Opera premiere

Triumphant love potion at Gars Castle

Clemens Unterreiner, the new artistic director of Gars Castle Opera, presented Gaetano Donizetti's "L' elisir d' amore" for the first time with a lively production and a great cast: an enchanting premiere in every respect!

It is almost unbelievable that Donizetti's "L' elisir d' amore" ("The Love Potion") has never been performed in the 34-year history of the Gars Castle Opera Festival - because this opera buffa has just about all the ingredients for an ideal balmy summer evening. The new artistic director Clemens Unterreiner has recognized the potential - and the directing duo Carolin Pienkos/Cornelius Obonya have conjured up a simply charming and extremely lively production in the old walls.

Most of all, however, it is a fantastic ensemble that impresses, above all the 25-year-old tenor Matteo Ivan Rašić, who plays a delightful love-struck Nemorino and wins the hearts of the premiere audience with his powerful voice. At his side in the flirtatious pairing: State Opera singer Maria Nazarova as the enchanting Adina with a dreamlike, radiant soprano. Paolo Rumetz is a delicious quack Dulcamara, Orhan Yildiz a proud Belcore - Levente Török conducts with great feeling in the new orchestra house. An all-round successful and promising new start in Gars.