(June 15, 1872 - February 22, 1932)
Johanna Gadski was one of the best known and most recorded sopranos of her time. Born and trained in Germany, she debuted in 1889, when she was seventeen, and remained active in her career until her death at the age of fifty-nine. She was most known for her Wagnerian roles but also branched out into Italian and other German roles. Two of her most noted performances were that of Isolde and Brunnhilde. While many opera singers are limited to certain roles, Gadski had an unusually wide range vocally which allowed her to sing a more impressive number of characters.
Gadski was not particularly beautiful but neither was she arrogant. While other famous women in her field were known for their extravagant demands and poor behavior, Gadski was appreciated for her gentle manner and strong work ethic. She made her singing debut at Covent Garden in 1899 and, in the same year, also became a member of the Metropolitan Opera, where she remained for much of her career. When she first began singing in New York critics did not like her voice and felt that American audiences would not care for her performances. Contrary to their predictions, however, Gadski sang more frequently at the Metropolitan Opera than any of the other famous sopranos of time.
When the United States joined the war in 1917 the Met stopped performing all German operas and released their German performers, including Gadski. Additionally, Gadski's husband was arrested for his participation in an attempted war crime and, in the aftermath, Gadski was quoted as saying that she would have personally participated in blowing up American forces. Eventually her husband was acquitted and she explained her remarks as having been twisted by the reporter who published them, but her reputation still suffered greatly. Ultimately, though, she and her husband were both granted citizenship in the United States in 1925.
Because of the war, she was unable to sing again professionally until 1921, when she began touring; however, she did not sing opera again until 1929, when she and a friend created the German Grand Opera Company. She toured and sang with her company until her death in a car accident in Germany in 1932.
Resources
Bruder, Harold. "Liner Notes." The Complete Johanna Gadski Vol. 1. 1997. www.marstonrecords.com/Gadski/gladski_liner.htm.
An introduction to Gadski and her career are included in the first volume of her over 100 recordings.
Migliorini, L., and N. Ridley. 'Johanna Gadski.' Record Collector xi (1957), 196-231[with discography], 257-85; xii (1958-60), 36.
An article on Gadski's life and work including a detailed section on her specific roles and critique of her performance on a number of recordings.