Hey There Dalila
The centerpiece of Act II, “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix” (Track 1 or MOoD clip 21) is arguably the most famous—and hotly debated—moment in Samson et Dalila. For starters, the piece has become standard concert repertoire for mezzo-sopranos, even though “Mon cœur” is not a solo aria but rather one section of an extended duet between the two title characters. Second, critics and commentators have yet to reach consensus regarding Dalila’s perspective expressed in the work: Is she truly confessing her love for Samson, or is she deceiving him to learn the secret of his superhuman strength?
The piece begins with soft staccato strings in unison on A♭, arching up and back down several octaves before resolving to D♭ major, when Dalila enters. Proceeding in largely stepwise motion, the end of the first phrase is echoed by the English horn (Track 2). Following the A section, Dalila beseeches Samson to respond to her confession with a slow, chromatic descent that lends an air of the exotic (Track 3). She repeats her entreaty, leaping up a minor seventh interval on successively higher pitches across three consecutive phrases (Track 4).
At this point, Samson rejoins the duet. The clarinet recapitulates Dalila’s previous melody while Samson exclaims “Dalila! Je t’aime!” (“Delilah! I love you!”) (Track 5). The two lovers are not yet singing together, but they are getting closer to doing so—the clarinet a faint echo of Dalila’s own voice.
When the A section returns, Saint-Saëns adds a new element: descending chromatic sextuplets, alternating among the woodwinds (Track 6). Really, this is an old element, having already been heard during the section of orchestral tone painting that opens Act II. These chromatic flourishes remain open to interpretation. They could suggest the fluttering of Dalila’s heart, the exotic atmosphere elsewhere evoked through chromaticism, or the irony—and danger—of the priestess’s deceitful proclamation of love.
When Dalila resumes the A section, Saint-Saëns beefs up the orchestration so that her melody is echoed both by the English horn and the bassoon, with rapid harp arpeggios added for dramatic effect. The composer extends this technique into the second B section, with Dalila’s vocal line doubled by the violins. Here, “Mon cœur” becomes a true duet as Samson joins in full force, his melody nearly mirroring hers (Track 7) as the piece draws to a close. And like an echo of Dalila’s successive leaps on the word “Reponds” (“Respond”), Samson’s jumps a third, and then a fifth, and then an octave on his final cry, “Dalila! Je t’aime!” (Track 8). Although it seems the lovers have finally achieved musical consummation, their union is necessarily short-lived. As soon as Samson’s voice dies out, we hear creeping trills and blaring brass—a clear sign that danger lies waiting at Dalila’s doorstep.