Throughout Camille Saint-Saëns’ 1877 opera, Samson et Dalila, Op. 47, the cunning and seductive Dalila has three prominent mezzo-soprano arias.
In the most famous, Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix from Act II, Dalila lures Samson by comparing her heart to an open flower. Earlier in Act II, while seething with vengeance, she utters to the Philistine gods the dark prayer, Amour! viens aider ma faiblesse! Verse le poison dans son sein! (“Love! come help my weakness! Pour the poison into his breast!”). The melody is soaring and bloodthirsty, with the final notes descending into the depths of the singer’s range.
As a supplement to Monday’s post, in which we heard the opera’s famous Danse bacchanale, let’s listen to this outwardly strong aria, performed by Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča:
Recordings
- Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila, Op. 47, R. 288 / Act 2: “Samson, recherchant ma présence … Amour, viens aider ma faiblesse” · Elīna Garanča · Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana · Roberto Abbado Amazon
Featured Image: “Samson and Delilah” (Venice, 1655–1704), Antonio Molinari