Mae West: Hebrew Temptress

Not known for high culture, MAE WEST deliberately decided to throw her audience more than a few curves when she performed a shortened version of Delilah's aria to Samson in her motion picture "Goin' to Town" (released in the USA on 25 April 1935). French composer Camille Saint-Saëns [1835 — 1921] wrote this popular work, which had its debut in 1877.
• • During last year's Mae West walking tour — — "Mae West's Walk on the Wild Side" [Sunday, 17 August 2008] — — attendees had the enormous privilege of hearing Met soprano Marlena de la Mora perform this aria live. Another great delight was when Madame de la Mora launched into "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" in English, singing, "My heart opens itself to your voice..." — — a poignant rendering that was followed by heaps and heaps of applause and mass adoration. This stirring aria was sung when the group had assembled on Village Green, in front of the former Jefferson Market Court where Mae had faced the purity police in a grueling obscenity trial during 1927.
• • Music columnist Tim Smith reminisced about Mae's sultry potrayal of the Hebrew temptress. Tim Smith writes: Since it's Monday, when everyone could use a little lift, I can't resist offering this reminder of Mae's distinctive musical talent, singing, of all things, the great duet from ... Saint-Saens' "Samson et Dalila" in the film "Goin' to Town." I just love the way she says, "Come here, Sammy," before launching into the abbreviated "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix." It's a performance, needless to say, like no other.
— — Source: — —
• • Article: Monday morning lift: Mae West sings Saint-Saens
• • BY: Tim Smith | Classical Music Critic
• • Published in: The Baltimore Sun — — http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/
• • Published on: Monday, 24 August 2009
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• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
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