Unique Tenor Mystery Thriller Marks a Historic Premiere Success at Gars Castle
A sold-out house, perfect weather, and an unprecedented last-minute rescue: The 37th Opera Festival in Gars am Kamp kicked off the Kultursommer with a spectacular performance of Giacomo Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” Yet as the distinguished guests made their grand entrance, no one could have guessed that the evening would go down in festival history as an absolute first. The production of “Madama Butterfly”—located just about an hour’s drive from Vienna—can be seen at Gars Castle through August 1.
Oper BURG GARS, Austria's largest acoustically unamplified open-air opera festival. / Picture: © Andreas Anker
These are the kinds of stories only the theater can tell: With no safety net, Austria’s largest acoustically unamplified open-air opera festival proved last Saturday that true art thrives on spontaneity. The premiere of “Madama Butterfly” turned into a gripping behind-the-scenes thriller during the second act, culminating in minutes-long ovations and a historic happy ending.
An Unplanned Change Makes Festival History
The evening began like a fairy tale beneath the magical fortress walls. Before a sold-out house and in ideal summer weather, Provincial Finance Minister Anton Kasser, representing Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, officially opened this year’s festival. At that moment, tenor Vitaliy Kovalchuk was already battling on stage in the role of Pinkerton—not only with the production itself, but also with an acute, severe allergy. Despite a valiant effort in the first act, the singer was no longer able to continue vocally. The audience bid farewell to the ailing artist with great respect and thunderous applause as the intermission began.
Now was the moment for Artistic Director Clemens Unterreiner and his newly introduced safety net: For the production, he had opted in advance for a well-thought-out dual-casting concept. In record time, the young Argentine tenor Gabriel Arce was transported directly from the hotel to the castle. Jumping, so to speak, straight out of the car and into the spotlight, Arce seamlessly took over the demanding lead role for the remainder of the opera and shone in every respect. The audience thus witnessed an absolute first: for the first time in the history of the BURG GARS opera, a performance was carried out by two different tenors in the lead roles.
“Of course, it’s an absolute disaster when a lead performer drops out of a premiere,” said Artistic Director Clemens Unterreiner, visibly relieved and moved after the final applause. “As a colleague, I truly feel his pain in a moment like this. Health and the voice always come first! The fact that Gabriel Arce then rushed in at record speed and brought the performance home so brilliantly makes me incredibly proud. That was opera drama in action: Let’s OPERA!”
An Acoustic and Visual Masterpiece
Despite the unplanned behind-the-scenes drama, the performance came across as a harmonious and cohesive work of art. Director Matthias von Stegmann staged Giacomo Puccini’s emotional masterpiece in a gripping manner, while Karsten Januschke provided subtle musical direction. Visually, the production impressed with David Gamel’s elegant, Japanese-inspired set design—which made its full impact against the historic walls of the castle—as well as the approximately 70 meticulously detailed costumes by Laura Madgé Hörmann. The chorus, excellently rehearsed by Michal Juraszek, impressively rounded out the musical quality.
In the title role of Cio-Cio-San, Kammersängerin Kristiane Kaiser deeply moved the audience and earned applause for her vocal brilliance and emotional intensity. At her side, Daria Sushkova as the loyal Suzuki and Paolo Rumetz in the role of Sharpless also delighted the audience. The festival promises further excitement for upcoming performances: There will be rotating casts through the end of the season—among others, Eugenia Dushina will appear as Cio-Cio-San, and Artistic Director Clemens Unterreiner will personally take on the role of Sharpless.
Celebrities Celebrate Late into the Night
The glamorous event drew a large contingent of prominent figures from the worlds of politics, business, culture, and the international diplomatic corps to the Kamptal region. Among the guests at the premiere were former Vice President of the European Parliament Othmar Karas, Second President of the Lower Austrian State Parliament Gottfried Waldhäusl, former Minister of Defense Werner Fasslabend and his wife Martina, and Gars Mayor Martin Falk.
The business and cultural scenes were also represented by high-profile figures: In addition to former Raiffeisen General Counsel Walter Rothensteiner and the Kiennast family of entrepreneurs, numerous fellow artists and celebrities—including etiquette expert Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer, top model Kerstin Lechner, acting stars Konstanze Breitebner and Aaron Karl, and Marika Lichter—celebrated the successful opera extravaganza. Ambassadors from countries including Australia, Korea, France, and Ukraine underscored the evening’s international flair. After the emotional standing ovations, artists and guests celebrated happily well into the night on the atmospheric festival grounds amid mild temperatures.