Edita Gruberova - Great Moments of Edita Gruberova (1995)

Edita Gruberová is a coloratura soprano, best known for her performances of Mozart and Strauss operas, but also strongly identified with the bel canto revival. She studied in her hometown of Bratislava, and then in Vienna and Prague, finally making her professional debut as Rosina in Rossini's Barber of Seville at the Slovak National Theater in 1968. An engagement to sing Mozart's Queen of the Night with the Vienna State Opera in 1970 was pivotal in establishing her career. She joined the company as a regular member in 1972, and before long she had made successful debuts at Glyndebourne (1973), the Salzburg Festival (1974, as Thibault in Verdi's Don Carlo with Karajan), and the Metropolitan Opera (1977, again as Mozart's Queen). During the late 1970s and early 1980s she debuted at many of the world's other major houses, including Covent Garden, La Scala, and the Chicago Lyric, but her schedule remained focused around the houses of central Europe -- a trend that has continued throughout her career. As of 2004, Gruberová was still pursuing a full schedule of operatic and concert appearances.

Other Mozart roles that Gruberová is strongly associated with include Constanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and, somewhat surprisingly, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni -- a more lyrical role that lacks the high-flying coloratura that is usually her calling card. Her performances of Zerbinetta in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos are considered among the best ever heard. Among the bel canto operas, Donizetti's Lucia and Anna Bolena, Rossini's Semiramide, and Bellini's I Capuleti e I Montecchi have figured prominently in her success. ~ Allen Schrott