Extracts from live Historic Opera Performances from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Samson et Dalila Metropolitan Opera 1941
Rise Stevens as Dalila
Risë Stevens recently celebrated her 98th birthday so I thought it would be fitting to post one of her most famous roles, Dalila in Samson et Dalila. This 1941 aircheck is missing the first ten minutes or so of act 1 and can be noisy at times, but since the opera was not broadcast very much it is a rare document.
Metropolitan Opera House
December 13, 1941 Matinee Broadcast
SAMSON ET DALILA
Samson..................René Maison
Dalila..................Risë Stevens
High Priest.............Leonard Warren
Abimélech...............Norman Cordon
Old Hebrew..............Nicola Moscona
Philistine..............John Dudley
Philistine..............Arthur Kent
Messenger...............Emery Darcy
Dance...................Ruthanna Boris
Dance...................Monna Montes
Dance...................Michael Arshansky
Dance...................Alexis Dolinoff
Dance...................Alexis Kosloff
Dance...................Leon Varkas
What a wonderful artist ... and what a wonderful interpretation of the Dalila role! I've heard Miss Stevens' commercial recordings of S+D, as well as the live ones from New Orleans and several Met Opera broadcasts. All are beautifully done, and spine-tingling in all the key moments like the Act II seduction scene and the final scene in Act III. Thanks for sharing this.
It is nice to hear a Frenchman sing Samson, Stevens is impeccable. Thank you for this and the 1956 Bjoerling, Milanov Tosca You bring back great memories for an old Opera listener.
Sorry, like Poirot, Maison is Belgian. At least his French is excellent.
What a wonderful artist ... and what a wonderful interpretation of the Dalila role! I've heard Miss Stevens' commercial recordings of S+D, as well as the live ones from New Orleans and several Met Opera broadcasts. All are beautifully done, and spine-tingling in all the key moments like the Act II seduction scene and the final scene in Act III. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to hear a Frenchman sing Samson, Stevens is impeccable.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this and the 1956 Bjoerling, Milanov Tosca
You bring back great memories for an old Opera listener.
Sorry, like Poirot, Maison is Belgian.
At least his French is excellent.
would be great if you can upload this again! Thanks...
ReplyDelete