Preparing to Meet Samson with José Cura

Corriere della Sera

21 October 1997

Guiseppina Manin

 The 35-year-old Argentinian tenor with a beautiful presence and a wonderful voice, already appreciated in Abbado's Otello, has decided to intensify his visits to the gym. Every day, in addition to the usual vocalizations, he has added a good dose of weights, push-ups and extensions--exercises familiar to him, since before Cura began singing he was an athlete and a martial arts master of karate.

So tonight, at the "premiere" of Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns at Teatro Regio, his muscles, tuned and oiled to the right point, promise to open the eyes of even the most sleepy of spectators. Especially since, at a certain point, he will appear on the stage wrapped only in chains. And nothing else. Do not miss the scene of the destruction of the Temple, with him shaking the columns to ruin in stones and dust. "And so be it," says Cura.  In the meantime, there has been a lot of distance from that biblical-body culture that fueled a lot of imagination and many popular films of the 50s and 60s, from DeMille's blockbuster where Victor Mature displayed his huge chest to impress Dalila to the more traditional Samson of Cinecittà, where Alan Steel swelled his muscles against a series of improbable enemies, including the Black Corsair.

“A divine warrior, but also a sadistic revolutionary,” continues Cura. “One who took a jawbone of an ass to warm up his muscles and killed a thousand in one fell swoop. Who ripped apart a lion and attached torches to the tails of the foxes to burn the [Philistines’ crops].  One could call him the Che Guevara of the Old Testament, an agitator who fights for a cause regardless of the methods. Even today many politicians resemble him. And a Samson is hiding in each of us ...”

But Samson is not just that.  A brute, yes, but one with a soul.  When his biceps were put out of action by the cutting of his hair by the treacherous Dalila, the cruel giant discovered another self. "Deprived of everything, of the freedom of sight, perhaps even of manhood, he comes back to God in a different way: not with the arrogance of strength but with the strength of a pure soul, in which case we should sing with the soul because that's how Samson speaks with God."

In conclusion, a nice cocktail of body and spirit.  "José can afford it. He has the "physique du ròle," laughs director Ronconi, who promises to wink at the old mythological films without forgetting the religious spirit that goes through history. "And without treading on the pedal of irony, in some cases it is more ironic to show things as they are."  He also rejected the temptations of current affairs, bringing back to the day our conflict between Jews and Philistine that takes place, in this case, in Gaza.

"Today the causes are above all political and economic, then religious crises. While even now the Almighty, who at the time hurled thunderbolts if a Jew had sex with an Arab, it seems to me, no longer takes any notice of it."

The opening of the season at the Teatro Regio in Turin, with a Samson and Dalila will remain in the annals. From the moment the curtain rises, the shock is such that the audience applauds enthusiastically.  José Cura gives Samson all the strength of his magnetic presence, all the energy of a program of an unprecedented arrogance. Playing with his physique  - he hides no detail - and especially of a timbre which he projects with the insolence of a Del Monaco, the Argentinean tenor, roaring like the most beautiful lions, is confirmed as the only plausible interpreter of the role since the retirement of Jon Vickers.  Give in to the pleasure of listening to a real and great voice, generous, vibrant and that one would think indestructible, as was that of some sacred monsters of the years 1950-1960. The singer, moreover, doubles as a modern actor, which no Samson had been before him.  A Samson and Dalila to urgently invite to Paris.  Opera, December 1997

The protagonists chosen in Turin have fully fulfilled their task as singers and actors, beginning with José Cura, a young Argentinean tenor who has become the most important voice in the lyric-driven and dramatic repertoire. Abandoning the approximations that sometimes distinguish his interpretations, Cura has prepared meticulously for his debut in Italy as Samson, understanding the many expressive facets of the role and producing a vocal line of undeniable excellence.  Once the audience has indulged with admiration in the youthful boldness and the athletic display stemming from the good looks of the singer--all of which has great relevance in an opera such as Samson et Dalila--one cannot deny that the Argentinean tenor gives an equally handsome and impressive vocal delivery hallmarked by mature expressivity.  The color of the voice is that already familiar to us, dark and burnished, but at the same time and when needed rounded and soft... His entry into the first act - where he emerges with the strength of a hero who rises to lead the Jewish people from the chains of slavery - has the muscularity required combined with enthusiasm and confidence. In the sensual tenderness of the duet with Dalila in the second act he enriches his phrasing with the right expressive accents. He is excellent in the third act, singing with great participation through very refined interpretation, all of which conveys the physical and spiritual suffering of Samson. All in all, a new test, not without some flaws, that confirms the qualities of a tenor who is one of the most interesting tenor voices in the international scene.   L’Opera, August / September 1998

Bravo, José Cura!  Cura’s Samson asserts his strength without undue athleticism, with particular attention to the nuances and the nobility of the score.  La Stampa, 22 October 1997

José Cura was an excellent Samson, very accurate in the psychological definition of the character and credible for the voice and the appearance.  Corriere della sera, 23 October 1997

The protagonist José Cura sang very well, making himself admired also as an actor. Ronconi dressed him as Tarzan, with an ironic touch, in tune with the music of Saint-Saëns: Cura was in the game, drawing a Samson who, within the limits of the character, was really torn between duty and erotic attraction. When, blind and without hair, appearing destroyed, tied to the mill, his figure was that of a withered giant, very suggestive.  La Stampa, 23 October 1997

José Cura was very good, a powerful protagonist always in possession of the role.  La Repubblica, 23 October 1997

Even for professionals Samson et Dalila is a rarity: very few voices in the world have the characteristics necessary to impersonate the protagonists and among these few stands the Argentine tenor Josè Cura (already applauded as Samson at Covent Garden in London). Il Tempo, 23 October 1997

And fantastic here is José Cura .. as an intense and very human Samson. The voice, which is powerful and does not lack heroic curvature, knows how to press on the intropective confession, while the timbre is darkened with the bitterness of the man who finds himself traitor to his faith and betrayed by Dalila.  Avvenire, 23 October 1997

José Cura sets up his character with restrained impetus, a giant attracted to the earth and bound to her, who finds the strength to break this link only in the last scene, when the temple is destroyed.  A great success for Cura …  Il Manifesto, 23 October 1997

Samson—sumptuous, faithful, effective with a cast appropriate to the score [offering] great vocal richness. José Cura is a generous Samson, ardent, bold even in the high notes.  L’Unita, 23 October 1997

José Cura is a beautiful Samson for voice and physique and bare-chested roles are now his specialty.  Il Giornale, 23 October 1997

A long final applause, which lasted for at least 5 minutes, marked the success of Samson et Dalila in Turin on Tuesday evening. The French opera had never been performed in Turin and the beautiful staging by Luca Ronconi was able to make a breakthrough with the usually not-very-warm audience. Critical reviews were also enthusiastic, some of whom spoke of this as an historical event. The two protagonists, José Cura and Carolyn Sebron stood out…. L’Eco di Bergamo, 23 October 1997

For Turin, the costumes of Vera Marzot are being talked about, with her bold incursions in the faux-nude of the dancers of the Bacchanal. As for nude, much has also been said about Samson, being able to exploit the athletic musculature of interpreter José Cura, a tenor who here expressed the most vocal and stage-craft possibilities.  His voice was clear and had a heroic ring, even in the most uncomfortable positions.  Il Piccolo, 23 October 1997

The deeply felt aspect of the work was finally completed by the thundering interpretation of José Cura in the role of Samson; the strong Argentinian tenor concentrated on a roaring reading, painted in strong colors. Il sole 24 Ore, 26 October 1997

Watch a brief video from Act I by clicking on the image above