Samson et Dalila

Saint-Saëns’s sweeping retelling of the story of Samson and Delilah has long been a vehicle for star singers on the Met stage. In this Saturday matinee radio broadcast from the 2018–19 season, tenor Gregory Kunde and mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili take on the title roles, delivering explosive performances as the embattled biblical lovers. Bass-baritone Laurent Naouri sings the sinister High Priest of Dagon, with baritone Tomasz Konieczny as the sneering Abimélech and bass Günther Groissböck as the wise Old Hebrew. Sir Mark Elder leads the kaleidoscopic score, which includes a number of rousing choruses and the famously sensual Bacchanale in the final scene.