Elīna Garanča stars in Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila

Star mezzo Elīna Garanča leads the cast opposite Korean tenor SeokJong Baek in Saint-Saëns biblical blockbuster, Samson et Dalila. Originally conceived as a staged cantata, the work features monumental choruses as well as celebrated arias (Dalila's "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix", for example), and culminates, after the wild Bacchanale, in a cataclysmic final scene. Richard Jones's 2022 production at London's Royal Opera House calls upon multiple visual references to underline the work's drama and conflicts. Antonio Pappano brings out the best in Saint-Säens's melodious score – at once sensuous, imposing and evocative – while the Royal Opera's famed chorus brings impressive grandeur to the set pieces.

Soloists: 

SeokJong Baek (Tenor), Elīna Garanča (Mezzo-Soprano), Lukasz Golinski (Bass-Baritone), Goderdzi Janelidze (Bass), Blaise Malaba (Bass)

Ensembles: 

Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Conductor: 

Antonio Pappano