"Samson and Delilah" by Camille Saint-Saëns

A blend of musical traditions
“Samson and Delilah” is the work of an experienced composer, composing  during a time which was passionate about all things exotic, open to the richness of travel through time and through different countries. This opera is therefore a fusion of a wide variety of musical traditions. Some lines are directly inspired by plainsong (cantus planus), also known as Gregorian chant, named after Pope Gregory, who enshrined as the official music of Christianity this a cappella style consisting of a single line sung by choirs of Christian monks since the fifth century. Also found here is the baroque music of Bach and Handel through the choice of theme and the wealth of harmonies. The subtlety of the rhythm and the work on colour is reminiscent of Delibes and Bizet, who were contemporaries of Saint- Saëns. The detail of the orchestral combinations, when they blend woodwind and brass or strings and wind, prefigures the detailed work and orchestral revolution which Debussy and Ravel would accomplish. Finally, Saint- Saëns’ melodies have the sensuality of the Italians and the orientalisms inspired by a stay in Algiers, during which the third act was composed.

One of the most exquisite duos ever
“Softly awakes my heart” is the central aria in “Samson and Delilah” and one of the most popular in the lyrical repertoire. This aria is the dramatic core of the opera: Delilah is using it to seduce Samson, who admits both his love for her and the secret of his strength. It is poignant due to the feelings expressed, but also because it heralds the fatal destiny: Delilah, who wanted to seduce Samson to bring him down, is hoisted by her own petard by truly believing in his false promises. Delilah’s melody begins with a gentle confession before her request to Samson: “Respond to my caress”, at which the harp comes in. The melody is strophic in form (the same music accompanies different words, like verses). The music uses every resource of an orchestra comprising strings and woodwind (there is no percussion or brass, with the exception of a very soft horn and a kettledrum roll, triple piano). The orchestra is a wave which alternates between deep and high-pitched in a long crescendo that begins pianissimo with pizzicato strings (gently plucked with the fingers rather than played with the bow) and ends on an expressive and incarnate forte. This aria is just like the opera: a skilful fusion of different musical styles. The accompaniment begins in a very classical fashion with its perfect harmonies (the most consonant harmonies in Western music, made up of a third and fifth, such as doh-mi-soh, for example. The vocal part is extremely soft with its compound movement (the notes follow on from each other according to the scale, such as la-ti-doh for example). The traditional harmonies  then change, bit by bit, with subtle alterations (flat notes, sharp notes, natural notes) picked out here and there. The modification of Western harmonies transforms the melody into an Arabic melisma (very recognisable by its descending fifths and ascending seconds). As the aria concludes, it is the Western grand opera tradition that reasserts itself, with the powerful high notes of the soprano on the line “Fill me with ecstasy”, which then drop back down through the full mezzo range, representing the ecstasy laid bare. Samson responds to her, on a very sharp B flat: “I love you!” as the orchestra seems to almost disappear.

The choir as a character
The choir does not simply punctuate the interventions of the main characters, as can be the case in many operas. Notably, in this era, choirs and ballets were artificially added to foreign operas staged in Paris in order to adapt them to the model of the French-style Grand Opéra. The exact opposite is true in Saint- Saëns’ opera, where the choirs have a key role, in both the story and the music. They are brought to the fore, they sing alone, occupy more or less the majority of the first and third acts, their words form a critical part of the story rather than simply repeating the heroes’ lyrics, and finally the writing is elaborate, flowing and powerful. By turns, the choir plays the role of the desperate Hebrews finally convinced by Samson to rebel and then, in the third act, the depraved Philistines who end up crushed beneath the ruins of the temple. The contrast between the choir of Hebrews pleading on bended knee before the God of Israel with a melancholy lament on violin and flute at the beginning of the opera, and the final choir of Philistines who abuse Samson, blending sensual melismas and ringing percussion, could not be more powerful.

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