Metropolitan Opera Archives

A new Dalila, Blanche Thebom, tempted the Samson of Ramon Vinay Saturday night in the season’s third performance of Saint-Saens’s “Samson et Dalila” at the Metropolitan Opera House. Miss Thebom, who had not sung the role before in this theater, gave it an impersonation that was pleasing to the eye; her voice also seemed well suited in quality to Dalila’s music. There was some unevenness, however, in its production, with tones calling for a closer focus and more consistent firmness in addition to those exhibiting the warm and ingratiating quality which makes her singing at its best. Visually her interpretation was generally appealing, but at times gave a hint of premeditation rather than of spontaneity; the expressive assets of her singing were at times fully revealed; at others her musical interpretation suggested a potential rather than an actual command of the emotional resources of the character.

The other newcomer to the cast was Lorenzo Alvary in the short-lived assignment of Abimelech. Robert Merrill reappeared as the High Priest, Deszo Ernster as the Old Hebrew and Emil Cooper conducted.

Search by season: 1949-50

Search by title: Samson et Dalila,

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