Roberto Alagna

Opera

Samson et Dalila is a French opera composed by Camille Saint-Saëns

to a libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire. The premiere (in German and on Liszt's initiative)

took place at the Grand Ducal Court Theatre in Weimar on 2 December 1871

under the direction of Eduard Lassen

Performance

Chorégies d'Orange

Samedi 10 juillet 2021

Cast

Dalila - Marie Nicole Lemieux

Samson - Roberto Alagna

Le grand Prêtre de Dagon - Nicolas Cavallier
Abimelech - Julien Véronèse 
Un messager Philistin -  Christophe Berry  
Un vieillard -  Nicolas Courjal

Direction musicale - Yves Abel

Mise en scène - Jean Louis Grinda

Costumes - Agostino Arrivabene

Eclairages - Laurent Castaingt
Chorégraphie - Eugénie Andrin
Vidéo - Étienne Guiol et Arnaud Pottier
Etudes Muicales - Kira Parfeevets
Coordination Chorale - Stefano Visconti

Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France
Chœurs des Opéras Grand Avignon et de Monte-Carlo
Ballets des Opéras Grand Avignon et de Metz

Press Review 

SAMSON AND DALILA SHAKES THE WALLS OF THE ANCIENT THEATRE.

Alagna establishes himself as one of the greatest contemporary interpreters of Samson 

Journal Zibeine - Suzanne Canessa - 13/07/2021

Designed for the 2020 edition, the highly anticipated Samson et Dalila skilfully directed by Jean-Louis Grinda had already won over the Monegasque public in 2018. It only made mincemeat of the Chorégies audience. The ideal cast is obviously a big part of this success. It brings together Roberto Alagna, who has established himself as the greatest contemporary interpreter of Samson, and Marie-Nicole Lemieux, who accompanied him in a concert version three years ago. The chemistry between the two performers remains intact once they are transposed to the stage: on the vast stage of the Théâtre Antique, Alagna's full-bodied timbre and powerful voice, which knows how to go from joy to sobbing in a single note, are wonderfully combined with Lemieux's vast ambitus [...]. This Samson seems barely out of childhood, fascinated by the complicit and sensitive seduction of a warm Dalila [...]".

Kronen Zeitung (Austria) - 14/07/2021 

WHAT A SAMSON! 

Roberto Alagna overshadowed everything. Celebrated as the hero of this gala evening, he interpreted the magnificent role of the heroic tenor with a clear and distinct emission, confident and assured in the upper register. 

TV RELEASE: July 16 on France 5!

(translated from German): "Roberto Alagna, what a Samson! In France, it is a "magical place of opera". The Théâtre Antique in the small Provençal town of Orange is the best preserved open-air arena in the world from 2000 years ago. King Louis XIV called the 37-metre-high Roman wall "the most beautiful wall" in his empire. [...] The Grand Opera "Samson et Dalila" by Camille Saint-Saëns was staged by Jean-Louis Grinda, director of the Festival and the Monte-Carlo Opera, in the tradition, but with respect for the work, with the choirs of the Monte-Carlo Opera and the Avignon Opera. [...] The star tenor Roberto Alagna, who has already sung more than [15] roles in the famous arena, eclipsed everything. He was celebrated as the hero of this gala evening. He sang this magnificent heroic tenor role with a clear and distinct delivery, confident and assured in the upper register."

Opera Actual (Spain) - Alberto Garriga - 14/07/2021

ALAGNA MAKES SAMSON HIS OWN. DAZZLING FROM START TO FINISH

"with naturalness of tone, musicality, valour, courage, simply superb and moving, he establishes his Samson as the current benchmark for the role". 

(translated from Spanish): "Roberto Alagna returns to Orange with a role he has already performed successfully in 2018 for Vienna, Paris and the Met, but which he had not performed again until this summer. [...] The Franco-Italian singer, a good connoisseur of his instrument, was permanently Samson [...] His Samson was dazzling from start to finish, for his characteristic natural timbre, for his musicality, his valour and his courage. In Act 2, he was simply superb and crowned his Act 3 aria "Vois ma misère, helas!" with a prodigious and moving lamentation, setting his Samson as the current reference for the role.

Concertonet.com - Claudio Poloni - 13/07/2021

AN EXCEPTIONAL SAMSON

The show is illuminated by Alagna's sumptuous Samson, who is seductive in every way: impeccable diction, insolent projection, blaring high notes, vehement accents. A fiery and incandescent Samson, at the top of his form. The evening will be remembered for Roberto Alagna's splendid performance.

"An exceptional Samson. Happiness. That's the first word that comes to mind when you enter the Théâtre Antique d'Orange. Happiness to attend an opera performance in a majestic setting after the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the Chorégies d'Orange. [...] The performance of this 2021 edition is illuminated by the sumptuous Samson of Roberto Alagna, who seduces on all the line: irreproachable diction, insolent projection, blaring high notes, vehement accents, the tenor plays a fiery and incandescent Samson, at the best of his form. [...] Jean-Louis Grinda has ensured an extremely fluid and efficient staging of the choristers and singers, skilfully exploiting the setting of the Théâtre antique. Throughout the performance, videos are projected on the wall and the final scene, which sees the destruction of the temple, is particularly impressive. The evening will undoubtedly be remembered for Roberto Alagna's splendid performance. Those who were not lucky enough to attend will be able to see for themselves on 16 July, by watching the show on France 5 "

GB OPERA - Jocelyne de Nicola - 14/07/2021

SUPERB PERFORMANCE

Roberto Alagna - with his wrinkle-free appearance, warm and round voice, very much at ease on the huge stage - imposes his presence, invests himself, transmits his feelings and makes us experience beautiful musical emotions. Beauty of tone, musical phrasing, breath, coloured high notes, perfect diction, sincerity of the song and the character". 

"Roberto Alagna, absent from the Chorégies d'Orange for the last 6 years, finds his way back to this immense stage for the pleasure of all opera lovers. Samson is the role he wanted to interpret here; it is done. His appearance has not aged a bit and his voice remains assertive, warm and round. Always very comfortable on this stage that he knows well, he imposes his presence as soon as he enters and we find, in this tessitura that suits him, all the qualities that have seduced us for many years: beauty of timbre, musical phrasing, breath, coloured high notes in a perfect diction What we also like about the French tenor is the sincerity of his singing and his characters. He invests himself and transmits his feelings to us; we feel him to be a warrior, a victor, tormented by his doubts, weakened by his passion, awakened by his faith. On this immense stage, Roberto Alagna has once again given us beautiful musical emotions and we hope they will not be the last here. [...] A superb performance that brilliantly commemorates the centenary of the composer's death and a guaranteed success.

Tv83 - François Principiano - 13/07/2021

ALAGNA IMPERIAL, dominates the evening

...Incisive and ample diction, perfect emission, valour in the radiant high register, legato, brilliantly held notes, moving incarnation, happy reunion ". 

"Alagna imperial. We will undoubtedly have perceived, in addition to the emotion of the return, a great quality of listening on the part of the public. The tenor Roberto Alagna was highly anticipated. Valiant in the high notes at the end of the two acts "Betrayal" and "In this place" with a bright and held [Bb], he dominated the evening with his perfect French diction (one understands everything he sings) and without a microphone. He embodied the biblical hero with emotion, restraint and a legato that did not give in to easy effects. His delivery was perfect, his diction incisive and ample, recalling the great tradition of French tenors such as George Thill, and his high register radiant. [...] A beautiful lyrical evening, a tribute to French music and singing through a flagship work of the great romantic opera. A happy reunion of an audience with this mythical place and its favourite tenor".

Classiquenews Classiquenews - Ernst Van Beck - 14/07/2021

ALAGNA, VERY CONVINCING as Samson,

shows an intensity that moves, a vulnerable yet supernatural grandeur

"Jean-Louis Grinda's production of Samson et Dalila is a fitting tribute to the Saint-Saëns centenary of 2021. Roberto Alagna is very convincing as Samson, guided by the Angel of Jehova, a human and sadly naive hero, invested with his divine mission, soon defeated by Dalila, a fatal siren, piloted by the Priest of Dagon. Liberator of the Hebrews in spite of everything, Samson / Alagna demonstrates in III, an intensity that convinces and moves, a vulnerable and yet supernatural greatness."

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