Composer Augusta Holmès (Dalila), painter Henri Regnault (Samson), and Romain Bussine (High Priest) rendered their roles from part books.

[2] In spite of many precedents, the French public reacted negatively to Saint-Saëns's intention of putting a Biblical subject on the stage.

Viardot was a great admirer of the work and she hoped that this private performance would encourage Halanzier, the director of the Paris Opéra who was in attendance, to mount a full production.

Although Saint-Saëns completed the score in 1876, no opera houses in France displayed any desire to stage Samson et Dalila.

The libretto was duly translated into German for the production and the opera's first performance was given on 2 December 1877 at the Grossherzogliches Theatre (Grand Ducal Theater).

Viardot was too old to sing Delilah so the role was entrusted to Auguste von Müller, a resident performer at the Weimar opera house.

[1] After the numerous setbacks it suffered in its early years, Samson et Dalila finally began to attract the attention of the world's great opera houses during the 1890s.

The Paris Opéra finally staged the opera on 23 November 1892 in a performance under the supervision of Saint-Saëns conducted by Édouard Colonne with Blanche Deschamps-Jéhin as Dalila and Edmond Vergnet as Samson.

This was followed by the opera's United States premiere at Carnegie Hall in a concert version on 24 March 1892 by the Oratorio Society of New York, conducted by Walter Damrosch.

The first of many productions at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City was held on 2 February 1895, with Eugenia Mantelli as Dalila, Francesco Tamagno as Samson, and Pol Plançon portraying both Abimélech and the Old Hebrew.

The opera was given in Venice at the Teatro La Fenice on 8 March 1893 with Elisa Persini as Dalila and Augusto Brogi as Samson.

This was followed by its first performance at the Teatro Regio di Torino on 6 January 1897 with Alice Cucini and Irma De Spagni alternating as Dalila and Hector Dupeyron as Samson.

[3] Subsequently, Paul Franz replaced Fontaine in the protagonist's role, earning the composer's praise for both the quality of his voice and his interpretation.

In North America, French contralto Jeanne Gerville-Réache is largely credited for popularizing the work in the United States and Canada during the early twentieth century.

[7] More recent productions of the opera by the Metropolitan have been in 2006, with Marina Domashenko and Olga Borodina alternating as Delilah,[8] and in 2018 with Elīna Garanča and Roberto Alagna.

The company has revived the work numerous times since then, most recently in their 2003/2004 season with Olga Borodina as Dalila and José Cura as Samson.

[1] A square in Gaza at night In a square outside the temple of Dagon, a group of Hebrews beg Jehovah for relief from their bondage to the Philistines in a melancholy chorus ("Dieu d'Israël – God of Israel"), which leads into a fugue ("Nous avons vu nos cités renversées – We have seen our cities overturned").

[1] Samson tries to revive the Israelites' morale and faith in God ("Arrêtez, ô mes frères – Stop, O my brothers") in a rousing aria set against the chorus's continuous prayer.

He responds with a further curse that alludes to his plot to utilize Dalila's beauty to outwit Samson's strength ("Qu'enfin une compagne infâme trahisse son amour!

Dalila engages seductively with Samson proclaiming that he has won her heart and bids him to come with her to her home in the valley of Sorek.

In an attempt to seduce Samson away from his leadership of the Israelite uprising, Dalila and the priestesses begin a sexually charged dance for him accompanied by a tambourine.

His warning, however, is made in vain and the curtain closes as Samson meets Dalila's gaze with every intention of going to her nearby dwelling.

He attempts to achieve Samson's capture by offering Dalila gold, but she refuses saying she cares not for money but only for revenge.

Samson, intent on taking his place as the leader of the Hebrew revolt, emerges to say his last farewell as distant lightning is once again seen.

introduces her main aria "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix – My heart opens to your voice", which becomes a duet on the second verse when Samson joins her in song.

Now that Dalila has him in her power, she feigns disbelief in his constancy and demands that he show his love by confiding in her the secret of his strength.

Overcome with remorse, Samson offers his life in sacrifice, while the Hebrews are heard in the distance lamenting his fate.

When the priests try to force him to kneel before Dagon, he asks the boy to lead him to the two main pillars of the temple, then telling the child to flee.