When Melbourne Opera’s (MO) Suzanne Chaundy directs, she does so with consistent admiration of and honesty to the source material. In French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ operatic telling of the widely-known biblical story of Samson & Delilah, that approach shines through in a compelling, tasteful and judiciously realised new production.
That it’s bejewelled by two titans of Australian opera – tenor Rosario La Spina and mezzo-soprano Deborah Humble in the titular roles – is a drawcard in itself. That all solo roles are excellently filled along with a thrilling sounding chorus to music of ravishing beauty makes it a smorgasbord of aural pleasure.
As the only opera by Saint-Saëns that is performed with some degree of regularity, Samson & Delilah was originally intended to be composed as an oratorio. It was Saint-Saëns’ librettist Ferdinand Lemaire who encouraged him to pen an opera – what became a grand opera of three acts and four scenes premiering in 1877.
Concerning the Hebrew hero Samson who is seduced by the Philistine Delilah, who seeks revenge and deceives him into revealing the secret of his strength – his hair – it’s a complex and challenging work to stage.
Fancy having to contend with creating the final cataclysmic moment when Samson, blinded and depraved of power, prays for strength and brings down the Temple of Dagon, killing himself and his enemies.
Chaundy comes to the party with grand efficiency in a semi-staged affair that leans into the work’s oratorio-like bones with a handsomely decorated affair for its two performance run.
The MO Orchestra span the mid section of the stage, nestled behind a central circular platform from which a ramp either side disappears to the wings for entry and exits. But the simple, striking feature of Jacob Battista’s stage design is the two enormous squared pillars rising to the fly tower – symbolising the Temple of Dagon – which act as a prominent canvas for subtle changes in Harrison Cope’s overall umbral lighting design.
Not so subtle are the strobe-like flashes of light that cut through the pillars when Samson destroys the temple – highly effective but a lengthier time it could last!
The story’s approximate 1150 BC setting in Gaza is relayed with a lovely limited palette incorporating gold and purple with the chorus of Hebrews and Philistines draped in black as part of Rose Chong’s theatrical collection of costumes.
The total effect offers a raft of visual drama. Within Lemaire’s text there’s drama too, perhaps no more evident than what echoes in today’s world with shouts of “Death to the Hebrews!”. Delilah represents everything that is abhorrent about the conflict that persists in Gaza to this day. Thoughts might turn to how regietheater would handle Saint-Saëns’ work and how affecting that could be.
Back in BC and in a towering performance, La Spina brings enormity of character and expression to Samson. He knows the work well. In 2002 he played the bit-role Philistine Messenger in his La Scala debut alongside Plácido Domingo’s Samson which was thrilling to witness. More than two decades later, La Spina’s requisite heroic strength, his golden-glowing and passionate tenor and astute acting style elevates the narrative robustly.
Adorning one of opera’s lesser utilised voice parts in a title role, Humble also impresses with her dark, cavernous mezzo-soprano and touches of elegant upper register vocal beauty, dispensing notes that dance as if on silken threads.
Humble enters in a Pre-Raphaelite-like picture of dreamy softness with six dancing priestesses, going on to frame Delilah’s enticing Act 1 aria gorgeously, Printemps qui commence (Spring begins), in which she sings of spring blossoming but feels like it’s winter in her heart.
While attempts to seduce feel confusingly forced – Delilah after all is feigning her love for Samson – Humble is in her element as she manipulates Samson in Act 2’s Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix (Softly awakes my heart), with the blood boiling when he initially refuses to tell her the secret of his strength.
Making a hugely impactful MO debut, resonant bass-baritone Jeremy Kleeman’s stage time as Abimelech, a governor of Gaza, is sadly and abruptly cut by a slit to the throat.
Eddie Muliaumaseali’i portrays a sage-like aura in his evenly calm and sonorous bass as the Old Hebrew, and Simon Meadows gives a punishingly powerful performance as the High Priest, dishing out an array of villainous baritone splendour with it.
Asher Reichman makes the most of his small part as the Messenger, sporting a tenor of notable clarity and vigour, while Henry Shaw and Josh Erdelyi Gotz round out the raft of exceptional male voices as Philistine guards.
The MO Chorus are sublime in their music whether they sing out from the rear in choir formation or assemble in the fore-stage showing depth of expression.
To Saint-Saëns’s atmospheric veils of ballet music, the dancers lack a little bewitching conviction in their execution but they convey the seduction of love nonetheless.
Driving it all from the centre stage, conductor Raymond Lawrence provides masterful balance across orchestral parts and the MO Orchestra delivers a wondrously melodious score. The problematic area, however, is the tendency for the sound to feel suffocated, giving the impression that the singers don’t have the support they need.
Nevertheless, MO have done it again, adding another feather to their cap. And with just one more performance remaining, it’s highly recommended to experience the betrayal, seduction and struggle between spiritual strength and human weakness that you’ll encounter and feel with Samson & Delilah.
Samson & Delilah
Palais Theatre, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda
Performance: Sunday 1 June 2025
Season continues to 3 June 2025
Information and Bookings: www.melbourneopera.com
Images: Simon Meadows (High Priest), Rosario La Spina (Samson) and Deborah Humble (Delilah) in Melbourne Opera’s Samson & Delilah – photo by Robin Halls | Rosario La Spina as Samson – photo by Robin Halls | Deborah Humble as Delilah – photo by Robin Halls
Review: Paul Selar