Reviews for CD 2273-74 Samson et Dalila
Gramophone – August 2004
The 1936 Met Samson et Dalila is the real thing - adorned by the Swedish mezzo Gertrud Wettergren's seductive, beautifully sung Dalila and the Belgian tenor Rene Maison's impassioned Samson, with Pinza in fine form as the High Priest and highly charged conducting from Maurice Abravenel. Given its age, the newly remastered sound is amazing. As a bonus there are some 78s extracts from the early 1930's, some of them appearing for the first time, of Act 3 scene 2, with Cezar Vezzani as an even more heroic, involving Samson than Maison. The little known veteran mezzo Maria Duchesne gives an object-lesson in french style. This is an issue not to be missed at budget price.
Alan Blyth
MusicWeb – July 2004
Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
Samson et Dalila opera in three acts (1877)
Samson, René Maison (ten); Dalila, Gertrud Wettergren (mezzo); High Priest, Ezio
Pinza (bass); Abimelech, John Gurney (ten); Old Hebrew, Emmanuel List (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, New York/Maurice Abravanel
Rec. from Live Broadcast, December 26th 1936
Plus: César Vezzani, (ten) and Marie Duchêne (mezzo) Act 2 scene 3
César Vezzani in the ‘Mill Scene’
Recorded around 1930
GUILD HISTORICAL IMMORTAL PERFORMANCES SERIES GHCD 2273-2274 [76.05 + 78.48]
Saint-Saëns considered the role of Dalila so central to the plot that he is said
to have thought of calling the opera after her. Her two arias from Act 2 had
been heard in private performance five years before the staging of this the
composer’s first opera. Samson and Dalila was first conceived, in the 1860s, as
an oratorio. However, it was championed in Germany as an opera and received its
first performance, sung in German, on December 2nd 1877 conducted by
Liszt. The Paris premiere was given at a minor theatre in 1890 and met with
great success,. It was introduced to the more prestigious ‘Paris Opera’ two
years later and garnered over one hundred performances in the following five
years. It was anticipating its five hundredth airing at the time of the
composer’s death in 1921 (booklet note pp.5-6). Following concert performances
in New York it was first presented at the ‘Met’ in 1895. The theatre opened its
1915-1916 season with a new production featuring Caruso as Samson. The
performance on these discs features the conducting of Maurice Abravanel making
his Met debut at the age of 33, then the youngest conductor in the company’s
history. However, he only conducted at the theatre for two seasons finding the
restrictive rehearsal times inimical to the realisation of his musical vision.
His interpretation as represented here is musical and well shaped, giving both
lyrical and dramatic impetus. Some commentators (p.12) have found his
interpretation to be the most persuasive and vibrant on disc. Given the
relatively thin orchestral sound I would not be so definitive. After all, the
work has drawn interpretations from several notable conductors in the past forty
years or so, and their superior sound gives far greater impact to the work’s
often heavily-scored and complex music.
Of the singing, the most distinguished comes from Ezio Pinza as the High Priest. A baritone normally sings this role, but I must say that Pinza’s steady, sonorous,
tightly focused singing (CD1 tr. 22) gives the part the importance it deserves.
When the High Priest taunts Samson to sing to the Philistines of his lover (CD2
tr. 16) he is particularly effective. I do not find René Maison’s Samson all
that vocally appealing. As one would expect of a Belgian-born singer his French
is excellent and his diction is such as to express the nuances of the words.
However, his dramatic tenor does not lay easily on my ears. He has a tendency to
squeeze the note as he puts pressure on the voice (CD 1 tr. 29). Elsewhere he
becomes unduly lachrymose. Much of what Maison lacks in style and tone can be
heard in the singing of César Vezzani in the appendix which includes Act 2 scene
3 and the ‘Mill Scene’ from Act 3 (CD 2 trs. 22-32 and particularly the last
three). The comparisons can be extended to that between the lyric mezzo of the
Swede Gertrud Wettergren and the fuller-toned Marie Duchêne. Certainly
Wettergren embarks on ‘Mon Coeur s’ouvre à ta voix’ (CD 2 tr. 2) steadily and
with appealing phrasing, but there is no great sense of the meaning of the
words. The same is true whether she is tempting Samson (CD 1 tr. 17) or haggling
with the High Priest. At the end of the day her voice lacks the ideal weight of
tone and sexual sensuousness that is essential to the role.
Richard Caniell is open regarding the interpolation of missing words at
disc breaks in the originals and also groove defects that are audible in the
passage succeeding the Act 3 ballet. I have not been able to compare the
generally acceptable sound here with that on the Walhall issue of the same
performance. This issue is recommendable for Pinza enthusiasts or collectors
drawn to the complete Act 2 scene 2 sung by César Vezzani and Marie Duchêne. It
is claimed (p.22) to be the first time this has been available on LP or CD.
Robert Farr
International Record Review – December 04
This Samson et Dalila from 1936 from the Met has tremendous conducting from Maurice Abravanel, one of the most underrated of opera conductors, and rather a distinguished cast. But Gertrud Wettergren, though rich of voice, doesn't manage to sound seductive. Her big scene with Samson generates little heat. Rene Maison
is admirably suited to Samson, though surely even a blinded hero wouldn't sound
quite so lachrymose. Pinza is a magnificently imposing High Priest. More
valuable is the filler: excerpts, mainly unpublished, of Act 2 scene 3 and the
Mill Scene, with the immensely impressive César Vezzani and the adequate Marie
Duchêne -it's always well worth looking to see what such labels as Guild fill
the last disc of a set with, since it's often the thing that makes it most
desirable.
Michael Tanner
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