Metropolitan Opera Archives

One of the dullest operas in the repertoire of the Metropolitan Opera Association, Saint-Saens' "Samson et Dalila," was performed last night for the first time this season with René Maison and Rïse Stevens in the title roles; Leonard Warren as the High Priest, Norman Cordon as Abimelech, Nicola Moscona as an Old Hebrew and Emery Darcy, John Dudley and Arthur Kent as Philistines.

The oftener I hear this static work the triter its sugary airs, its oratorio-like choruses and the pseudo-oriental ballet tunes seem. Even the finest singing cannot lend real vitality to its pages, and there was some excellent vocalism to be heard, at least from the male members of the cast on this occasion.

Mr. Maison's characterization of Samson is, with the exception of his superb Herod in Strauss's "Salome," quite his finest accomplishment both from the vocal and dramatic aspects. He was in exceptionally good voice last night, and his tones sounded forth with vibrant brilliancy and stirring intensity of expression. Equally impressive was the High Priest of Mr. Warren. This young American baritone is ripening rapidly and he possesses indubitably the best voice of its kind to be heard here at the present time. The richness and unforced fullness of his tones was highly satisfying to hear, and his impersonation has grown more convincing from the histrionic point of view. Both Mr. Cordon and Mr. Moscona in their briefer roles sang well.

Less felicitous was Miss Stevens's delineation of Dalila. She has, to be sure, toned down her acting of the seduction of Samson, and she no longer seeks to allure him with such obviously sophomoric wiles as was the case when she first enacted the part here. But her voice remains inadequate to express the various facets of the music. It has not, to begin with, sufficient volume to he heard above the orchestra for a good part of the opera. This is especially the case in the lower and middle registers. Often one had the illusion of being at a silent motion picture. One saw Miss Stevens open her mouth widely, but no sound emerged that could be heard where I sat in the sixth row of the orchestra. Nor has Miss Stevens the ability to color her tones, so essential in suggesting the changing moods and emotions of this temptress. The sensuousness of tonal texture needed to convey the voluptuousness of "Printemps qui commence" and "Mon Coeur s'ouvre à ta voix" are missing in this contralto's voice, as are the tonal and dramatic intensity essential to a telling delivery of "Amour, viens adder." In short, Miss Stevens is a lyric singer who, when the music lies comfortably for her, can turn out a pleasant phrase now and then, but her work as a whole wants in distinction. One has only to recall the Dalilas of Marguerite D'Alvarez, Margaret Matzenauer, and, above all, Jeanne Gerville-Reache to realize how over-weighted Miss Stevens is by this role.

The chorus, which plays an important part in this opera, sang magnificently and Mr. Pelletier conducted understandably and with persuasive tonal results. One cannot blame him for covering Miss Stevens's pallid tones, for he had four powerful male voices as well to consider.

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