Obituary: Edita Gruberová, coloratura soprano

Edita Gruberová (23 December 1946 - 18 October 2021), one of the great coloratura sopranos of the latter 20th and early 21st centuries, has died at the age of 74 in Vienna of injuries caused by a head wound.

Edita Gruberová, pictured in 2013

Known as the "Slowakische Nachtigal" (Slovak Nightingale), Gruberová was born in Rača, Bratislava, to a German father and an Hungarian mother. She began her musical studies at the Bratislava Conservatory as a student of Mária Medvecká and then at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava.

In 1968, Gruberová made her operatic debut in Bratislava as Rosina in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia After winning a singing competition in Toulouse, from 1968 to 1970 she was then engaged as a soloist at the J. G. Tajovský Theatre in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. Gruberová auditioned at the Vienna State Opera in the summer of 1969 and was immediately engaged as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, making her debut the following year. After emigrating to the West, she became a soloist in Vienna and was invited to perform at the world’s most important opera houses.

Gruberová made her debut at Glyndebourne in 1973 as the Queen of the Night. She achieved international recognition in 1976 when she sang Zerbinetta in the premiere of a new production of Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss in Vienna, conducted by Karl Böhm. Her debut at the Metropolitan Opera took place in 1977, again as the Queen of the Night. She first appeared at the Salzburg Festival the same year, as Thibault in Verdi's Don Carlo, conducted by Herbert von Karajan.

Her Royal Opera House debut came in 1984 as Giulietta in Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Other title roles included Verdi's La traviata, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Massenet's Manon and Rossini's Semiramide. Bellini’s Norma was added to her repertoire comparatively late in 2006. She performed as Konstanze in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Oscar in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Marie in Donizetti's La fille du regiment and Elisabetta in Donizetti's Roberto Devereux. This last role marked Gruberová’s final staged performance on 27 March 2019 at the Bavarian State Opera. After this, she focused on concerts (also a significant feature throughout her career, she was often an invited soloist in operatic galas, oratorios and other concert works). Her last performance was on 20 December 2019. She officially retired from the stage in September 2020.

Anyone wanting a recording of Gruberová’s art is spoiled for choice as most of her major stage roles are available, some roles exist in multiple versions, and sometimes on DVD too. Personal favourites includes Zerbinetta in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos. International Record Review reviewed a live recording from 1976, stating: “Of course, the show belongs to Gruberová in what was to become her signature role...She has more than sufficient charm and delicacy while also being able to convey the two sides of Zerbinetta.” It’s a close-run thing, but on balance, I would choose the studio recording alternative conducted by Kurt Masur, with Jessye Norman in radiant form as Ariadne. 

It’s hard to resist Colin Davis’ recording of Humperdink’s Hansel und Gretel either: Gruberová relishes Gretel and is the perfect foil to Ann Murray’s Hansel. Don’t overlook the other parts either as there’s not a single weak link: Christa Ludwig (Witch), Gwyneth Jones (Gertrud), Barbara Bonney (Sandmännchen), Christiane Oelze (Taumännchen). Amongst her many on-stage partnerships, the one with Agnes Baltsa deserves special mention: together they created wonders in repertoire as diverse as Maria Stuarda, I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Aradne auf Naxos.

There might be those who prefer Gruberová in her early years for the freshness of her voice, but to them I commend the DVD recording of Donizetti’s Lucretia Borgia from 2010, which showcases her dramatic gifts to the full. As Gramophone said, “The Slovak soprano legend Edita Gruberová... produces a dramatic performance of concentration, at its most convincing in Act 2 where her age meshes well with the character of distraught mother.”

Other favourite recordings include some of her concert repertoire. Mahler may not have often been part of her repertoire, but the Mahler 4 under Sinopoli’s baton captures Gruberová’s mature voice still with a required sense of innocence. Lieder by Brahms and Dvořák accompanied by Erik Werba are worth tracking down.

What marked out Gruberová’s star quality though was her fidelity to the printed score, clarity and tonal integrity coupled with expressive breath control. As a singer of the old school whose performances showed incredible awareness both of her own abilities and the requirements of the role at hand, Edita Gruberová is an artist who will be sorely missed.