Description

NELLIE MELBA (RICHMOND, NEAR MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 19 MAY, 1861 — SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 23 FEBRUARY, 1931)

 

 

 

 

Her real name was Helen Porter Mitchell. She called herself Melba in memory of her hometown Melbourne. The family she came from was of Scottish descent. Her father, David Mitchell, emigrated to Australia in 1852. At the age of six she appeared in the concert hall and sang two ballads in Scottish dialect. She received her first singing lessons from Mme Ellen Christians. In 1882 she married Captain Charles Porter Armstrong, who owned a sugar cane farm in North Queensland, at a very young age. From this marriage she gave birth to her son, but in 1883 she separated from her husband. Now she finally decided to become a singer and received lessons from the Italian educator Pietro Cecchi in Melbourne. In 1885 she sang the soprano solo in “Messiah” in Sydney. In 1886 she came to Europe for further training. She gave a concert in London that was unsuccessful. She then became a student of the famous pedagogue Mathilde Marchesi de Castrone in Paris. When she heard her voice for the first time, she is said to have called to her husband: “Salvatore, enfin j’ai trouvé une étoile!”. In 1887 she made her debut (against the advice of Mathilde Marchesi) at the Brussels Opera as Gilda in “Rigoletto”, where she had a sensational success. Then she appeared there as Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, Lakmé and Ophélie in “Hamlet” with similar success. In 1888 she was celebrated as Lucia di Lammermoor at the Covent Garden Opera in London. At this house, her spectacular success as Juliette in C. Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” (1889) let her to become the sovereign prima donna assoluta of the Covent Garden Opera for 40 years. In 1889 she performed at the Grand Opéra Paris as Juliette and Ophélie. In 1890 she sang the role of Micaela in “Carmen” at the Opéra-Comique Paris together with Célestine Galli-Marié, the Carmen of the world premiere, Jean de Reszke and Jean Lassalle. In 1890 and 1893 she was a guest in St. Petersburg, where Tsar Alexander III. Gave her a diamond necklace worth $ 100,000. In 1893 she made her debut at La Scala in Milan as Lucia di Lammermoor. In the 1893-96 seasons, also in 1898, 1902-03, 1905-06 and 1911-12 seasons she appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Here she made her debut as Lucia di Lammermoor, then, among others, appeared as Nedda in the premiere of R. Leoncavallo’s opera “Pagliacci” (1893). Guest performances and concert tours brought her triumphs after triumphs all over the world. In 1902, 1909, 1911 and 1924 she undertook glamorous tours in her Australian homeland. In 1911 she toured Australia with an opera company she had assembled. During the years of the First World War, she lived on her country estate Lilydale near Melbourne, gave numerous charity concerts and taught at the Albert Street Conservatory in Melbourne. For a performance at the Metropolitan Opera she received a fee of 3,000 dollars, which was huge for the time, and 11,750 dollars for a concert in Sydney. For many years she remained the prima donna assoluta of the London Covent Garden Opera. At this opera house she appeared for the last time in a gala performance in 1926, and still at that time her voice had the fresh youthfulness of the timbre as at the beginning of her career. Before that she had embarked on a glamorous farewell tour through Australia in 1924. In 1928 she arranged another tour of Australia with important artists whom she had signed for the Melba-Williamson Opera Company. In 1928 she gave last concert in Sydney. As Dame of the British Empire, she was raised to the nobility by the English king in 1918. From 1926 she was president of the Melbourne Conservatory. In 1931, on her return journey from England to Australia, she fell ill on board the ship and died shortly after her arrival in Sydney.  She wrote her memoirs under the title Melodies and Memories (London, 1925). Her life was made into a film in 1953, with Patrice Munsel playing the great singer. The famous cook Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935) named after her an ice cream he invented (“Pêche Melba”) and a toast (“Toast Melba”). Lit .: WR Moran: “Nellie Melba. A Contemporary Review” (Westport, Conn., 1985); John Hetherington, “Melba” (London, 1967); J.Wechsberg: “Red Plush and Black Velvet” (Toronto / Boston, 1968).

 

 

TRACKLIST

  

 

1. Auld lang syne (trad) (w. Roberts, Pike & Dawson) 3615 7201½b G&T, London 1905-09-04
2. Ave Maria (Gounod) (vln Kubelik) 03033 401c G&T, London 1904-10-20
3. Away on a hill there runs a stream (Ronald) (pf Ronald) 3619 7205b G&T, London 1905-09-04
4. Come back to Erin (Claribel) 3616 7202½b G&T, London 1905-09-04
5. Elaine (Bemberg) L’amour est pur (w. female chorus, pf Bemberg) unpubl, 690c G&T, London 1906-07-11
6. Faust (Gounod) Jewel song 03048 522c G&T, London 1905-09-05
7. God save the King (trad) (w. Band of Coldstream Guards) 3625 7200b G&T, London 1905-09-04
8. Goodbye (Tosti) (three verses) 03050 524c G&T, London 1905-09-05
9. Goodnight (Scott-Gatty) (w. Roberts, Pike & Dawson) 3618 7204b G&T, London 1905-09-04
10. 11. Hamlet (Thomas) Mad scene, pt 1 and pt 2 (w. orch) 03023 03024 20 21 G&T, London 1904-03
11. Home sweet home (Bishop) (pf Melba) 03049 523c G&T, London 1905-09-05
12. La Serenata (Tosti) 03034 402c G&T, London 1904-10-20
13. Les anges pleurent (Bemberg) (pf Bemberg) 3576 6151b G&T, London 1904-10-20
14. Lo, here the gentle lark (Bishop) 03047 521c G&T, London 1905-09-05
15. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Mad scene 03020 12 G&T, London 1904-03
16. Mattinata (Tosti) 03015 1 G&T, London 1904-03
17. Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) Porgi amor 03028 26-1 G&T, London 1904-03
18. Nymphes et sylvains (Bemberg) 03016 2 G&T, London 1904-03
19. Old folks at home (Foster) (w. Roberts, Pike & Dawson) 3617 7203b G&T, London 1905-09-04
20. Rigoletto (Verdi) Caro nome 03025 22-3 G&T, London 1904-03
21. Roi d’Ys (Lalo) Aubade 03072 693c G&T, London 1906-07-11
22. Roméo et Juliette (Gounod) Valse 03035 404c G&T, London 1904-10-20
23. Si mes vers (Hahn) 03029 27-1 G&T, London 1904-03
24. Sur le lac (Bemberg) (pf Bemberg) 03046 520c G&T, London 1905-09-05