MET OPERA IN HD SEASON 7: Camille Saint-Saëns’s SAMSON ET DALILA

PRESENTED BY:

The Cultural Center of the Philippines

with the Metropolitan Opera of New York, the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc. and

Ayala Malls Cinemas

DATE/TIME/VENUE:

February 7, 2023 | 5:30 PM

Estimated HD Runtime: 3 hours, 44 minutes

CCP at Greenbelt Cinema

Greenbelt 3 Cinema 1, Makati City

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Saint-Saëns’s biblical epic stars mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and tenor Roberto Alagna in the title roles; Live in HD audiences last saw the pair together in the acclaimed 2010 transmission of Bizet’s Carmen.  Bass-baritone Laurent Naouri co-stars as the High Priest, with baritone Elchin Azizov as the Philistine king Abimélech and bass Dmitry Belosselskiy as the Old Hebrew.  Darko Tresnjak, the Tony Award–winning director of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, makes his debut directing the first new Met production of the opera in 20 years.  Sir Mark Elder conducts.

About Met Opera in HD

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Met Opera is back at the theater as the Cultural Center of the Philippines relaunches the MET OPERA IN HD SEASON 7 in cooperation with the Metropolitan Opera of New York, Filipinas Opera Society Foundation Inc., and Ayala Cinemas. The Metropolitan Opera in HD is a series of screenings of the latest performances by the Metropolitan Opera of New York, delivered in high-definition video and Dolby Surround Sound.

TICKET INFORMATION:

Ticket Price: Php 450 (Regular)

Php 100 (Student / 35 years old and below)

Visit the ticket booth or book your tickets at www.sureseats.com.

SYNOPSIS:

ACT I

Gaza, 1150 B.C. In a square in Gaza, a group of Hebrews beg Jehovah for relief from their bondage to the Philistines; Samson, their leader, rebukes them for their lack of faith. When the Philistine commander, Abimélech, denounces the Hebrews and their God, Samson kills him and leads the Hebrews away. The High Priest of Dagon comes from the Philistine temple and curses Samson’s prodigious strength, leaving with the slain man’s bier. An Old Hebrew praises the returning Samson. The outer walls of the temple disappear to reveal Samson’s former lover, the Philistine woman Dalila, who invites him to come that night to her nearby dwelling. She and her maidens dance seductively for Samson, who becomes deaf to the Old Hebrew’s dour prophecies.

ACT II

In the vale of Sorek, Dalila calls on her gods to help her ensnare and disarm Samson, promising the High Priest to find a way to render the hero powerless. Samson appears, passionate in spite of himself; when 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, weeping when he refuses. Samson hears rolling thunder as a warning from God but cannot resist following Dalila inside. Not long afterward, having finally learned that the secret of Samson’s strength is his long hair, she calls to hidden Philistine soldiers, who rush in to capture and blind Samson.

ACT III

In a dungeon at Gaza, the sightless Samson pushes a grist mill in a circle, praying for his people, who will suffer for his sin. He hears their voices castigating him.

During a bacchanal in the Temple of Dagon, Dalila and the High Priest taunt Samson. When they force him to kneel to Dagon, he asks a boy to lead him to the two main pillars of the temple. Samson prays to Jehovah to restore his strength, and with a mighty effort he pulls down the pillars and the temple, crushing himself and his foes.