A chiaroscuro-free, shiny Samson et Dalila at The Met

By Robert Levine, 25 September 2018

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“in going for the big, MGM-musical approach, the characters found little nuance”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: Metropolitan Opera House, New York City on 24 September 2018

Saint-Saëns, Samson et Dalila

Metropolitan Opera

Sir Mark Elder, Conductor

Darko Tresnjak, Director

Alexander Dodge, Set Designer

Linda Cho, Costume Designer

Elīna Garanča, Dalila

Roberto Alagna, Samson

Elchin Azizov, Abimélech

Laurent Naouri, High Priest of Dagon

Dmitry Belosselskiy, The Old Hebrew

Austin McCormick, Choreography

The Metropolitan Opera Chorus

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

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Robert Levine

Robert T. Levine is a New York born-and-bred music writer with a particular interest in music for the voice. His work has appeared in many periodicals and newspapers. He is the author of many books, including The Story of the Orchestra, four volumes in the Black Dog & Leventhal Opera Library, and, most recently, Maria Callas: A Musical Biography.