[Met Performance] CID:80930



Samson et Dalila
Metropolitan Opera House, Thu, April 6, 1922




Samson et Dalila (40)
Camille Saint-Saëns | Ferdinand Lemaire
Samson
Giovanni Martinelli

Dalila
Julia Claussen

High Priest
Clarence Whitehill

Abimélech
Paolo Ananian

Old Hebrew
Léon Rothier

Philistine
Giordano Paltrinieri

Philistine
Vincenzo Reschiglian

Messenger
Angelo Badà

Dance
Lilyan Ogden


Conductor
Louis Hasselmans


Director
Armando Agnini

Set Designer
Mario Sala

Costume Designer
Giuseppe Palanti





Samson et Dalila received two performances this season.

Review 1:

Review signed J. A. H. in Musical America

The Season's Single "Samson"

For the second time only since the death of Caruso, and for the first and only time this season, Saint-Saëns' "Samson et Dalila" was sung on Thursday night with a cast familiar to Metropolitan patrons except that Mr. Martinelli made his first appearance ever as the strong man of Israel. His work throughout was an achievement of which he may be proud. The rôle, strangely enough, seems to suit him very well indeed, the more strange as he managed to efface entirely his own personality. His singing was for the most part exceedingly good though in the later scenes his voice sounded a trifle tired. There is no doubt whatever that the part will become one of his best and that his excellent performance will result in the return of the work to the regular repertoire next season. Mme. Claussen gave a dramatic if somewhat traditional performance. Her singing was excellent and "Mon Coeur s'Ouvre a ta Voix" was a signal for a burst of spontaneous applause. Indulgence was asked for Mr. Whitehall, who sang the High Priest, on account of a cold from which he was obviously suffering. The smaller roles were assumed by Mr. Ananian, Mr. Rothier, Mr. Bada, Mr. Paltrinieri and Mr. Reschiglian. Mr. Hasselmans conducted. An interesting feature of the evening was that the claque had either been suppressed completely or else instructed to moderate its transports. The applause, therefore, was genuine and confined for the most part to the entre-acts, a vast improvement.



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