Edita Gruberova
Also Known As: Edita Gruberová
Biography: Edita Gruberová (23 December 1946 – 18 October 2021) was a Slovak coloratura soprano. She made her stage debut in Bratislava in 1968 as Rosina in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, and successfully auditioned at the Vienna State Opera the following year, which became her base. She received international recognition for roles such as Mozart's Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss. In her later career, she explored heavier roles in the Italian bel canto repertoire, such as the title role in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, and Elvira in Bellini's I puritani. In 2019, she portrayed Elisabetta in Donizetti's Roberto Devereux, who leaves her throne, concluding a stage career performing leading roles over 51 years. She is remembered as the "Slowakische Nachtigall" (Slovak Nightingale), and as prima donna assoluta. Edita Gruberová was born on 23 December 1946 in Rača, Bratislava, to a German father and a Hungarian mother. As an anti-communist, her father survived a five-year prison sentence for treason. Her father drank and she developed a close relationship with her mother. She sang in a school choir and in the children's choir of the broadcaster. The pastor of the parish where she prepared for Confirmation accompanied her when she sang solos at church, and prepared her in piano playing to pass the exam to enter the conservatory. Gruberová began her musical studies at the Bratislava Conservatory (Konzervatórium v Bratislave), where she was a student of Mária Medvecká. She then continued at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (VŠMU). While studying there, she was a singer of the Lúčnica folk ensemble and appeared several times in the Slovak National Theatre. She would later study with Ruthilde Boesch in Vienna. In 1968, Gruberová made her operatic debut at the National Theatre in Bratislava as Rosina in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia. After winning a singing competition in Toulouse, she was then engaged as a soloist of the opera ensemble of the J. G. Tajovský Theatre in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, from 1968 to 1970. Among her roles was Eliza Doolittle in Loewe's musical My Fair Lady. Since communist Czechoslovakia was going through normalisation, during which the borders to non-communist countries were closed, Medvecká surreptitiously arranged for an audition for Gruberová at the Vienna State Opera in the summer of 1969. She was immediately engaged, and made her breakthrough the following year when she appeared as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. In 1971, Gruberová decided to emigrate to the West. She became a member of the Vienna State Opera in 1972, where she was only given secondary and supporting roles in her early years. She was invited to perform at many of the most important opera houses in the world, especially in coloratura roles. Gruberová made her debut at Glyndebourne in 1973 as the Queen of the Night. She became an Austrian citizen in 1974. ... Source: Article "Edita Gruberová" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Department: Acting
Place of Birth: Bratislava, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]
Birthday: December 23, 1946
Deathday: October 18, 2021
Adult: No
Gender: Female
Popularity:
Known For:
Strauss: Ariadne Auf Naxos
Overview: Opera in one act with prologue. Based on the production of the Vienna State Opera by Filippo Sanjust. Libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-10-01
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The Magic Flute
Overview: The Queen of the Night enlists a handsome prince named Tamino to rescue her beautiful kidnapped daughter, Princess Pamina. Aided by the lovelorn bird hunter Papageno and a magical flute that holds the power to change the hearts of men, young Tamino embarks on a quest for true love, leading to the evil Sarastro's temple where Pamina is held captive.
Genres: Music Romance Adventure Fantasy Comedy
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1983-07-02
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Verdi: Rigoletto
Overview: Rigoletto is a jester in the court of the Duke of Mantua. He has a hunch-back and he's rather unattractive, but he's good at his job of humiliating the courtiers for the amusement of the Duke. The courtiers, of course, are not amused. The Duke is a ladies man who feels his life would be meaningless if he couldn't chase every skirt he sees. In fact, we learn as the opera begins that he's recently been noticing a young lady every Sunday on her way to church, and he's vowed to have his way with her. What nobody realizes is that the girl is the jester's beloved daughter, Gilda, and that Gilda has seen the Duke every Sunday and is smitten with him. Suddenly Count Monterone appears at court, furious that the Duke has seduced his daughter. Rigoletto ridicules Monterone, the Duke laughs, and Monterone casts an awful curse on both of them. Later, the courtiers discover that Rigoletto is secretly living with Gilda...
Genres: Drama Music
Original Language: it
Release Date: 1982-01-24
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Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Overview: Production of Mozart's opera about the Spanish nobleman who seeks to rescue his beloved Konstanze from the hands of the Pasha. Karl Bohm conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the Bayerischen Staatsoper with the right balance of serious purpose and light lilting lyricism. This production, staged by August Everding with set and costume design by Max Bignens, was filmed from a live television production relayed on the First Programme (Channel 1) of German television on 25 April 1980,
Genres: Music Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1980-05-05
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Don Giovanni
Overview: Live from Teatro alla Scala 1987.
Genres: Music
Original Language: it
Release Date: 1987-12-01
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Lucrezia Borgia
Overview: Live from Munich 2009
Genres: Music
Original Language: it
Release Date: 2009-07-01
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Roberto Devereux
Overview: Live from Munich, 2005. London, 1601: love, lust and a death sentence at the English royal court - that's just the mix for great Italian opera. Roberto Devereux - an opera for a sovereign, a work for Edita Gruberová! The prima donna assoluta of bel canto triumphs in this drama. Either an opera house can acquire the services of "la Gruberová" - or they can forget putting on this opera.
Genres: Music
Original Language: it
Release Date: 2005-01-19
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La Traviata
Overview: La Traviata was recorded at what was one of Venice's most exquisite 18th-century opera houses, La Fenice, tragically destroyed by fire in 1996, and now rebuilt. This glorious house is where La Traviata was premiered in 1853. In this memorable performance, Slovak soprano Edita Gruberova takes the leading role of Violetta, the tragic heroine, persuaded by Alfredo's father, Giorgio, to sacrifice her happiness with Alfredo for the sake of family honor.
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1993-02-25
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Beatrice di Tenda
Overview: Live performance from the Zurich Opera House, January 2002.
Genres: Music
Original Language: it
Release Date: 2002-01-01
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Hänsel und Gretel
Overview: Engelbert Humperdinck's beloved musical fairy tale HÄNSEL UND GRETEL is brought to life by Sir Georg Solti and an illustrious cast - all part of a shimmering production that continues to enchant audiences of all ages.
Genres: Music
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1981-01-01
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Linda di Chamounix
Overview: Acclaimed soprano Edita Gruberova stars as the title character in this 1996 production of Gaetano Donizetti's "Linda di Chamounix," featuring the Orchestra and Chorus of the Zurich Opera House under the direction of conductor Adam Fischer. Secretly in love with Viscount Carlo, Linda goes mad when she learns a marriage to another woman has been arranged for him. Jacob Will and László Polgár also star.
Genres: Music
Original Language: it
Release Date: 1996-01-01
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I Puritani
Overview: Edita Gruberova, Jose Bros, and Carlos Alvarez star in this Teatre del Liceu production of the Bellini opera conducted by Friedrich Haider and directed by Andrei Serban.
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2011-09-27
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Così fan tutte
Overview: Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker in this filmed studio performance of Mozart's opera recorded in 1988.
Genres: Music
Original Language: it
Release Date: 1989-01-01
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Strauss: Die Fledermaus
Overview: Theodor Guschlbauer conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera in this lavish staging of Johann Strauss's operetta. Recorded in 1980, the production features some of the leading performers of their day, including Lucia Popp, Edita Gruberova, Bernd Weikl, Walter Berry and Brigitte Fassbaender.
Genres: Music Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1980-12-31
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The Magic Flute
Overview: Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”
Genres: Music Documentary
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1982-08-01
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Norma
Overview: This new production of Bellinis Norma by Jürgen Rose (sets, costumes, stage direction, and lighting) to honor Edita Gruberovas first staged assumption of the title role was taped in January and February of 2006 in Munich. It does neither the opera nor the soprano any favors. In most ways, its a pretty gloomy affair.
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-01-02
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Manon Lescaut
Overview: The sets and costumes by Ponnelle are truly reflective of the 'grand style'. Plus the fact that the two lead characters are portrayed by top singers in their absolute prime - both Gruberova and Araiza weren't even 35 years old at the time of this performance, makes this production the most convincing both dramatically and musically. The conducting of Fischer is good - he makes the music come alive, much more so than the MET version.
Genres: Music
Original Language: fr
Release Date: 1983-12-28
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Verdi La Traviata
Overview: This set has Edita Gruberova singing in top form, all her scooping cast aside, which one finds in abundance in her Lucia under Richard Bonynge. Here, however, she makes ravishing use of those bits of tone that only she can produce: those instances of coloratura and dramatic legato with little asides and small florishes of style that suggest her intelligent approach and her high degree of musical involvement in this role. She does this in her I Puritani and her Anna Bolena, less so in Roberto Deveraux and Maria Stuarda(both sets). Listen to Addio del passato and the Sempre Libra...ravishing, yes, but there are again those nuances learned from Callas that she makes her own. A very singualr perform,ance, and extremely moving with its detail and cry for pity throughout..from the start even. Neil Schicoff is excellent, not an unworthy Alfredo at all! His is a great lyric tenor voice that should have been in the top line.
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1992-08-14
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The Art of Belcanto
Overview: Edita Gruberova, prima donna assoluta of the bel canto community. But what is the nature of bel canto? What is the secret of her vocal gift? These are a couple of the questions the film addresses.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-03-08
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A Christmas Celebration: Send Round the Song
Overview: Tony Randall and some children, filmed in Connecticut, provide the framework of the history of some of the carols sung by opera stars.
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1992-12-01
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Im Olymp der Kunst
Overview:
Genres: History Documentary
Original Language: de
Release Date: 2013-11-21
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