from Act I of the French opera
Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns
Libretto: Ferdinand Lemaire
Role: Samson, the leader of the Israelites
Voice Part: tenor Fach: dramatic tenor/heldentenor
Setting: the public square of Gaza, ancient Palestine
Synopsis: After the satrap of Gaza, Abimélech, denounces the god of the enslaved Israelites, Samson encourages the slaves to rise up against their Philistine masters and trust in the Lord's power to set them free.