Customer Reviews

Edita Gruberova - Queen of Coloratura ~ Arias by Donizetti, Mozart, J. Strauß, Verdi

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love many coloratura sopranos but I must say that Edita Gruberova is one of the very few sopranos who can conquer the challenging terrain of coloratura fireworks and still sound like a deeply philosophical brain is at work. She is more than vocal wizardy... she is intelligent, profound interpretation. Her voice is haunting with its mixture of purity and moodiness somehow combined but her artistry catapults her into the stratosphere. For me the best track on this cd is her exquisitely controlled rendition of Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!; it floats literally out of this world... I own recordings with about 4 or 5 different sopranos singing that aria and no one comes remotely close to matching Gruberova's technical skills. She is one of the best Donna Annas I've heard, with her elegant, driving anger sounding much more aristocratic and wounded than many another's outburst. I don't know how anyone can sound ethereal and deep at the same time but her's is a truly unique voice and of all my Gruberova cds, this is my favorite.

Really, for all of those of you who have already named your own "queen of coloratura" (from Sutherland to Sills to Sumi Jo to Swenson), there's no need to scoff at the title of this album. This is not warfare against other singers of this 'fach', but rather a noteworthy compilation of Miss Gruberova singing arias as celebrated as her career. So what if the strataspheric notes (you know, G above high C? ) have no vibrato? THESE NOTES BELONG TO ONLY A SELECT FEW! And they're all perfectly pitched and well balanced. THAT'S what crowns her as a 'queen of coloratura'. This album has made me one of her fans. I'm sure you'll enjoy this album, as well!

Is this the worst cover they could find, or was there anything else left in the file labeled "Revenge of the Eightes: The Bridal Years"?
Pay no mind: on this CD, Gruberova's easy high notes alone are worth suffering through the visual horror. She cuts to the chase and starts with Queen of the Night's Hoelle Rache, a very very good one. And the orchestra is very, very loud. This is Mozart with subtlety of a sledge hammer, but it works well with Gruberova's athletic style.
Donna Anna that follows is interesting- Or Sai Chi L'Onore is strong, but lyrical. Gruberova sang a mean Donna Anna live and this is strong evidence for how good she was it in that role. Non mir dir is overdone and swooned somewhat, but it still works.
Another Mozart aria that follows, Dalla sponda tenebrosa, is good too, if overswooned again, and Vorrei spiegarvi gives us more of Edita's trademark top notes and lyrical poise, and some high octane energy- this is a live recording and the ovation at the end is well earned.
What doesn't quite work is the rest of the album; Ah, se in ciel is flat in places, Lucia's scene is overdone and overcrooned in the worst way, Violetta's scene is cut in half and bland. The end piece, Klange der Heimat by Strauss is OK, just about that.
Gruberova was a veritable force on opera stages- still is, but this is a mish mash collection, exciting in places but uneven. Another CD she released, the "The Art of Coloratura" has more interesting choices, but the cover that is even worse. Take your pick.

Edita Gruberova makes this a very nice album, easy to listen to. Some of the cuts are extremely well done, others are a bit bland. On the whole, though, a worthwhile item to purchase.

Mozart's "Die Holle Rache," from "Die Zauberflote," starts the album. One of the best examples of her skills on this CD. Her voice easily reaches the high notes (and there are a lot of them!); she nails the highest notes of all in a way that seems effortless. Overall, good technique. Another Mozart aria, "Or sai qui l'onore," from "Don Giovanni," is well and strongly sung; as well, one gets a sense of the character through Gruberova's singing.

Other items worth noting in some detail. Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," of course, presents sopranos with one of the premier coloratura roles. Here, there are four examples. Her voice is clearly heard in the ensemble piece (not all sopranos can say that, although her final high note was almost drowned out by the orchestra). "Il dolce suono" and "Ohime! sorge il tremendo fantasma" are okay, but seem a bit on the bland side. Needless to say, I was most interested in listening to the remarkable cabaletta of the "Mad Scene," "Spargi d'amaro pianto." And while the singing was sound, it did not excite. Her agile voice is right for this piece; she hit the high notes well. But her trills were only adequate--except for one wonderful trill off of a high note. To be considered a great coloratura, I have to confess, I want to hear great trills. Also, the ornamentation was a little tame.

The aria from "La Traviata" would have been much better if the associated florid piece, "Sempre libera," had been included. However, her singing seemed to catch the emotions of this aria nicely. The one item from "Die Fledermaus" was fun, spritely sung.

There are other components of this CD, too.

All in all, a good, but not great, coloratura album. Key difficulties: lack of a great trill and rather plain ornamentation in the Mad Scene. Key pluses: a wonderfully agile voice; clean high notes; an ability to connect to the character in her singing.

So, a CD worth purchasing. . . .

All I can say is, I'm waiting for the day when I can hear Edita Gruberova challenged. Here, we have the most difficult repertoire of all time: advanced coloratura arias by Mozart, Strauss and Verdi that make Soprano's quiver, and Donizetti's most challenging creation of Lucia di Lammermoor -- and Gruberova sings it like ice cream! What I mean by that is that she has a ridiculously ease with it ALL. Everything I've ever heard is SOOO easy for this woman!

"Vorrei Spiegarvi, oh Dio!" is sung live and she just slays the audience. Pitch is absolutely perfect (she's showing off!) and tone is pure and beautiful. She even floats a rarely done high G in the middle just for the fun of it.

Her Lucia arias are by far among the most amazing interpretations in history. Though no one can beat Beverly Sills are far as pyrotechnic coloratura extra ornamentation, her truthful acting and easy popping high notes are remarkable! All of the written high notes at the end of phrasing sounds right smack in the middle of her range! You almost assume the key has been lowered.
What I found incredibly disappointing and cheated with, is that on this CD is from La Traviata: 'E strano! e strano ... Ah, fors e' lui.' But no where to be found is the END of this set of arias: "Sempre libera." "Sempre libera" is the high excitement climax of this and it's not included! But all aside, these are sung with utter compassion and emotional committment. I now intend to purchase a full version of Gruberova's Traviata.

Also memorable is Strauss' Die Fledermaus: 'Klange der Heimat.' Again, technical mastery and very easy high note at the end.

Quite pleased that I now have such a collection Gruberova's versions of these arias. A must-have for Gruberova fans.

Right away, we get Queen of the Night, which is very good, overall very fine. However, Gruberova doesn't have the rich texture and the power like Lucia Popp. Nevertheless, how many voices sound even remotely like this!!!

I'm a great fan of coloratura singing and have samples of just about all the great coloratura sopranos (Sutherland, Sills, Pons, Grist, Dessay, et al) and I must admit that Gruberova is one of the best. However, I must say her voice leaves me somewhat cold - very little vibrato and lot of scooping makes about 50% of her notes something less than "spot on", which is distracting. In particular, her "Vorrei spiegarvi, o Dio!" is, in my mind, a tragedy. Her intonation is shaky throughout and the scooping and crooning is horrendous! If you want to hear a truly great rendition of this really challenging number, listen to Beverly Sills' studio recording (included on "The Singers: Beverly Sills"). Talk about amazing!

Don't mean to rain on anyone's parade (for Gruberova is a truly fine singer and many of the tracks on this album are worth hearing), but just felt compelled to point out another view on "Vorrei. . .", particularly.

I first heard Edita Gruberova perform as "The Queen of the Night" in the Met's 1977 production of Mozart's "Magic Flute." I was astounded!! 25 years later, her voice is still as stunning as it was then. This is a release which showcases Edita's colatura prowess perfectly. The title is befitting this supremely talented diva!