dwelling in the Valley of Sorek. The evening is darkening.
A short orchestral prelude featuring the “downfall motive” foreshadows the web of seduction in which Delilah hopes to entrap Samson with a repeated motive representing the power of her voluptuous sexuality:
Example 10
Delilah emerges from her home, certain that Samson will shortly appear for a rendezvous, one that will bring about his doom. In an aria, she calls on Love itself to make Samson a slave to her charms.
Example11
Her musings are interrupted by the High Priest; Delilah welcomes him warmly, calling him her “father”. The priest reports that the Philistine army is in disarray, thanks to Samson’s incredible physical strength; soldiers drop their weapons and scatter at the mere mention of his name. Realizing that Israel will achieve victory unless Samson is captured, the priest acknowledges Samson’s past dalliance with Delilah. He explains has come to recruit her in a plot to capture the Hebrew champion. Delilah acknowledges that Samson’s attraction to her is the weak link in the threat he poses. The High Priest offers to make her a wealthy woman in exchange for her services, but Delilah rejects the offer with scorn: she is motivated not by money, but by her hatred of Samson. The priest is surprised and pleased to learn that Delilah does not love Samson, as he supposed, but hates him equally.
Delilah reports that, since their past sexual encounter, Samson has successfully resisted her advances. She has attempted to learn the mysterious secret of his strength on three occasions, but failed each time. However, she is determined that, should he appear tonight as expected, she will succeed in learning the source of his power.
The scene closes with an intense and strongly rhythmic duet in which theyvow vengeance and triumph for the Philistines:
Example 11
The High Priest withdraws; alone, Delilah privately wonders if she has over-estimated her hold on Samson. At that, as lightning flashes herald an approaching storm, Samson appears, clearly in a state of emotional turmoil. Deeply ashamed, he nonetheless confesses his love for her. Delilah entreats him to yield to his passions. Gathering his resolve, Samson announces that his reason for coming is to bid her a last farewell. He describes having heard God’s voice instructing him to lead the Hebrews to victory. Delilah counters by declaring that Samson has been claimed by a god even more powerful that the God of Israel: the god of Love. Re-kindling the memory of their past tryst, she arouses uncontrollable impulses in Samson, who surrenders helplessly.
In an aria that develops into a duet, Delilah speaks words of love to her victim, begging him to love her as in the past, assuring him that her heart opens like a flower at the sound of his voice:
Example 12
An expansive refrain transforms the “downfall motive” into a languidly passionate new theme, signaling that the sweetness of her song is belied by the treachery of her intentions.
Example 13
Upon beginning the second verse of the number, the orchestra takes up the form of the “downfall motive” seen in Example 10 above, as if enveloping Samson in a web of sensual abandon. All caution now cast aside, he responds with an unreserved declaration of passionate love.
Delilah, however, has not yet achieved her goal of discovering the secret of Samson’s strength. Feigning disbelief in his professions of love, she recalls that he has left her in the past. When he protests, Delilah asks him to reveal his secret as proof of his love. Horrified, Samson answers that he cannot break a sacred vow to God without bringing disaster to them both. Running into her home, Delilah furiously orders him to leave. Samson looks to the heavens as if in supplication, hesitating briefly before following after her.
Philistine soldiers now emerge from hiding, slowly advancing on Delilah’s dwelling, awaiting her signal amid violent thunder and lightning. After several tense moments, she appears, calling to the soldiers as Samson screams that he has been betrayed. The Philistines take him as the curtain falls.
Act 3
Scene: The city of Gaza, some indeterminate time later.
Samson is chained to a large mill-stone. Blinded and with his hair shorn away, he turns the stone, walkingin slow circles. An orchestral introduction vividly depicts both the drudgery of his labor and his spiritual weariness with an incessant repeated figure:
Example 14
Pausing for a moment, Samson calls to God in misery and remorse for his weakness and sin. The initial vocal line suggests the austerity and depth of emotion of a traditional Jewish synagogue chant:
Example 15
As Samson returns to his toil, the distant voices of the Hebrews, now once again in bondage are heard rebuking their former champion for his failure.
The scene changes to the temple of Dagon. A sacrificial altar is at the center of the stage. The temple’s structural integrity is supported by two massive pillars. Dawn is breaking.
Philistine women greet the rising sun with a chorus similar to their ode to springtime of Act 1. A Bacchanalia ensues; sacred wine is consumed by men as women dance with ever-increasing eroticism. The dance reaches a climax of intense abandon with a powerful theme based on the so-called “Arabian” or double harmonic major scale (also called the Byzantine scale):
Example 16
At the bidding of the High Priest, Samson is led into the temple by a young boy. The priest greets him with mock honor and praise, teasingly directing Delilah to wait on him. The Philistines join in the ridicule while Samson quietly begs God for death.
Now free to express her scorn to Samson, Delilah mocks him mercilessly in a light-hearted parody of her seduction refrain, complete with the “downfall motive” in bright tempo. As she proudly declares the honor of Dagon to haves been upheld, the crowd cheers her as the god’s defender.
Not content with mocking Samson, the High Priest now belittles the Hebrew God, laughing at His inability to rescue the prisoner. Samson, outraged at such blasphemy, calls upon God to restore his physical power.
The High Priest and Delilah approach the altar, upon which a fire is burning. They pour sacrificial wine onto the fire, causing flames to rise dramatically. Together, they lead the Philistine worshippers in a spirited anthem of praise to Dagon:
Example 17
As the wine and music have the crowd nearly in a state of delirium, the High Priest commands the child to lead Samson to the altar so he can be forced to make an offering to Dagon. Samson quietly instructs the boy to place him between the two pillars. Before the Philistines can realize what is happening, Samson raises his voice in a final prayer for one last moment of strength while the “downfall motive” makes its final appearance. As Samson gathers himself, a solo trumpet slowly recalls the theme of the Hebrews’ anthem of liberty from Act 1
Example 18
With utmost exertion, Samson dislodges the pillars.The temple immediately collapses, crushing him and all the Philistines as the opera ends.
Historical Background
Samson and Delilah in the Bible
The story of Samson and Delilah is found in the Old Testament of the Bible, in chapters 13-16 of the book of Judges. In the Old Testament, the term “judge” does not refer to one who rules in legal disputes, but rather a national hero or champion appointed by the God of the Hebrews to deliver them from various foreign occupations. Samson is the last such champion to have his exploits recounted. This period of history, around the 11th century B.C., appears to have been an era in which the Israelites lacked a monarchy, instead relying on these “judges” to restore peace after intermittent periods of bondage to various enemy states.
Lemaire’s operatic libretto deals only with the last of Samson’s exploits; namely, his imprisonment by the Philistines due to Delilah’s betrayal, and his death in the destruction of the temple of Dagon. Here is a summary of details either omitted or referenced obliquely in the opera: