“Poussières d’amour” – “Waste of Love” is the name of a documentary by the great prima donna lover Werner Schroeter about three of his singer idols. And “Poussières d’amour” also had to be considered when looking at the 153 lots in the online auction “The Edita Gruberová Collection”, which was a success on September 7th at Dorotheum in Vienna.
It was not even a year ago that the life of the “Slovakian nightingale”, who was celebrated mainly in Vienna, Munich, Zurich and Japan for her feather-light and seemingly ageless vocal flights of fancy, came to an abrupt end through an accident in her empty Zurich swimming pool came. Edita Gruberová was 74 years old, on December 20, 2019 she had her very last appearance in Gersthofen near Augsburg. A unique artist, a total work of art in her own way, one of the last of her kind.
In the auction offer, this career was reduced to colorful concert dresses, worn shoes, jewelry (a diamond necklace for 45,000 euros was the lot with the highest estimate), a few important stage memorabilia, old furniture, silver sugar bowls, her grand piano, the medals and some art objects. It is known that her divorced husband and father of her children committed suicide in 1983 as a result of depression. The relationship with the two daughters is said not to have been the best.
Sad to see that two things in particular, ticket numbers 6 and 8, which she was proud of and which symbolize her career, have now been rudely monetised, although they could have been generously donated to theater museums. Because both were presented to the strong coloratura soprano at her anniversary concerts and stage farewells, which were acclaimed endlessly and tearfully by the fans.
Lot number 8 is a reminder of Gruberová’s rookie days. After her move from Slovakia to Vienna, she was left to sour in small roles. It was only in 1976, four years later, that Karl Böhm finally gave her the role of Zerbinetta in a new production of Ariadne auf Naxos. As a powerful coloratura princess, she became legendary, especially in this Filippo Sanjust costume. The cheeky brat who approaches the desperate composer, who frivolously disturbs the serious opera with a straw hat, cloth bag and little umbrella, that was entirely Gruberová.
Now “bodice top made of violet velvet, silver-colored metal buttons, skirt made of striped silk, beige flounced petticoat with lace trimmings and red bows, with pompadour made of striped and wine-red silk with cream-colored trimmings and peak and straw hat, labels of the Vienna State Opera” are hanging limp on a tailor’s dummy – auctioned for around 20,000 euros. Lot number 6, the prop crown of Elisabetta from Donizetti’s “Roberto Devereux” in Munich, brought a good 6600 euros, that quintessence of the dramatic-tragic bel canto from Gruberová’s long late phase.
The many pictures and sculptures by the Viennese painter of fantastic realism, Ernst Fuchs, in this estate were surprising. He had once equipped a “Medea” production in which she was there. This explains the enthusiasm for the artist, which extends to portraits that are terribly copied from album cover photos.
“You can touch people’s souls with singing. That’s the greatest thing there is,” said Gruberová. Her voice has gone silent. Perhaps one or the other bidder will have a memory from their estate, which has now spread all over the world.
