Camille SaintSaens Sir Colin Davis Joseacute Cura - SaintSans Samson Dalila Cura Borodina Lafont Lloyd Silins Sir Colin Davis (31 tracks) +Album Reviews

Search - Camille Saint-Saens, Sir Colin Davis, José Cura :: Saint-Saëns - Samson & Dalila / Cura, Borodina, Lafont, Lloyd, Silins, Sir Colin Davis

Camille Saint-Saens, Sir Colin Davis, José Cura
Saint-Saëns - Samson & Dalila / Cura, Borodina, Lafont, Lloyd, Silins, Sir Colin Davis
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
1. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 1: 'Dieu! Dieu d'Israel! Ecoute la priere'
2. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 1: 'Un jour, de nous tu detournas la face'
3. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 1: 'Arretez, o mes freres!' - (Samson)
4. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 1: 'L'as-tu donc oublie, celui dont la puissance' -(Samson)
5. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 2: 'Qui donc eleve ici la voix?' - (Abimelech)
6. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 2: 'C'est toi que sa bouche invective' - (Samson) - (Abimelech)
7. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 3: 'Que vois-je? Abimelech!' - (La Grand-Pretre)
8. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 4: 'Seigneur! La troupe furieuse' - (La Grand-Pretre)
9. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 5: 'Hymne de joie, Hymne de delivrance' - (Un vieillard hebreu)
10. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 6: 'Voici le printemps nous portant des fleurs'
11. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 6: 'Je viens celebrer la victoire' - (Dalila) - (Samson) - (Un vieillard hebreu)
12. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 6: Danse des pretresses de Dagon
13. Samson And Dalila: Act 1, Scene 6: 'Printemps qui commence' - (Dalila) - (Un vieillard hebreu)
Track Listings (18) - Disc #2
1. Samson And Delila: Act 2: Prelude
2. Samson And Delila: Act 2, Scene 1: 'Samson, recherchant ma presence' - (Dalila)
3. Samson And Delila: Act 2, Scene 2: 'J'ai gravi la montagne' - (Le Grand-Pretre) - (Dalila)
4. Samson And Delila: Act 2, Scene 2: 'Qu'importe a Dalila ton or?' - (Dalila) - (Le Grand-Pretre)
5. Samson And Delila: Act 2, Scene 2: 'Il faut, pour assouvir ma haine' - (Dalila) - (Le Grand-Pretre)
6. Samson And Delila: Act 2, Scene 2: 'Samson, me disais-tu, dans ces lieux' - (Le Grand-Pretre) - (Dalila)
7. Samson And Delila: Act 2, Scene 3: 'En ces lieux, malgre moi' - (Samson) - (Dalila)
8. Samson And Delila: Act 2, Scene 3: 'Qu'importe a mon coeur desole' - (Dalila) - (Samson)
9. Samson And Delila: Act 2, Scene 3: 'Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix' - (Dalila) - (Samson)
10. Samson And Delila: Act 2, Scene 3: 'Mais!... Non! que dis-je?' - (Dalila) - (Samson)
11. Samson And Delila: Act 3, Scene 1: 'Vois ma misere, helas! vois ma detresse!' - (Samson)
12. Samson And Delila: Act 3, Scene 2: 'L'aube qui blanchit deja les coteaux'
13. Samson And Delila: Act 3, Scene 2: Bacchanale
14. Samson And Delila: Act 3, Scene 3: 'Salut! Salut au juge d'Israel' - (Le Grand-Pretre) - (Samson)
15. Samson And Delila: Act 3, Scene 3: 'Laisse-moi prendre ta main' - (Dalila)
16. Samson And Delila: Act 3, Scene 3: 'Allons, Samson, divertis-nous' - (Le Grand-Pretre) - (Samson)
17. Samson And Delila: Act 3, Scene 3: 'Viens, Dalila, rendre grace a nos dieux' - (Le Grand-Pretre) - (Dalila)
18. Samson And Delila: Act 3, Scene 3: 'Guidez ses pas vers le milieu du temple' - (Le Grand-Pretre) - (Samson) - (Dalila)

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CD Details

All Artists: Camille Saint-Saens, Sir Colin Davis, José Cura, Olga Borodina, London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Title: Saint-Saëns - Samson & Dalila / Cura, Borodina, Lafont, Lloyd, Silins, Sir Colin Davis
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Elektra / Wea
Release Date: 11/3/1998
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera & Classical Vocal
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 639842475624

Synopsis

Amazon.com

Samson et Dalila is having a renaissance, and not because it's great music. Though there are patches of seductive stuff, the opera is being pressed into service for the growing number of acclaimed mezzo-sopranos, since the role of Dalila is one of the few 19th-century star vehicles for that voice type. This recording boasts the vocally resplendent Russian mezzo Olga Borodina, but tenor Jose Cura is the dominant presence, heard here in his strongest operatic recording yet. While his voice has been known to go slack at lower volumes, he seems uniformly secure. His characterization also has all the necessary heroism, along with thoughtful, touching pianissimos after Samson loses his strength. Borodina isn't as electrifying here as in her live Metropolitan Opera telecast (she's often too careful in the recording studio) but is often close to ideal. Minor roles are vocally patchy. But conductor Colin Davis, the real star of the set, gives this opera the same shimmering aura of his great Berlioz interpretations, as if this were a poor man's Les Troyens. Shimmer comes courtesy of the fine London Symphony Orchestra and the slightly-too-reverberant recording venue, Walthamstow Assembly Hall. --David Patrick Stearns

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CD Reviews

Wonderfully Sung Samson

Mary Neuhoff | Los Angeles, CA USA | 06/19/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jose Cura's powerfully portrayed, many-hued Samson has pushed this opera back up to a high rank among my favorites. Yes, folks, you indeed could hear his softer passages in Turin and Washington just like they're sung here. Olga Borodina's performance is lush, if one-dimensional--such a gorgeous voice! The other singers and the chorus are fine, the orchestra under Sir Colin Davis bright and crisp. But just Cura alone is worth the price of the set."

A recording that has to be in any collection.

William Thon | Granada Hills, CA USA | 10/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Many of the recordings of Samson have been made with weak orchestra backing. Finally Sir Colin has given us the proper recording this great work deserves. Song Thirteen on disk two is perfection. As well as being one of the greatest instrumental parts ever written. Jose's voice is splendid."

Terrific character casting of voices.

Mary Neuhoff | 05/10/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Miss Borodina not only possesses a lush voice, but fulfills the dramatic requirement of convincing Samson of her sincerity, while of course being his political enemy and betrayer. Mr. Cura is able to convey with his voice alone the many sides of Samson: hero and leader, lover, wounded soul, and strong in his faith at the end. So, until there's a video to review, these leads offer an exicitng audio portrayal."

Glorious Samson

Chad Stevenson | NY, USA | 04/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I prefer Cura's Samson to Domingo's Samson. I think that Cura's recorded Samson has a more beautiful voice than Domingo's. Sir Colin Davis shows himself the top exponent of Samson today. his conducting has improved tremendously over the previous set. And Borodina must have the most beautiful Mezzo voice since Christa Ludwig. What a pity that this set is going out of print. I wouldn't miss this chance if I were you."

The Quiet Desperation and Beauty of "Samson et Dalila"

Michael D. Villecco | Fort Lauderdale, Florida United States | 10/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I guess I consider Camille Saint-Saens Biblical work to be one of my favorite opera's. Perhaps because it was the first opera I was exposed to as a 6th grader when I first saw it in Binghamton, New York's Tri-Cities Opera. It was this exposure that opened the world of opera up to me, and this was the seedling. It is with great esteem that I rate the wonderful recording done by Sir Colin Davis with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and the recording opens with powerful and moving music written particularly for a big chorus and orchestra. In fact, "Samson" was originally written as an orotario, and the large "cathedral" style music is what overwhelmes the listener. It is the moving chorus of the Hebrews in bondage that sets the tone for the music that follows. Jose Cura delivers with utter masculinity the vocal portrayal of "Samson", yet is able to soften throughout this score as required to meet the demands of a love that is torturing him in his relationship with the Philistine priestess "Dalila". He is pulled by both his political duty to the Hebrews and his obsessive attraction to his enemy's temptress Dalila. Olga Borodina sings the mezzo-soprano role with conviction and definitely means to break down Samson. Her only weakness in the score is the percieved inability in her vocal interpretation to convey any true feelings of the love that she is so trying to convince him of. Three particular parts of the score are noteworthy of mention, one being the opening chorus and orchestra, "Dieu! Dieu d'Israel! Ecoute la priere", second, Dalila's aria in Act II, "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" and lastly, Samson's quietly desperate "Vois ma misere, helas! vois ma detresse!" of Act III. I highly recommend this newest recording of "Samson et Dalila" to be added to your collection. It is wonderfully done and only mirrors the early recordings done by Jon Vickers and Rita Gorr, not to mention the recording done by Jose Carreras and Agnes Baltsa. Please take time to listen to this beautifully done interpretation by one of the greatest French classical composers."