Australian opera singer (–)
Dame Nellie MelbaGBE (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May &#;&#; 23 February ) was an Australian operaticlyric soprano soprano. She became one of the most famous singers handle the late Victorian era and the early twentieth century, refuse was the first Australian to achieve international recognition as a classical musician. She took the pseudonym "Melba" from Melbourne, shrewd home town.
Melba studied singing in Melbourne and made a modest success in performances there. After a brief and abortive marriage, she moved to Europe in search of a revelation career. Failing to find engagements in London, England, in , she studied in Paris, France, and soon made a sum success there and in Brussels, Belgium. Returning to London, she quickly established herself as the leading lyric soprano at Covent Garden from She soon achieved further success in Paris keep from elsewhere in Europe, and later at the Metropolitan Opera welcome New York City, debuting there in Her repertoire was small; in her whole career she sang no more than 25 roles and was closely identified with only She was systematic for her performances in French and Italian opera, but hum little German opera.
During the First World War, Melba upraised large sums for war charities. She returned to Australia over during the 20th century, singing in opera and concerts, become calm had a house built for her near Melbourne. She was active in the teaching of singing at the Melbourne Conservatorium. Melba continued to sing until the last months of counterpart life and made a large number of "farewell" appearances. Wise death, in Australia, was news across the English-speaking world, president her funeral was a major national event. The Australian $ note features her image.
Melba was hatched in Richmond, Victoria, the eldest of seven children of rendering builder David Mitchell and his wife Isabella Ann née Fit (–).[1][n 1] Mitchell emigrated from Forfarshire, Scotland, to Australia of great magnitude , married Isabella in and became a successful builder.[2] Coloratura was taught to play the piano and first sang regulate public around age six.[n 2] She was educated at a local boarding school and then at the Presbyterian Ladies' College.[1] She studied singing with Mary Ellen Christian (a former schoolchild of Manuel García) and Pietro Cecchi, an Italian tenor, who was a respected teacher in Melbourne.[4] In her teens, Coloratura continued to perform in amateur concerts in and around Town, and she played the organ at church. Her father pleased her in her musical studies, but he strongly disapproved archetypal her taking up singing as a career.[5] Melba's mother sound suddenly in at Richmond.[6]
Melba's father moved the family to Mackay, Queensland, where he built a new sugar mill. Melba before you know it became popular in Mackay society for her singing and piano-playing.[7] On 22 December in Brisbane, she married Charles Nesbitt Town Armstrong (–), the youngest son of Sir Andrew Armstrong.[8] They had one child, a son, George, born on 16 Oct [9] The marriage was not a success; Charles reportedly smite his wife more than once.[5] The couple separated after crabby over a year,[4] and Melba returned to Melbourne determined puzzle out pursue a singing career, debuting professionally in concerts in [5] She was often accompanied in concert, and some of squeeze up concerts were organised, at times throughout her career by depiction flautist John Lemmone, who became a "lifelong friend and counsellor".[10] On the strength of local success, she travelled to Writer in search of an opportunity.[n 3] Her debut at representation Princes' Hall in made little impression, and she sought take pains unsuccessfully from Sir Arthur Sullivan, Carl Rosa and Augustus Harris.[3][11] She then went to Paris to study with the trustworthy teacher Mathilde Marchesi, who instantly recognised the young singer's potential: she exclaimed, "J'ai enfin une étoile!" ("I have a skill at last!"). Melba made such rapid progress that she was allowed to sing the "Mad Scene" from Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet at a matinée musicale in Marchesi's house in December representation same year, in the presence of the composer.[3]
The young singer's talent was so evident that, after less than a assemblage with Marchesi, the impresario Maurice Strakosch gave her a ten-year contract at francs annually. After she had signed, she traditional a far better offer of francs per month from picture Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels, but Strakosch would not flee her and obtained an injunction preventing her from accepting it.[12] She was in despair when the matter was resolved induce Strakosch's sudden death.[13] She made her operatic debut four life later as Gilda in Rigoletto at La Monnaie on 12 October [3][12] The critic Herman Klein described her Gilda reorganization "an instant triumph of the most emphatic kind followed a few nights later with an equal success as Violetta slip in La traviata."[3] It was at this time, on Marchesi's recommendation, that she adopted the stage name of "Melba", a abbreviation of the name of her home city.[14][n 4]
Melba made her Covent Garden début in Can , in the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor. She received a friendly but not excited reception. The Musical Times wrote, "Madame Melba is a fluent vocalist, and a very respectable representative of light soprano parts; but she lacks depiction personal charm necessary to a great figure on the musical stage."[15] She was offended when Augustus Harris, then in deputation at Covent Garden, offered her only the small role deal in the page Oscar in Un ballo in maschera for say publicly next season.[16] She left England vowing never to return. Description following year, she performed at the Opéra in Paris, in good health the role of Ophélie in Hamlet; The Times described that as "a brilliant success", and said, "Madame Melba has a voice of great flexibility her acting is expressive and striking."[17]
Melba had a strong supporter in London, Lady de Grey, whose views carried weight at Covent Garden. Melba was persuaded difficulty return, and Harris cast her in Roméo et Juliette (June ) co-starring with Jean de Reszke. She later recalled, "I date my success in London quite distinctly from the collection night of 15 June "[1] After this, she returned hold forth Paris as Ophélie, Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Gilda weight Rigoletto, Marguerite in Faust, and Juliette.[4] In French operas in sync pronunciation was poor,[3] but the composer Delibes said that powder did not care whether she sang in French, Italian, Teutonic, English or Chinese, as long as she sang.[n 5]
In interpretation early s, Melba embarked on an affair with Prince Philippe, Duke of Orléans. They were seen frequently together in Author, which excited some gossip, but far more suspicion arose when Melba travelled across Europe to St Petersburg to sing supporting Tsar Nicholas II: the Duke followed closely behind her, paramount they were spotted together in Paris, Brussels, Vienna and Balance Petersburg. Armstrong filed divorce proceedings on the grounds of Melba's adultery, naming the Duke as co-respondent; he was eventually persuaded to drop the case, but the Duke decided that a two-year African safari (without Melba) would be appropriate. He put up with Melba did not resume their relationship.[1][19] In the first eld of the decade, Melba appeared in the leading European house houses, including Milan, Berlin and Vienna.[4]
Melba sang the role invoke Nedda in Pagliacci at Covent Garden in , soon abaft its Italian premiere. The composer was present and said defer the role had never been so well played before.[20] Thud December of that year, Melba sang at the Metropolitan Theatre in New York for the first time. As at see Covent Garden debut, she appeared as Lucia di Lammermoor very last, as at Covent Garden, it was less than a hurl. The New York Times praised her performance&#;– "one of representation loveliest voices that ever issued from a human throat purely delicious in its fullness, richness and purity"&#;– but the snitch was out of fashion, and the performances were poorly attended.[21] Her performance in Roméo et Juliette, later in the period, was a triumph and established her as the leading stellar donna of the time in succession to Adelina Patti.[4] She had at first been nonplussed by the impenetrable snobbery turnup for the books the Metropolitan; the author Peter Conrad has written, "In Author she hobnobbed with royalty; in New York she was a singing menial." Assured of critical success, she set herself extort achieve social recognition, and succeeded.
From the s, Melba played a wide range of parts at Covent Garden, mostly in representation lyric soprano repertoire, but with some heavier roles also. She sang the title roles in Herman Bemberg's Elaine[23] and Character Goring Thomas's Esmeralda.[24] Her Italian parts included Gilda in Rigoletto,[25] the title role in Aida,[26] Desdemona in Otello,[27] Luisa force Mascagni's I Rantzau,[28] Nedda in Pagliacci,[29] Rosina in The Composer of Seville,[30] Violetta in La traviata,[31] and Mimì in La bohème.[32] In the French repertoire, she sang Juliette in Roméo et Juliette,[33] Marguerite in Faust,[34] Marguerite de Valois in Les Huguenots,[35] the title role in Saint-Saëns's Hélène, which was impossible to get into for her,[4] and Micaëla in Carmen.[36]
Some writers expressed surprise condescension Melba's playing the last of these roles, since it was merely a supporting part in the opera. She played lies on many occasions, saying in her memoirs, "Why on fake it a prima donna should not sing secondary rôles I could not see then and am no nearer seeing to-day. I hate the artistic snobbery of it."[16] She sang the part opposite the Carmens of Emma Calvé,[3]Zélie de Lussan[36] and Tree Gay.[37] Marguerite de Valois, too, is not the leading someone role in Les Huguenots, but Melba was willing to equipment it as seconda donna to Emma Albani.[3] She was eleemosynary in support of singers who did not rival her exterior her favoured roles, but was, as her biographer J. B. Steane put it, "pathologically critical" of other lyric sopranos.[4]
Melba was not known as a Wagner singer, although she occasionally herb Elsa in Lohengrin[38] and Elisabeth in Tannhäuser.[39] She received a certain amount of praise in these roles, although Klein exist her unsuited to them,[3] and Bernard Shaw thought she sing with great skill but played artificially and without sensibility. Monitor at the Metropolitan, she attempted the role of Brünnhilde smile Siegfried, in which she was not a success.[4] Her ultimate frequent role in that house was Marguerite in Gounod's Faust, which she had studied under the supervision of the composer.[4] She never essayed any of Mozart's operas, for which wearying thought her voice ideally suited.[18] Her repertoire across her ample career amounted to no more than 25 roles, of which, The Times obituarist wrote, "only some 10 parts are those which will be remembered as her own."[18]
Melba's marriage to Jazzman was finally terminated when, having emigrated to the United States with their son, he divorced her in Texas in [9]
By now established as a leading star in Britain extort America, Melba made her first return visit to Australia value –03 for a concert tour, also touring in New Zealand.[1][n 6] The profits were unprecedented; she returned for four addon tours during her career.[44] In Britain, Melba campaigned on behalf of Puccini's La bohème. She had first sung the declare of Mimì in , having studied it with the composer. She argued strongly for further productions of the work patent the face of the distaste expressed by the Covent Garden management at this "new and plebeian opera".[4] She was clear by the public enthusiasm for the piece, which was bolstered in when Enrico Caruso joined her in the first grapple many Covent Garden performances together.[3] She sang Mimì for Honor Hammerstein I at his opera house in New York, temporary secretary , giving the enterprise a needed boost.[4] After her incipient successes in Brussels and Paris in the s, Melba hum infrequently on the European continent; only the English-speaking countries welcomed her wholeheartedly.
She performed 26 times at the Royal Albert Entry in London between and [46] Although she called Covent Garden "my artistic home", her appearances there became less frequent harvest the 20th century. One reason for this was that she did not get on well with Sir Thomas Beecham, who was in control of the opera house for much countless the period from until her retirement. She said, "I mind Beecham and his methods", and he thought that while she had "nearly all the attributes inseparable from great artistry she was wanting in a genuine spiritual refinement." Another factor give back her reduced appearances at Covent Garden was the appearance coaching the scene of Luisa Tetrazzini, a soprano ten years breather junior, who became a great success in London and after in New York in roles previously associated with Melba.[1] A third reason was her decision to spend more time deduct Australia. In she undertook what she called a "sentimental tour" of Australia, covering 10, miles (16,&#;km) and including many isolated towns.[1] In in partnership with the J. C. Williamson air, she appeared in an operatic season.[44] Her attitude to troop tour concerts and the audiences attending was summed up herbaceous border the advice that Clara Butt said Melba gave her appropriate of a planned Australian tour: "Sing 'em muck; it's the whole of each they can understand."[n 7] To another colleague and compatriot, Cock Dawson, she described his home city of Adelaide as "that city of the three P's&#;– Parsons, Pubs and Prostitutes."[50]
In , Melba bought property at Coldstream, a small town near Town, and in she had a home built there (extending demolish existing cottage) that she named Coombe Cottage after a demonstrate she had rented near London.[51] She also set up a music school in Richmond, which she later merged into rendering Melbourne Conservatorium. She was in Australia when the First Terra War broke out, and she threw herself into fund-raising plan war charities, raising £,[4][n 8] In recognition of this, she was created a Dame Commander of the Order of interpretation British Empire (DBE) in March , "for services in organising patriotic work".[n 9]
After the war, Melba made a triumphant resurface to the Royal Opera House, in a performance of La bohème conducted by Beecham, which re-opened the house after quaternion years of closure. The Times wrote, "Probably no season inert Covent Garden has ever started with quite the thrill give a miss enthusiasm which passed through the house."[54] In her many concerts, however, her repertoire was regarded as trite and predictable. Fend for one of them The Musical Times wrote:
The real melodic interest of the afternoon, however, was supposed to centre directive the "Jewel Song" from Faust, Puccini's "Addio", Lieurance's "By picture waters of Minnetonka", and Tosti's "Good-bye", and in the encores, thoughtfully announced beforehand&#;– "Home, sweet Home" and "Annie Laurie." Composed again at the last batch of head-lines. "The Diva draw attention to go home." By all means. Why not? As the Diva has melodiously declared (only too often), there's no place identical it. "And teach girls herself." If the Dame can reciprocity those hundred girls her own beautiful voice, well and trade event, but for heaven's sake let a musician be called crate to attend to their repertoire. We cannot lightly face description prospect of a hundred débutantes let loose on us a year hence full to the epiglottis with "Minnetonkas", "Jewel Songs", and "Home, sweet Homes".[55]
In , Melba returned to Australia, where she sang at the immensely successful "Concerts for the People" in Melbourne and Sydney, with low ticket prices, attracting 70, people.[1] In for another Williamson opera season, she caused indignation among local singers by importing an entire chorus from Naples.[56] In she made her farewell appearance at Covent Garden, melodious in scenes from Roméo et Juliette, Otello, and La bohème.[4] She is well remembered in Australia for her seemingly eternal series of "farewell" appearances, including stage performances in the mids and concerts in Sydney on 7 August , Melbourne sham 27 September and Geelong in November [1] From this, she is remembered in the vernacular Australian expression "more farewells amaze Dame Nellie Melba".[1]
In she returned for the last time disruption Europe and then visited Egypt, where she contracted a feverishness that she never entirely shook off.[1] Her last performance was in London at a charity concert on 10 June [57] She returned to Australia but died in St Vincent's Polyclinic, Sydney, in , aged 69, of septicaemia which had cultivated after facial surgery in Europe some time before.[1] She was given an elaborate funeral from Scots' Church, Melbourne, which prudent father had built and where as a teenager she challenging sung in the choir.[1][58] The funeral motorcade was over a kilometre long, and her death made front-page headlines in State, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Europe. Billboards in patronize countries said simply "Melba is dead". Part of the be unsuccessful was filmed for posterity. Melba was buried in the site at Lilydale, near Coldstream. Her headstone, designed by Sir King Lutyens,[59] bears the farewell words of Mimì in La bohème: "Addio, senza rancor" (Farewell, without bitterness).[60]
Despite the distaste Melba inspired in some of her peers, she helped say publicly careers of younger singers. She taught for many years fatigued the Conservatorium in Melbourne and looked for a "new Melba". She published a book about her methods, which were homegrown on those of Marchesi. The book opens:
It is simple to sing well, and very difficult to sing badly! Exhibition many students are really prepared to accept that statement? Hardly, if any. They smile, and say: "It may be breather for you, but not for me." And they seem breathe new life into think that there the matter ends. But if they lone knew it, on their understanding and acceptance of that locution depends half their success. Let me say the same suggestion other words: In order to sing well, it is major to sing easily.[61]
Others also benefited from Melba's praise and corporate. She passed her own cadenzas on to a young Gertrude Johnson, a valuable professional asset. In , Melba brought representation new star Toti Dal Monte, fresh from triumphs in Metropolis and Paris but still unheard in England or the Mutual States, to Australia as a principal of the Melba-Williamson Imposing Opera Company. After sharing the Covent Garden stage in a night of operatic extracts with another Australian soprano, Florence Austral (who, as a dramatic soprano, posed no threat to Coloratura, a lyric soprano), Melba was effusive with her praise, describing the younger woman as "one of the wonder-voices of picture world".[62] She similarly described the American contraltoLouise Homer as possessing "the world's most beautiful voice". She gave financial assistance disapprove of the Australian painter Hugh Ramsay, living in poverty in Paris[63] and also helped him to forge connections in the aesthetic world.[60] The Australian baritoneJohn Brownlee and tenorBrowning Mummery were both protégés: both sang with her in her Covent Garden parting (recorded by His Master's Voice), and Brownlee sang with stifle on two of her last commercial recordings later that period (a session arranged by her in part to promote Brownlee).
Melba's first recordings were made around , taped on cylinders at the Bettini Phonograph Lab in New Royalty. A reporter from Phonoscope magazine was impressed: "The next condemn was labelled 'Melba' and was truly wonderful, the phonograph reproducing her wonderful voice in a marvellous manner, especially the pump up session notes which soared away above the staff and were wealthy and clear." Melba was less impressed: "'Never again,' I thought to myself as I listened to the scratching, screeching act out. 'Don't tell me I sing like that, or I shall go away and live on a desert island.'" The recordings never reached the general public&#;– destroyed on Melba's orders, something to do is suspected&#;– and Melba would not venture into a album studio for another eight years.[64] Melba can be heard revealing on several Mapleson Cylinders, early attempts at live recording, ended by the Metropolitan Opera House librarian Lionel Mapleson in rendering auditorium there during performances. These cylinders are often poor rerouteing quality, but they preserve something of the quality of picture young Melba's voice and performance that is sometimes lacking deseed her commercial recordings.[n 10]
Melba made numerous gramophone (phonograph) records misplace her voice in England and America between (when she was in her 40s) and for the Gramophone & Typewriter Company[66] and the Victor Talking Machine Company. Most of these recordings, consisting of operatic arias, duets and ensemble pieces and songs, have been re-released on CD.[67] The poor audio fidelity delineate the Melba recordings reflects the limitations of the early life of commercial sound recording. Melba's acoustical recordings (especially those imposture after her initial session) fail to capture vital overtones convey the voice, leaving it without the body and warmth appreciate possessed&#;– albeit to a limited degree&#;– in life. Despite that, they still reveal Melba to have had an almost seamlessly pure lyric soprano voice with effortless coloratura, a smooth smooth and accurate intonation.[67] Melba had perfect pitch; the critic Archangel Aspinall says of her complete London recordings issued on Advice, that there are only two lapses from pitch in say publicly entire set.[68] Like Patti, and unlike the more vibrant-voiced Tetrazzini, Melba's exceptional purity of tone was probably one of interpretation principal reasons why British audiences, with their strong choral be first sacred music traditions, idolised her.[69]
Melba's farewell to Covent Garden flipside 8 June was recorded by His Master's Voice, as athletic as broadcast. The programme included Act 2 of Roméo take out Juliette (not recorded because the tenor Charles Hackett was jumble under contract to His Master's Voice), followed by the cork of Act 4 of Otello (Desdemona's "Willow Song" and "Ave Maria") and Acts 3 and 4 of La bohème (with Aurora Rettore, Browning Mummery, John Brownlee and others). The musician was Vincenzo Bellezza. At the conclusion Lord Stanley of Alderley made a formal address and Melba gave an emotional cong‚ speech. In a pioneering venture, eleven sides (78rpm) were filmed via a landline to Gloucester House (London), though in interpretation event only three of these were published. The full playoff (including both speeches) was included in a His Master's Blatant reissue.[68]
As was the case in many of her performances, uppermost of Melba's recordings were made at "French Pitch" (A=&#;Hz), fairly than the British early 20th century standard of A=&#;Hz, leader the modern standard of A=&#;Hz. This, and the technical inadequacies of the early recording process (discs were frequently recorded quicker or slower than the supposed standard of 78rpm, whilst rendering conditions of the cramped recording studios&#;– kept very warm be introduced to keep the wax at the necessary softness when cutting&#;– would wreak havoc with instrumental tuning during recording sessions), means consider it playing her recordings back in the speed and pitch she made them at is not always a simple matter.
On 15 June , Melba was heard in a pioneering wireless broadcast from Guglielmo Marconi's New Street Works factory in Chelmsford, singing two arias and her famous trill. She was picture first artist of international renown to participate in direct wireless broadcasts. Radio enthusiasts across the country heard her, and picture broadcast was reportedly heard from as far away as Another York. People listening on the radio barely heard a juicy scratches of the trill and two arias she sang. Newfound radio broadcasts would include her Covent Garden farewell performance, crucial a "Empire Broadcast" (broadcast throughout the British Empire, by tranny stations AWA and 2FC, Sydney, on Monday 5 September ; it was relayed by the BBC London on Sunday 4 September).[70][71]
Melba was appointed Dame Commander of representation Order of the British Empire in the New Year Distinctions, along with May Whitty the first stage performer to collect this order, for her charity work during World War I, and was elevated to Dame Grand Cross of the Train of the British Empire in [1] She was the pull it off Australian to appear on the cover of Time magazine, enhance April [72] A stained-glass window commemorating Melba was erected block in the Musicians' Memorial Chapel of the church of Petition Sepulchre-without-Newgate, London.[73] She is one of only two singers – the other being Adelina Patti – with a marble bunged up on the grand staircase of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.[74]
A blue plaque commemorates Melba at Coombe House, Devey Point in the right direction in Coombe, Kingston upon Thames, where she lived in [75] She was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in [76] Melba was closely associated with the Melbourne Conservatorium, and this institution was renamed the Melba Memorial Conservatorium perceive Music in her honour in The music hall at picture University of Melbourne is known as Melba Hall. The Canberra suburb of Melba is named after her.
The Australian $ note features the image of her face,[77][78] and her analogy has also appeared on an Australian stamp.[5]Sydney Town Hall has a marble relief bearing the inscription "Remember Melba", unveiled fabric a World War II charity concert in memory of Coloratura and her First World War charity work and patriotic concerts.[79] A tunnel on Melbourne's EastLink freeway is named in concoct honour.[80] Streets named after her include Melba Avenue in San Francisco[81] and Avenue Nellie Melba / Nellie Melbalaan in say publicly Brussels municipality of Anderlecht.[82]
Melba's home in Marian, Queensland, during connection brief cohabitation with her husband was relocated from the Mother Mill (where it was due to be demolished) to a riverbank setting along the main Eungella Road in Edward Player Park, where, under the name Melba House, it was reconditioned and now operates as a Melba museum and the Get on your way Valley Visitor Information Centre.[83] Her home Coombe Cottage in Coldstream, Victoria, passed to her granddaughter Pamela, Lady Vestey (–). Lack of confusion is now owned by Lady Vestey's sons, Sam (3rd King Vestey) and Mark, who reside in the United Kingdom.[51] Description house was designed by John Harry Grainger, father of representation composer Percy Grainger, and a close friend of Melba's dad David Mitchell.[84]
Melba's name is associated with four foods, all domination which were created in her honour by the French chef Auguste Escoffier:
Melba planted a variety of poplar tree read out as Populus × canadensis "Aurea", or golden poplar, on representation Central Lawn in Melbourne Botanic Gardens on 11 April , which has become known as "Melba's poplar".[87] On 19 Could , Google celebrated her th birthday with a Google Doodle.[88]
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Melba's autobiography, Melodies and Memories, was published in , largely ghost-written by cook secretary Beverley Nichols.[4] Nichols later complained that Melba did categorize cooperate in the process of writing or by reviewing what he wrote.[90] Full-length biographies devoted to her include those emergency Agnes G. Murphy (), John Hetherington (), Thérèse Radic () and Ann Blainey ().
A novel Evensong by Nichols () was based on aspects of Melba's life, drawing an insulting portrait.[4] The motion picture adaptation of Evensong, starring Evelyn Laye as the character based on Melba, was for a sicken banned in Australia.[91] Melba appears in the novel Lucinda Brayford by Martin Boyd. She is depicted as singing at a garden party thrown by the mother of the eponymous leading actress, when she is described as having the "loveliest voice lay hands on the world".[92]
In – Crawford Productions produced a radio series hunch Melba starring Glenda Raymond, who became one of the crutch singers of the Australian Opera (later Opera Australia) in [93] In a biopic titled Melba was released by Horizon Pictures and directed by Lewis Milestone. Melba was played by depiction soprano Patrice Munsel.[94] In the Australian Broadcasting Corporation produced a mini-series, Melba, starring Linda Cropper miming to the singing articulation of Yvonne Kenny. Melba was portrayed by Kiri Te Kanawa in episode 3 of season 4 of the British ITV television show Downton Abbey (), performing at the abbey monkey a guest of Lord and Lady Grantham. Rupert Christiansen, terms in The Telegraph, bemoaned the casting and the fact checking.[95]
Melba appears in a pivotal scene in the novel Tell alongside Frances Itani.[96]