For many decades, Gruberova has been at home in the most important opera houses in the world. Her exceptional voice has repeatedly motivated directors to include rarely-performing operas in their shows, especially for them. As the “Queen of Coloratura”, Gruberova gained the audience’s innovations.
Gruberova was born on December 23, 1946 in Bratislava, brought up in a simple family. At the insistence of the priest, the music-loving young woman applied to the Bratislava Conservatory and studied there from 1961 to 1968. After that, things went up sharply. She made her debut at the Vienna Opera in 1970 in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” as the Queen of the Night. In 1974 she performed the same role for the first time in the Bavarian State Opera.
“Diva Belcanto for Singing”
In a very short time, she became one of the most sought-after translators for the roles of Zerbeneta, Constanze, Donna Anna, Rosina, Gilda, Violetta and Lucia, who performed on stage such as La Scala in Milan, London Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera of New York and Grand Opera of Paris and gave performances In opera houses in Berlin, Munich, Geneva, Zurich, Florence, Madrid and Barcelona.
She delighted herself by using her expressive voice for very individual interpretations. For example, I particularly liked the compositions of Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti because he explicitly required singers to be creative rather than strictly adhere to detailed specifications, as she revealed in an interview in 2015.
Edita Gruberova passed away
Soprano Edita Gruberova died suddenly at the age of 74 in Zurich. She was considered a vocal wonder and the “Queen of Belcanto”. Born in Slovakia, Gruberova began her world career in the 1970s in Vienna at the State Opera. It has delighted audiences for decades.
The Austrian and Bavarian chamber singer has won many titles during her theatrical career: “Queen of Colors” for example and “Diva Belle Canto sings”, as she was often called in media reports.
The “best memory” of the Vienna State Opera
As recently as 2016, she named her musical achievement in 1976 as Zerbinetta under Karl Bohm as lead musician among the best memories of her career. The role of Lucia in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor”, which she first sang at the Vienna Opera in 1978 and has since repeatedly, was one of her favorite roles. As Violetta in Verdi’s opera “La Traviata” in the New York Mets under Carlos Kleber at the end of the eighties, she said that it was one of her most beautiful looks.
Although she has lived abroad for 45 years and rarely travels to Slovakia, her emotional connection has not broken off, and she confirmed shortly before her 70th birthday in December 2016: “Slovakia is and always will be my homeland. I feel comfortable and happy at home.” Gruberova invited the Opera Theater in March 2019 at the Bavarian State Opera in one of her main roles: the role of Queen Elisabetta in Donizetti’s tragedy” Roberto Devereux “in the production of Christoph Lowe.
Politicians mourn the ‘Defensive Diva’
The politicians spoke with their condolences. “Edita Gruberova’s unique voice will be forever unforgettable,” Vienna City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hassler (SPÖ) said in Monday’s broadcast. Green State Minister for Culture Andrea Mayer praised Gruberova’s incomparable voice, which touched the hearts of whole generations of opera lovers.
“I will personally remember her for a long time as the ‘Queen of Coloratura’. Austria and Vienna in particular can count themselves lucky that the cornerstone of her global career was laid here and that she was always happy to be back until the end of her career.” During this remarkable career, the singer was a guest at All major opera houses in the world. The defensive singer, who hasn’t always made things easy for directors, always struggles to have music and emotions the focus,” Kaup-Hassler added.
State Opera: “The Legend of the Opera World”
The Vienna State Opera, from which Gruberova on June 23, 2018, with a concert after almost 50 years, “mours the legend of the opera world”: “Edita Gruberova has repeatedly referred to the Vienna State Opera as her artistic home, her hometown, Olympus. Equally, She was seen by the Vienna public, but also by the staff of the house, as our “Groberova” – an honorary title that is given only to very few. Director Bogdan Rosic said in the evening “She began her unique career at the Vienna State Opera. , where she celebrated her international accomplishments, and here she can be seen in all her great roles.”
“Gruberova was not only a legend, like almost anything else, she also shaped this house and history of performing in more than 700 shows,” continues Roscic. “Her vocal perfection so often boasted was not an end in itself, but always in service of an uncompromising dedication to music and the best possible interpretation of it. Not only Zerbinetta, Queen of the Night, Rosina or her Lucia will remain valid reference points for all generations to come – and moments A marvelous human expression.”
