The German soprano Katharina Ruckgaber, most recently successful in a lied recital at the festival in Zeist, takes on the title role in Talestri, regina delle Amazzoni at the Handel Festival Halle; this opera drammatica was composed by Maria Antonia Walpurgis, more commonly known as Princess Maria Antonia of Bayern. In this concert performance under Attilio Cremonesi, Ruckgaber’s intense vocal interpretation brings out the tragic conflict between duty to the state and forbidden inclination — a conflict that can be read as a female counter to stultifying conventions that are, to some extent, still with us.
Handel Festival Halle
Maria Antonia Walpurgis: Talestri, regina delle Amazzoni
Katharina Ruckgaber: Talestri
Jun 6, 2026
