Something memorable: Jacqueline Stucker, David Bates & La Nuova Musica in Handel's Alcina & Rodelinda, plus Telemann at Wigmore Hall

Jacqueline Stucker

History's Lovers: Telemann: Overture-Suite: Burlesque de Quixotte, Handel: arias from Alcina, & Rodelinda, Concerto Grosso in F op. 6 No. 9, Telemann: aria from Orpheus; Jacqueline Stucker, La Nuova Musica, David Bates; Wigmore Hall
Reviewed 28 May 2025

Love, from the comic to the obsessive to the devoted to real vengeance. Handel and Telemann brought vividly alive in an evening that rose far above a greatest hits concert and gave us something memorable

Under the title History's Lovers, David Bates and La Nuova Musica were joined by soprano Jacqueline Stucker at Wigmore Hall on 28 May 2025 for an evening of music by Handel and Telemann, friends as well as contemporaries, which moved from the comic in Telemann's Don Quixote to the obsessive with Handel's Alcina and then the devotedly marital with Handel's Rodelinda with an aria from Telemann's Orpheus bringing things to a virtuoso close.

We began with Telemann's late Overture-Suite: Burlesque de Quixotte which was probably written around 1761 when the composer was 80. In eight French-style movements, the suite began with an overture that really did channel Lully, with Bates and his ensemble giving us vivid rhythms and exciting passagework. The story then unfolded with Quixote's restless, fevered sleep, his fast and furious attack on the windmills, a gentle flute (Leo Duarte who was doubling flute and oboe) over sighing strings for Quixote mooning after Dulcinea, tossing Sancho Panza in a blanket with some great scene painting, and then the two trying to gallop away in what was a pure romp before finally a vividly urgent finish.

Soprano Jacqueline Stucker then joined the ensemble for a selection of arias from Handel's Alcina . 'Di' cor mio, quanto t'amai' was beautifully poised with an interesting depth to Stucker's tone and a fluid ease with the ornamentation. Though this was just a concert it felt as if Stucker had stage experience in the role and her Alcina was vividly realised. 'Ah, mio cor' began with a lovely messa di voce, and a real sense of the character's inner pain. Both arias had admirably strong contributions from Bates and the ensemble, and in 'Ah, mio cor' both they and Stucker really ratcheted up the tension.

We continued with Alcina, but for 'Mi lusinga il dolce affetto' there was a change of soloist as Leo Duarte's oboe took the spotlight instead of a soprano. The result was impressively expressive, with Duarte combining full tone with a lovely clarity of expression. Stucker returned for the accompanied recitative 'Ah! Ruggiero crudel' and the following aria, 'Ombre pallida'. Here, Stucker's performance made you realise how finely lived-in her interpretation was, with concerted power and restless emotion in the recitative, and a real bite to her tone in the aria. I was impressed by the way that she never disturbed the vocal line for dramatic effect, it was always done through the music.

The second half began with the overture to Handel's Rodelinda, moving from grand severity to fast intense passagework to an elegantly swaying minuet. In Rodelinda's aria 'Ritorna, o caro e dolce mio tesoro', Stucker was nicely contained, spinning a fine line over the rich accompaniment. Then in 'Se'l mio duol non è si forte' she suggested the strength within Rodelinda's fragility, this was powerful stuff indeed aided and abetted by Inga Maria Klaucke's fine bassoon.

We then turned to one of Handel's Concerti Grossi Op.6, one of his major instrumental works. Here was had No. 9 in F, where Handel's shamelessly recycles existing material yet creates something new and magical. A strong, rich-toned Largo was followed by a vivid yet brisk Allegro where the performers sheer enjoyment was palpable. There was a nice lyrical sway to the Larghetto third movement, with its Q&A between soli and tutti. The following Allegro was remarkably perky and this mood continued in the distinctly characterful minuet, before the infectious energy and bounce to the final Gigue.

The concert ended with an aria from Telemann's 1726 opera Orpheus, this for the extra character of Orasia, a terrific vengeance aria, 'Su, mio core, a la vendetta', all bravura and upfront energy. Terrific stuff.

We returned to Handel's Alcina for one last time with the encore, the first section of Alcina's final aria.

Never miss out on future posts by following us

The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.

Elsewhere on this blog

• Impressive debuts: Opera Holland Park's first Wagner opera, Der fliegende Holländer is something of a triumph - opera review
• The final concerts in this year’s Norfolk & Norwich Festival fell to the BBC Singers and the Britten Sinfonia - welcome visitors and, indeed, no strangers to the city - concert review
• Powerful stuff: Opera North's concert staging of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, an evening filling the Royal Festival Hall with drama - opera review
• Something juicy that you can get your teeth into: composer Libby Croad chats about The Brontë Suite which gets its UK premiere in June - interview 
  
• Colour & imagination: Rameau's Pigmalion plus music from Les Boréades, Early Opera Company at Temple Music  - opera review
  
• A near-perfect triptych: in Paris, Christof Loy conjures atmosphere inspired by film for Puccini's Il Trittico conducted by Carlo Rizzi - opera review
• A carefully curated programme rather than a disc to dip into: Christopher Gray on his first disc with the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge - interview
  
• A Hoffmann to remember: Angela Denoke's production of Offenbach's final masterpiece at Oldenburg Staatstheater with Jason Kim - opera review
• Requiem A is much more influenced by Swans, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, & Sigur Rós: composer Sven Helbig in his new work - interview 
  
• A conversation between similarities & differences: Jonathan Sells on his disc of Bruckner & Gesualdo with the Monteverdi Choir - interview 
  
• Home