Saint-Saëns Samson et Dalila had a rather rocky road to start with.  In Paris at the time of its composition (1876) it was considered to be too Wagnerian and more oratorio than opera; both accusations having some merit.  It finally premiered in Weimar in 1877 but it didn’t hit the Paris stage until 1890 and even then it wasn’t at Opéra de Paris.  In some ways it’s odd because essentially all the elements of grand opera are there including plenty of ballet and spectacle and a plot from an approved source!

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