Plot and Creation: Samson et Dalila

The Source

The Book of Judges, Chapter 16

“Samson and Delilah” is one of the most famous stories of all time and yet is extremely brief: It takes up less than a single chapter in the Old Testament. It appears in the Book of Judges, which recounts the Israelites’ efforts to establish a kingdom of their own after their exodus from Egypt. The land where the Israelites hoped to settle was already home to numerous tribes, and in staking out their territory, the Israelites were inevitably entangled in the region’s wars. Time and again, the Israelites—who had only just escaped slavery in Egypt—found themselves conquered and enslaved by rival tribes; each time, God would send a leader, or “judge,” to help them regain their freedom.

Samson was the judge sent by God to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines, and Chapters 13–16 of the Book of Judges are devoted to his life. Chapters 13, 14, and 15 relate anecdotes about Samson’s childhood and miraculous strength, which is the physical expression of his relationship with God. Yet it is Chapter 16, which recounts Samson’s ill-fated affair with Delilah, that has made him a household name. Delilah’s appearance in the story is brief. The Bible provides no information about her background nor details about how she and Samson met: After she delivers Samson to the Philistines, she is never heard from again.

Camille Saint-Saëns initially set out to write an oratorio, rather than an opera, based on this biblical legend. The idea was suggested to him by a friend who admired a Samson libretto by Enlightenment writer Voltaire that was set to music (now lost) by the composer Jean-Philippe Rameau in 1734. Saint-Saëns shared plans for the project with poet Ferdinand Lemaire, who convinced him to write an opera instead. According to the composer, he provided his librettist with a detailed plan of the opera’s characters, scenes, and overall plot, which Lemaire then rendered in verse. The resulting work hews closely to its biblical source, but some creative liberties were taken. The character of Abimélech, for example, derives from a separate section of the Bible and has no connection to the story of Samson. Most crucially—especially for the events of Act II—Lemaire and Saint-Saëns frame the titular characters as former lovers who reunite in the opera. What ensues is thus the culmination of a romantic drama that far precedes the action depicted on stage.

The Story

ACT I

Gaza, 1150 B.C.E.

The Israelites sing a sorrowful prayer. They are enslaved to the Philistines and beg God for relief from their torment. Yet Samson, their leader, tells them not to lose hope. When the Philistine commander Abimélech denounces the Israelites and their God, Samson kills him and leads his people away. Under Samson’s leadership, the Israelites stage a revolt and burn the Philistines’ crops. The High Priest of Dagon comes from the Philistine temple and curses Samson’s strength. A group of priestesses, including Dalila, Samson’s former lover, emerges from the temple, and Dalila invites Samson to come to her nearby dwelling that night. An Old Hebrew warns Samson to be careful and resist Dalila’s seductive charm.

ACT II

Dalila, filled with thoughts of revenge, sits in front of her house. The High Priest arrives to speak with her. He offers any price for her help, though she has no desire for money—vengeance is payment enough. She knows Samson will visit her that very night, and she tells the High Priest to lie in wait with his soldiers. Under cover of darkness, Samson arrives and confesses his love to Dalila, who replies with a soaring declaration of her own love. She demands proof of Samson’s feelings: He must tell her the secret of his strength. Suddenly, thunder and lightning split the sky. Samson understands the storm as an expression of God’s anger. Furious that Samson has not told her his secret, Dalila heads into her house. After a moment of hesitation, Samson follows her and reveals the source of his strength. At that moment, the Philistine soldiers rush in, violently capturing and blinding Samson.

ACT III

In a dungeon, the sightless Samson pushes a grist mill in a circle, praying for his people, who have once again been enslaved by the Philistines. He hears their voices castigating him.

At the Temple of Dagon, meanwhile, the Philistines have gathered to celebrate Samson’s defeat. The festivities devolve into a bacchanal, and Dalila and the High Priest taunt Samson. Samson is led into the temple by a servant boy and forced to kneel to Dagon. He asks the boy to bring him to a pillar supporting the roof of the temple, where he can rest. Samson prays to God to restore his strength, and with a mighty effort he pulls down the pillars and the temple, crushing himself and his foes.

Timeline

The Creation of Samson et Dalila

1835
Camille Saint-Saëns is born in Paris on October 9. The child’s extraordinary musical gifts are evident from an early age; he receives his first music lessons from his maternal grandmother at the age of three and can read music before he can read words. 

1846
At only ten years old, Saint-Saëns makes his debut as a pianist at the Salle Pleyel, one of the most important concert halls in Paris. 

1848
Saint-Saëns enters the Paris Conservatory, where he studies piano, organ, and composition. Hector Berlioz and Franz Liszt, two of the most important composers of the day, express their amazement at the young boy’s talent. Three decades later, Liszt will play a pivotal role in the creation of Samson et Dalila. 

1857
Saint-Saëns is hired as chief organist at the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene (or La Madeleine), a majestic church in the center of Paris. He will remain in the post for 20 years. 

1867
Saint-Saëns continues to compose despite his busy schedule as an organist. His cantata Les Noces de Prométhée wins the composition prize of the Grande Fête Internationale du Travail et de l’Industrie (the World’s Fair of Work and Industry). The jury includes some of the most famous composers in the world: Berlioz, Giuseppe Verdi, Gioachino Rossini, Charles Gounod, and Daniel-François-Esprit Auber. 

Around this time, Saint-Saëns approaches the poet Ferdinand Lemaire about crafting a libretto for an oratorio. The young poet suggests collaborating on an opera instead, one based on the story of Samson and Delilah. Saint-Saëns is thrilled with the idea and begins composing right away. Unfortunately, he gets little encouragement from his friends, who find the opera’s music incomprehensible, and Saint-Saëns abandons the project.

1870
At a centennial celebration for the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, Saint-Saëns once again crosses paths with Liszt. When Saint-Saëns mentions his abandoned opera on Samson and Delilah, Liszt encourages him to complete the work.

1876
Saint-Saëns finally finishes composing Samson et Dalila. Unfortunately, he cannot find an opera house in Paris willing to host the premiere. Operas based on biblical subjects are considered taboo in France, and the Parisian producers have no desire to run afoul of censors. 

1877
In contrast to the Parisian impresarios, Liszt, who lives in the German city of Weimar, is tremendously enthusiastic about Saint-Saëns’s new opera. He organizes Samson et Dalila’s premiere at Weimar’s Grand Ducal Theater on December 2, where it is performed in German. 

1890
Samson et Dalila receives its first performance in France, in the city of Rouen. It is finally performed in Paris in October, almost 13 years after its premiere. 

1892
Samson et Dalila receives its New York premiere in concert form, with the singers performing in front of the orchestra rather than onstage with scenery and costumes. 

1921
Saint-Saëns dies on December 16 in Algiers. His body is returned to Paris, and his funeral is celebrated at La Madeleine, where Saint-Saëns spent his career as an organist. He is buried in his family’s tomb in the city’s Montparnasse Cemetery, where his grave may still be visited today.