Edita Gruberová †

On Monday, the coloratura soprano Edita Gruberová died. She was only 74. In her heyday (late 1970s – ca. 2010) she was perhaps the best coloratura soprano in the world. In the late 1970s, her dazzling career began with Lucia di Lammermoor in Vienna. She had a perfect technique (she was also a formidable Queen of the Night). Unfortunately, we did not hear her live in her best years, but we did hear her in her latter days, twice, and twice she sang fairly disastrously. Very unfortunate.


She was a prima donna in every sense of the word, with characteristic prima-donnaged behavior. She was upset if the audience didn’t applaud hard enough. She was displeased when another singer was cast in the bel-canto roles she had wanted to sing. She was displeased with the attitude of record companies. But she was also rightfully unruly when a “modern” director once again came up with an insane “concept”. In that respect she was very praiseworthy! We attended her Lucrezia Borgia in 2016, and we were curious during the performance how the Munich audience would react to the completely unacceptable filling of the title role. To our amazement, the “opera lovers” went wild for Gruberová, a form of pure mass hysteria. Yes, even in Munich the motivation to attend an opera does not always come from qualitative motives.

.
Edita Gruberová in top shape. Mad Scene Lucia di Lammermoor. 1986, Wenen.

It is unfortunate, but we cannot escape the conclusion that Gruberová went on too long. In her latter days she gave many concerts, which she herself enjoyed very much because she had nothing to do with lame directors. We can understand that. The audience, or rather the fans, thought it was all wonderful. But it wasn’t.

We envy those who heard Edita Gruberová in her heyday. The non-privileged have to make do with her recordings. Plenty to enjoy!

5 2 votes
Article Rating
Olivier Keegel

Editor-in-Chief

Chief Editor. Does not need much more than Verdi, Bellini and Donizetti. Wishes to resuscitate Tito Schipa and Fritz Wunderlich. Certified unmasker of directors' humbug.

No Older Articles
No Newer Articles
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

4 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Herman Fluitman
2 years ago

Gruberova was absolutely not my favourite but she recorded a wonderful Bellini opera with Agnes Baltsa (… ed i Montecchi). Lucrezia Borgia was disastrous.

Fred
Fred
2 years ago

Wel tijd voor grubi maar niet voor kinderen der zee van Mortelmans?!?! De naam van densiteit is toch operagazet of dan toch operagazzette geworden

Anonymous
Anonymous
2 years ago

Well said. She herself, her agents and her insistent fanatics all coalesced into the perfect storm. The ugly consequences were as you wrote even if the writing on the wall was more than visible for at least two decades. But they did not want to read it.

A. Minis
A. Minis
2 years ago

Requiescat in pace.
I heard her in her heydays as Donna Anna in Vienna, Unforgettable.