Saint-Saens originally began work on Samson and Delilah as an oratorio until persuaded by his librettest, Ferdinand Lemaire, to write it as an opera. The work is a synthesis of Wagnerian drama and French and Italian operatic forms, containing skilful structures and eloquent melodies. As one of the brightest jewels of French opera, the work is considered "a dream of antique purity and modern orchestral experimentation," which thoroughly demonstrates Saint-Saëns' compositional capabilities. This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score, and is in English and the original French.