SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 03/05/2005
de Billy; Cura, Graves, Lafont
SID.19100530
This might be OK as a video, but not much aural delight in my view. Contrary to the Met Data base, the Dalis Thomas Bacquier 1964 performance has been on Sirius, but the 1972 with McCracken and Bumbry has not. It is Bumbry’s only Met broadcast of the role, and if Baudo is not as exciting as Pretre in this music (who is?) , it’s one of McCracken’s best parts as well.
Samson…………………José Cura
Dalila…………………Denyce Graves
High Priest…………….Jean-Philippe Lafont
Abimélech………………James Courtney
Old Hebrew……………..Robert Lloyd
Philistine……………..Bernard Fitch
Philistine……………..Richard Hobson
Messenger………………Tony Stevenson
Conductor………………Bertrand de Billy
Production……………..Elijah Moshinsky
Designer……………….Richard Hudson
Lighting designer……….Duane Schuler
Choreographer…………..Graeme Murphy
Stage Director………….Peter McClintock