Saint Saens’ opera, “Samson et Dalila,” with Bruna Castagna in the role of the temptress, was presented Tuesday evening by the Cosmopolitan Opera Company at the New York Hippodrome.
In a background of simple but effective settings, the colorful piece, depicting the betrayal of the Jewish hero Samson by the Philistine woman, was given by a cast which included Pasquale Ferara as Samson and Joseph Royer as the High Priest of the Philistine god, Dagon.
The sure, restrained reading given by Madame Castagna to the role, particularly to the famous aria in the second act, brought forth vigorous applause from the large audience.
The bacchanale in the last act and the incidental dances throughout were by a ballet group under the direction of Alexander Yakovleff. Michel Steiman conducted.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.