In his second season as director, Clemens Unterreiner Giuseppe Verdi’s immortal music drama “La Traviata” put the game plan of the Opera Burg Gars – and again landed a big success. Under the motto “Never Change A Winning Team”, he again trusted the director duo Cornelius Obonya and Carolin Pienkos, which had already been tried and tested in Gars last year, as well as on Maestro Levente Török. With the unmistakable “Gars Stil”, a lively orchestra and a celebrated ensemble with numerous convincing roller ending debut, a premiere evening recorded with great enthusiasm. “I am just grateful and very happy. La Traviata-this is pure emotion: a great love that is pointed out by external constraints in the place, paired with Verdi’s rousing music. Together with our great, international ensemble, the summer culture is at the highest level-at the greatest acoustically unpleasant open-air operator Austria” “
, emphasized Director Clemens Unterreiner am Premierenabend.
Numerous prominent guests from politics, business and culture accepted his invitation-above all, Federal President Ad Heinz Fischer and Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, who ceremoniously opened the opera season in Gars. Also National Council President Walter Rosenkranz, Federal Councilor Klemens Kofler, Lower Austria President Gottfried Waldhäusl, State Councilor Susanne Rosenkranz, State Police Director Franz Popp, Numerous ambassadors such as US ambassador Kami Witmer, Ambassador Qi Mei from China or Australia’s Ambassador Ian Biggs, the Viennese military commander Kurt Wagner District captain of Horn Stefan Grusch, Gars Mayor Martin Falk and Startenor Heinz Zednik with BeautyDoc Dagmar Millesi, gallery owner Peter Coeln, hotel-regulating Elisabeth Gürtler, Wetterlady Christa Kummer, singer Marika Lichter, cultural manager Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, Charity Gentleman Gery Keszler and many acquaintances from nearby and Verdi’s opera drama also enjoyed in the middle of the historical-romantic Babenberger Burgmauer.
On the Devin McDonough designed opera stage and in costumes of Laura Madgé Hörmann Enthuson the ensemble, led by star soprano Hila fahima (at their international traviata rollerend debut) and the emerging Croatian tenor Filip Filipovic (with his Austria debut) as a multi-layered lovers Violetta & Alfredo. “Violetta is one of the most fascinating women’s figures in opera literature – to give this roller end debut in the special atmosphere of the Gars opera, in the open air and in the middle of nature, makes me incredibly happy”
, showed himself Hila fahima impressed by the venue. That also closed Filip Filipovic an: “In this unique ambience to be able to give my long-awaited Austria debut as an Alfredo, fill me with great gratitude”
, The tenor shooting star was happy.
In the other roles, the director Unterreiner, as usual KS Morten Frank Larsen As a routine Giorgio Germont, Photo when gripping Flora Bervoix, Andjela Spaic As a beguiling Annin, George Kounoupias as a joyful Gaston, Nicolas Legoux As a noble Baron Douphol, Philipp Schöllhorn more elegant Marquis d’Obigny as well as state opera bass Evgeny Solodovnikov Als Sonor Doctor Grenvil captivated the premiere audience with great vocal and acting devotion.
In his second season is a director KS Clemens Unterreiner To experience for the first time as a singer in a Gars opera production for the first time. He will be the game of Giorgio Germont interpret on the last three introductory evenings of the season (July 29, July 31st & 2.8.). On all three evenings, there will also be a live audio description for blind and visually impaired people on all three evenings – as an inclusive cultural offer that is unique in Austria. So the circle closes in Gars, where the formerly blind child Clemens or the current director Unterreiner in the “Opera for the blind and visually impaired people” will be heard himself.
“La Traviata is one of the few operas, the love, loneliness, pain, salvation and death – that is, all soul movements in humans – united within a musical evening. The natural scenery of the Gars Castle, as well as with other masterfully written works, makes something very special: the naturally given stage design lifts the piece to an additional level. Imagination in the spectators can stimulate in addition to the music
“raved Carol’s small & Cornelius obnya am Premierenabend. Levente Turkishwho has been chief conductor and artistic director of the Miskolc Symphony Orchestra since autumn 2024, emphasized: “The acoustic conditions in the Gars NaturArena, in which the old castle walls are playing in the orchestra themselves, are always a challenge for me as a conductor, but with the new orchestra house at the same time a pleasure due to their uniqueness.”
Great enthusiasm and a long-lasting applause formed the end of an all-round successful “La Traviata” premiere, which was completely sold out. Subsequently, director Unterreiner and his team and his guests celebrated extensively on the festival meadow. The wine lover also served the two editions of the “Festival wine” of the two Kamptal winegrowers EITZINGER and HEANDLER. The enthusiastic premiere audience celebrated with the ensemble until the early hours of the morning – according to the motto “Let’s Opera!”
Blocking period: 13.7.2025, 4 p.m.