Description

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

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. Annie Laurie (Lady Scott arr Liza Lehmann) (w. orch) 88551 C17001 Victor, Camden NJ 1916-01-12
2. Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod) (vln Kubelik) 89073 C13897 Victor, Camden NJ 1913-10-02
3. Believe me if all those endearing young charms (trad) 88156 C6701 Victor, New York 1909-01-01
4. Bohème (Puccini) Donde lieta usci (Addio) 88072 C4341 Victor, 1907-03-27
5. Bohème (Puccini) O soave fanciulla (w. Caruso) 95200 C4326 Victor, 1907-03-24
6. Bohème (Puccini) Sì, mi chiamano Mimì 88074 C4281 Victor, 1910-08-22
7. By the brook (Wetzger) (piano solo by Melba) 70023 C9375 Victor, Camden NJ 1910-11-07
8. Comin’ thro’ the rye (trad) 88449 C13907 Victor, Camden NJ 1913-10-04
9. Don César de Bazan (Massenet) Sevillana 88252 C9370 Victor, Camden NJ 1910-08-24
10. D’une prison (Hahn) 88151 C6700 Victor, New York 1909-01-01
11. Faust (Gounod) Ah! Je ris de me voir si belle 88066 C4338 Victor, 1910-08-22
12. Goodbye (Tosti) 88065 C4340 Victor, Camden NJ 1910-08-26
13. Hamlet (Thomas) A vos jeux, mes amis… Un doux serment 88069 C4354 Victor, 1907-03-29
14. Hamlet (Thomas) Pâle et blonde 88070 C4355 Victor, 1907-03-29
15. Il Pensieroso (Händel) Sweet bird 88068 C4358 Victor, 1907-03-30
16. Il Re Pastore (Mozart) L’amerò, sarò costante (vln Kubelik) 89074 C13896 Victor, Camden NJ 1913-10-02
17. John Anderson, my Jo (White) 88455 C13905 Victor, Camden NJ 1913-10-03
18. Lo! Here the gentle Lark (Bishop) 88073 C4350 Victor, 1907-03-28
19. Louise (Charpentier) Depuis le jour (w. orch) 88477 C13900 Victor, Camden NJ 1913-10-03
20. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Alfin son tua (Mad scene) 88071 C4349 Victor, 1907-03-30

1. Magdalen at Michael’s gate (Lehmann) 88452 C13898 Victor, Camden NJ 1913-10-02
2. Mattinata (Tosti) (pf Melba) 88077 C4360 Victor, 1907-03-30
3. Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) Voi che sapete 88067 C4353 Victor, 1907-03-29
4. O lovely night (Ronald) 88157 C6706 Victor, New York 1909-01-06
5. Old folks at home (Foster) 88454 C13904 Victor, Camden NJ 1913-10-03
6. Otello (Verdi) Ave Maria 88149 C6705 Victor, Camden NJ 1910-08-25
7. Otello (Verdi) Salce, salce 88148 C6704 Victor, New York 1909-01-06
8. Per valli, per boschi (Blangini) (w. Gilibert) 89011 C4347 Victor, 1907-03-28
9. Rigoletto (Verdi) Caro nome 88078 C4283 Victor, 1907-03-05
10. Roi d’Ys (Lalo) Vainement ma bien-aimée (Aubade) 88250 C9372 Victor, Camden NJ 1910-08-25
11. Romance (Mandoline) (Debussy) 88456 C13899 Victor, Camden NJ 1913-10-03
12. Se saran rose (Melba waltz) (Arditi) 88076 C4356 Victor, 1907-03-29
13. Serenata (Tosti) 88079 C4342 Victor, 1907-03-27
14. Si mes vers avaient des ailes (Hahn) 88080 C4352 Victor, 1907-03-29
15. Songs my mother taught me (Dvořák) (w. orch) 88485 C17002 Victor, Camden NJ 1916-01-12
16. The white sea mist (Ronald) 03134 C6699 Victor, New York 1909-01-01
17. Tosca (Puccini) Vissi d’arte 88075 C4282 Victor, Camden NJ 1910-08-25
18. Traviata (Verdi) Ah! fors’è lui…Sempre libera 88064 C4339 Victor, 1907-03-27
19. Un ange est venu (Bemberg) (w. Gilibert) 89012 C4348 Victor, 1907-03-28
20. Ye banks and braes o’ bonnie Doon (trad) 88150 C6707 Victor, New York 1909-01-06