In 2026, the Nové Hrady Chateau hosts a performance of the comic opera Der Augenarzt (“The Oculist”) by Adalbert Gyrowetz, a prominent composer of the late Classical period. This German Singspiel is among the titles that appear on stage only rarely and offers an opportunity to glimpse a lesser-known facet of the operatic repertoire of its time. Musica Florea specializes in historically informed performance and period instruments, seeking to evoke the sound of Gyrowetz’s era. The chateau setting in Nové Hrady convincingly recreates the atmosphere of early operatic performances at aristocratic residences.
Upon arriving in Nové Hrady, visitors immediately recognize the enlightened care of the “landowners.”
Magda and Petr Kučera have long transformed not only the immediate surroundings of their castle but also the character of the entire landscape. Fields give way to meadows, and among the thickets, fallow deer and majestic stags graze. In the stables and pastures a bit further away, horses trot, and at the center of it all, on a hill above the small East Bohemian village, a Rococo chateau opens its arms.
This small Czech Versailles is surrounded by more than ten types of gardens, one of which features a green amphitheater inspired by natural Baroque theaters. Since 2012, it has become a regular venue for specially staged performances of operas by old masters.
programme
Adalbert Gyrowetz
Der Augenarzt
Singspiel in two acts in the Czech translation by J. K. Chmelensky to a libretto by Emmanuel Veith.
Performers
Count Kamenský, owner of the Skalka estate – Michal Marhold
Horský, military physician – Ondřej Benek
Pastor Volný – Jiří Poláček
Ludmila, his wife – Helena Kalambová
Marie, their daughter – Hana Holodňáková
Filip, their ward – Veronika Hajič Vojířová
Vilemína, their ward – Eliška Minářová
Ježek, caretaker at the chateau – Vincenc Ignác Novotný
Collegium Floreum
Musica Florea
Marek Štryncl – conductor
Tomáš Hanzlík – director, set design
photogallery
