We take a look at what is being said about Richard Jones’s production, playing until the 3rd June.
Broadway World: *** “Saint-Saëns’ music is still fantastic and performed to perfection by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Royal Opera Chorus under Alexander Soddy’s baton, and the cast is equally outstanding. Korean tenor SeokJong Baek – who reprises his role as Samson – maintains a sweet, warm fullness in the lower registers and adds sweetness in the top with a masterful control throughout. He is paired well with Aigul Akhmetshina’s mezzo-soprano; technically masterful and full of beautiful character, her rendition of ‘Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix’ is nothing short of stunning.”
The Guardian: *** “Under Alexander Soddy, the orchestra was polished. There were some wonderfully voluptuous wind solos and the strings periodically dug deep, though the Act 3 storm never exceeded mild peril. The chorus was exquisitely blended in its unaccompanied offstage turns and fearless in its mid-energy line dance to the famous Bacchanale.”
Bachtrack.com: *** “Saint-Saëns’ choral writing is one of the highlights of the work and the ROH Chorus was in tremendous voice, particularly in the “Hymne de joie”. In the pit, Alexander Soddy conducted the orchestra in a performance that was, at times, somewhat shy; while never overwhelming his singers, there were times when a little more thrust would have lifted the production. Overall, a mixed evening, but with coups and counter-coups, an appropriate opera to see in the current political climes! “
The Arts Desk: *** “World class principals can’t quite fix a disjointed spectacle.”
MusicOMH: ***** “Aigul Akhmetshina is a magnificent Dalila and SeokJong Baek a compelling Samson in a revival as timely as it is thrilling.”
The Observer: “SeokJong Baek and Aigul Akhmetshina excel in Richard Jones’s sharp take on the ancient battle between faith and greed. “
The Stage: **** “Exceptional leads SeokJong Baek and Aigul Akhmetshina stand out in Richard Jones’ production of Saint-Saëns’ Biblical opera.”
Theatre News.com: **** “The ROH has brought the opera back after a shortish interval but it is an exciting revival, and the vast statue of the Philistine god, Dagon, portrayed as a giant comic book horror, laughs ghoulishly in his temple as Samson pleads for help from his God. Especial praise to, for the chorus under chorus director, William Spaulding, who play such an important part in making sure the Saint-Saens music reaches every corner of the opera house.”
London Unattached: **** “The ending of Samson et Dalila is undoubtedly a coup-de-theatre, eliciting gasps from the audience and genuinely bringing the house down on a production that is one of the best evenings of crowd-pleasing operatic entertainment I’ve seen for a long time.”
Express.co.uk: *** “The exception to this lies in the glorious singing and acting of the title roles, South Korean tenor SeokJong Baek and Russian soprano Aigul Akhmetshina. Unusually for a tenor, Baek began his operatic career as a baritone but exploited his impressive higher range, retraining as a tenor. Usually, transition is in the other direction as a voice deepens with age, but Baek now demonstrates an impressive versatility for both sonorous low notes and romantic upper register.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.rbo.org.uk/production/samson-et-dalila-richard-jones