100 Singers - In Memoriam: EDITA GRUBEROVÁ

What´s the name of the most important coloratur-soprano during the last decades? I´m sure, most of you will say: Edita Gruberova! And one critic wrote: "Miss Gruberová belongs to the most extraordinary vocal phenomenons of the last forty years!" In the early 1970s, her "Queen of the Night" caused sensation, and since that she was invited to sing at many of the most important opera houses in the world, especially in coloratura roles. Soon she changed from the leading "Queen of the Night" to the omnipresent "Queen of Coloratura". With her label "Nightingale-Records" she recorded almost the whole Belcanto- and Coloratura-repertory. After a Munich-performance of Donizetti´s ROBERTO DEVEREUX, a critic asked: "If there really is justice, 30 years from now they don´t talk about Open-Air-events with Netrebko, but they will say: I´ve heard Gruberova as Elisabetta!" Another critic´s statement: "I´m too young to have heard Callas on stage, but if I compare her Norma-recordings with Gruberova´s live-performances (2007 Hamburg and Vienna, 2008 at the Munich-Festival), it seems the latter was more impressiv! Gruberova said, with NORMA she reached the top of her career!" Her NORMA-Debut took place in Tokyo 2003 when she was already 57! "I´ve studied Callas recordings of NORMA, and I adore her ability to transform each single note into real life!", Gruberova said in an interview. With the passing of Edita Gruberova we've lost one of the last real primadonnas of opera, a real singer instead of a singing mannequin. It was James Levine who once said about her: "I´ve never heard such a Zerbinetta before!" Please enjoy now in memory of Edita Gruberová one of Mozart´s difficult concert-arias: "Ah, se in ciel benigne stelle", a showpiece he composed for his first great love and later sister-in-law Aloysia Lange, when he was 32 years old.
Edita Gruberová died October 18, 2021 at age 74. If you would like to share your thoughts with us, please leave a comment.

[@horstwidl4378]

Could listen to her all day and never get bored. Brings a smile to my face when I think of her recording of Adele in the Staatsoper Fledermaus.

[@mmbmbmbmb]

Edita Gruberová. A most wonderful singer. Even though sad about her passing, one must still consider her a GAIN ... not a LOSS. Her memory will remain forever in those who admired her. Thank you Mike !

[@shicoff1398]

Wonderful, saw her in Chicago singing Lucia in 1986 with Shicoff and she also recorded it with him, besides both Traviata and Rigoletto, she was the only soprano I've ever heard in over 63 years of attending opera's in house that could, if she wanted she could make a scoop up sound exciting polished and beautiful in the house, she had a bell like top that was magnificent and she was in complete control of her great voice and she lasted vocally very well . RIP.

[@uppityglivestockian]

Not only a lovely artist, a lovely lady. Her voice will live on in legend as is her due.

[@MisterSoprano]

Crying while listening her ...

[@TarotAstrologerTHOMAS]

same

[@KennethWarlick]

A perfect musical selection to honor the memory of this exceptional artist.

[@carlosgustavorubio1332]

Divina Edita...!!!! Buen viaje y gracias por regalarnos el bellisimo don que Dios te dio: tu "instrumento": tu voz y tu talento, gran cantante y gran actriz!!! Descansa en paz.-

[@ricardoescudero4912]

Única maravillosa,no volverá a existir una igual,gran cantante ,

[@TarotAstrologerTHOMAS]

RIP, very sad indeed, humanity's terrible loss 😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔

[@vincenzoanzoletti1296]

Splendid, one of my favorite performances of her.

[@cml9862]

RIP..

[@Herur22]

Another great one gone. RIP.

[@shicoff1398]

Yes, she was terrific!

[@valerianoherrera7248]

Descanse en paz Edita.

[@tenorvoicefan]

Und wieder geht eine, die einen großen Verlust darstellt. Leb wohl Edita, leb wohl!

[@davideferrari5702]

🙏❤️

[@jeannemagdalene1239]

i cannot stop crying😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@vanzofaust]

Same here. I only found out today reading the NY TImes obit section.

[@operabilia]

RIP

[@ursus1302]

singulär!!

[@Sir.Larselot]

Oh no. That's by far too early to leave for the last rise. I have to say that i had absolutely unforgettable opera evenings with her, her singing was live extremely impressive. I have to confess that i didn't liked the last decade of her career because i had the feeling that she destroyed her own legend with singing the same repertory with weak voice. But now it's the moment to thank for all the joy and amazement you gave to me. Farewell, Edita.

[@vanzofaust]

She was the greatest Zerbinetta ever, a fantastic Queen of the Night, Constanza etc. But she was never a dramatic soprano. To me, singing Norma was her biggest mistake.

[@Sir.Larselot]

@@vanzofaust , it was a little bit funny indeed. 25 years she was explaining that Norma was behind her vocal possibilities until she made the recording and in the booklet is written an endless explanation for which reasons exactly she is the right soprano for this. Anyway. I´m really angry about her unreasonable last 12 years of her career. She lost her top notes round about 2008 but didn't gave up the flat, embarrassing screams of hopeless attempts to reach the high Eb with the same roles she became a legend for. That was absolute horror and the most embarrassing endless farewell of an opera star in the history. But i adore her very much for the years before that.

[@melissande5377]

RIP, Edita.

[@user-rd9bu4sl7j]

What a grief! Just a grief

[@gerardmignon700]

Je n'arrive pas à y croire.

[@MisterSoprano]

Moi aussi.

[@TarotAstrologerTHOMAS]

moi non plus 😭💔😭💔😭😭💔😭💔

[@vanzofaust]

Moi non plus.

[@smnauto7468]

sei stata meravigliosa cara Edita. Byla jsi ta nejlepsi !!!!!

[@giselegibson7348]

💔

[@michigraggober8961]

Eine erloschene Sonne

[@soavemusica]

Does anyone have: "Dolina, dolina" (Bartolomej Urbanec), 1966 recording, Slovakia? Many are on youtube/somewhere, but not this.

[@100Singers]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZWyaJh9Yt92j80

[@soavemusica]

@@100Singers Yes, and she even sings a bit in a dressing room, but the jewel of 1966 seems lost. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5e6opt_Zr2joaM