February 18, 1743. George F. Handel’s oratorio Samson was first performed at London’s Covent Garden Theatre.
Samson is an oratorio based on a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton, who based it on Milton’s Samson Agonistes, which which in turn was based on the figure Samson in the Holy Bible’s Book of Judges. Samson is considered one of Handel’s finest dramatic works.
The premiere was a great success, leading to a total of seven performances in its first season, the most in a single season of any of his oratorios. Samson retained its popularity throughout Handel’s lifetime.
Samson is usually performed as an oratorio in concert form. On occasions it has also been staged as an opera.
