Portrait of Dame Nellie Melba GBE by Henry Walter Barnett

Dame Nellie Melba, GBE (19 May 1861 – 23 February 1931), born Helen Porter Mitchell, legendary Australian opera soprano and probably the most famous of all sopranos, was the first Australian to achieve international recognition in the form. She and Dame May Whitty both became the first entertainers to become a DBE in 1918. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Opera (disambiguation). ... This article is about the voice-type. ... Dame May Whitty DBE (19 June 1865–29 May 1948), born Mary Louise Whitty, was an Oscar-nominated English theatre and cinema actress. ... DBE can stand for: Dominet Bank Ekstraliga Dame of the British Empire, an honorific in the United Kingdom Categories: | ...

Family

Melba was born at "Doonside" in Richmond (now an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria) into a musical family, attending the prestigious Presbyterian Ladies' College, where her musical talent emerged. She moved with her father David Mitchell to Queensland in 1880. Richmond is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ... VIC redirects here. ... Presbyterian Ladies College (P.L.C), Melbourne, is an independent girls school in Burwood, Victoria, Australia. ... David Mitchell was the Austalian builder of Scots Church, Melbourne. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd...

Marriage

She married Charles Nisbett Frederick Armstrong, the son of a baronet, who managed a property near Mackay, Queensland. They had one son. Although on paper the marriage lasted almost twenty years, in practice it was over within two. Melba wanted to sing and hated the tiny rural town and the simple weatherboard house. In the long wet season, mildew grew on everything and the piano fell to pieces. Melba was a free spirit; motherhood and social conventions did not suit her, although later in life she was close to her son and grandson. She escaped back to Melbourne to plan for the trip to Europe. Her mother in law, keen not to lose a grandson, helped Melba with introductions during her early career. Later when famous, a scandal occurred after the news of her affair with Philippe, Duke of Orleans, the heir of the Bourbon pretender to the French throne, became public. They had travelled across Europe to St Petersburg in a private train carriage and been seen together in a box at the opera. The affair led to her husband filing divorce proceedings against her. Mackay is the name of: Mackay, Queensland, Australia Mackay, Idaho, USA This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd...

Professional career

In 1886, she travelled to Europe with her family in an attempt to begin a musical career. With no success in London, (although promised parts by Sir Arthur Sullivan), she continued to Paris where a prominent music teacher, Madame Mathilde Marchesi, agreed to tutor her. Melba's first starring role (as Gilda) was at the Theatre de la Monnaie, Brussels and she returned to London to Lady de Grey's patronage, ensuring her success with the aristocratic audience at Covent Garden. Thus began a professional career in Australia, England, Europe and the United States that saw her as the prima donna at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden through to the 1920s. She was feted by royalty and her recordings for HMV always cost at least one shilling more than any other singer's, having their own distinctive mauve label as well. Before the War, Melba nights were social events and the audience blazed with jewels. Melba herself wore couture costumes by Worth of Paris and her own jewels. The Performing Arts Collection (Melbourne, Vic.) holds a cloak made for Melba to wear in Lohengrin and the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, has a less glamorous velvet dress worn in Faust. Melba also sang in New York at the Met and Chicago, and famously, at Oscar Hammerstein's opera house, drawing the Met audiences to his new theatre, even though Caruso was singing at the Met. She rescued the house financially. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (May 13, 1842 – November 22, 1900) was an English composer best known for his operatic collaborations with librettist W. S. Gilbert. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Mathilde Marchesi (born: Mathilde Graumann; March 24, 1821 – November 17, 1913) was a mezzo-soprano, teacher of singing, and exponent of the bel canto technique. ... For other places with the same name, see Brussels (disambiguation). ... Look up Prima donna in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Floral Hall of the Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House is a performing arts venue in London. ... Covent Garden is a district in London, located on the easternmost parts of the City of Westminster and the southwest corner of the London Borough of Camden. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ... Powerhouse entry The Powerhouse Museum is Sydneys museum of science and technology. ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... This article is about the state. ... The Met refers to different things in different places, but is generally an abbreviation of the term metropolitan. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... There were two notable Oscar Hammersteins: Oscar Hammerstein I, cigar manufacturer, opera impresario, and theatre builder Oscar Hammerstein II, Broadway lyricist, songwriting partner of Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For the song Caruso by Lucio Dalla, see Caruso (song). ...

It was also Marchesi who persuaded her to adopt a suitable stage name. 'Melba' was chosen as a contraction of the name of her native city.^[1]

Melba visited New Zealand in February 1903 after her tour of Australia. She arrived in Invercargill from Hobart and was welcomed by Sir Joseph and Lady Ward (Otago Daily Times, February 17, p.6.). After giving one concert in Dunedin she travelled to Christchurch. She was interviewed on the train. (The Press, February 20, p.5). The Wellington concert was on Monday February 23 and reviewed the following day (Evening Post, February 24, p. 5.). is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Coldstream

In 1909, she bought Coombe Cottage at Coldstream, a small town 50 km east of Melbourne. The house is located at the current juncture of Maroondah Highway and Melba Highway (named in her honour). Coombe Cottage is now the residence of Melba's granddaughter, Pamela, Lady Vestey (the mother of the 3rd Lord Vestey). Melba also set up a music school in Richmond, which she later merged into the Melbourne Conservatorium. Coldstream is a small town just outside eastern suburban Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... The Maroondah Highway is a highway in the east of Melbourne. ... The Melba Highway connects the outer eastern suburb of Coldstream, near Lilydale, and the town of Yea, in Victorias Central Highlands on the Goulburn Valley Highway. ... The Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music is a school of music located in Melbourne, Australia. ...

Awards

She was appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1918 for her charity work during World War I, and was elevated to Dame Grand Cross of the British Empire in 1927. She and Dame May Whitty were the first entertainers to be awarded the honour of Dame Commander of the British Empire. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... A statue of an armoured knight of the Middle Ages For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... Dame May Whitty DBE (19 June 1865–29 May 1948), born Mary Louise Whitty, was an Oscar-nominated English theatre and cinema actress. ...

Melba was the first Australian to appear on the cover of Time magazine, in April 1927.^[2] “TIME” redirects here. ...

Melba as Marguerite

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Legends and anecdotes

Despite the angelic voice for which she was admired, she was also known for her demanding, temperamental diva persona; often she would make last-minute decisions before a performance, and often would deliberately upstage other sopranos during their performances, grabbing the attention for herself.^{[citation needed]} She felt that the three words "I am Melba" were sufficient to explain her every wish or whim. She tolerated no rivals. The tenor John McCormack, on the night of his London debut, attempted to take a bow with her on stage, but she pushed him back forcefully. "In this house, no one takes a bow with Melba."^{[citation needed]} McCormack acknowledged the beauty of her voice, however, when he said that he had once failed to sing the response to Melba's phrase as he was listening to her singing. This article is about the supernatural being. ... For other senses of this word, see diva (disambiguation). ... Persona literally means mask , although it does not usually refer to a literal mask but to the social masks all humans supposedly wear. ... This article is about Tenor vocalists in music. ... John McCormack John McCormack (14 June 1884 - 16 September 1945), was a world-famous Irish tenor in the fields of opera and popular music, and renowned for his flawless diction and superb breath control. ...

If a singer's greatness can be gauged by how detested she was by colleagues, then Melba would undoubtedly be the greatest singer of all time. In Emma Eames' memoirs, Melba is an unnamed wicked force who frustrated opportunity after opportunity for Eames. Titta Ruffo, Rosa Ponselle, John McCormack, Luisa Tetrazzini, Frances Alda, and others also spoke of their unpleasant experiences with Melba.^{[citation needed]} Emma Eames later in life averred that Melba had a beautiful voice, but of her portrayal of Marguerite in Gounod's Faust (illustration, left), Eames quipped that "She would have hung the jewels off her nose if she could!"^{[citation needed]} Emma Eames (August 13, 1865 - June 13, 1952) was a successful opera singer whose career lasted four decades. ... Titta Ruffo, Italian opera singer (Pisa, June 9, 1877 - Florence, July 5, 1953), was generally regarded as the greatest Italian baritone of his generation - or any generation since. ... Rosa Ponselle (born Meriden, Connecticut 1897 - died near Baltimore, Maryland 1981), was an American soprano. ... John McCormack John McCormack (14 June 1884 - 16 September 1945), was a world-famous Irish tenor in the fields of opera and popular music, and renowned for his flawless diction and superb breath control. ... Categories: Stub | 1871 births | 1940 deaths ... Frances Alda (born Fanny Jane Davis) (May 31, 1885? - September 18, 1952) was a New Zealand operatic soprano. ... Faust is an opera in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carrés play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Goethes Faust, Part I. It debuted at the Théatre-Lyrique in Paris on March 19, 1859. ...

Some poetic justice occurred when Enrico Caruso, during a performance of La bohème, as a joke, pressed a hot sausage into her hand that he'd hidden in his pocket as he sang "Che gelida manina, se la lasci riscaldar."("What a cold little hand, let me warm it")^{[citation needed]} Poetic Justice is a 1993 drama/romance film starring Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Regina King and Joe Torry. ... For the song Caruso by Lucio Dalla, see Caruso (song). ... For other uses, see La bohème (disambiguation). ...

Melba described Florence Austral as "One of the wonder voices of the World", hardly the remark of a diva so ungenerous to her colleagues.^{[citation needed]} She was from a previous generation to Caruso and his colleagues above. She found Caruso coarse and uncultivated, as shown by his sense of humour in the sausage incident.^{[citation needed]} Tetrazzini was simply outsung by Melba and the Covent Garden audiences decided, not Melba.^{[citation needed]} Her colleagues of the earlier days, such as the great de Reszke brothers, a tenor and a bass, did not complain of such treatment. On the recording of her Covent Garden farewell, in tears, she even thanks the "dear Stagehands". Florence Austral (26 April 1892 - 16 May 1968) was an Australian operatic soprano renowned for her interpretation of Wagnerian roles. ... Jean de Reszke, born Jan Mieczyslaw, (14 January 1850 - 3 April 1925) was a Polish operatic tenor born in Warsaw. ... Edouard de Reszke Edouard de Reszke, born as Edward (22 December 1853 - 25 May 1917) was a Polish operatic bass born in Warsaw. ...

Once, two tradesmen were working at Coombe Cottage and Melba overheard one of them say he had never heard her. Melba sat them down and accompanied herself in an impromptu concert at the piano, not stinting on the time. Of course there are many legends about Melba and the exact truth will probably never be known, as Melba, ever the businesswoman, encouraged them herself.

As a final proof of the kinder side of her nature, she undertook strenuous tours of small Australian country towns where she would often perform only in a wooden hall. The concerts were sold out and the windows were left open, partly because of the heat and partly because Melba wanted Australians to hear her. Many even listened from underneath the floor, the halls being built up off the ground and the wooden structure providing excellent acoustics. Of course the famous tale of her advising Dame Clara Butt to "sing 'em muck", referring to Butt's forthcoming tour of Australia, is another side of the legend. Clara Butt (1872-1936) was an operatic singer. ...

Patronage of others

Despite the hatred Melba may have inspired in her colleagues, Melba was respected and did help the careers of younger singers. She taught for many years at the Conservatorium in Melbourne and looked for a "new Melba". Melba passed her own personal cadenzas onto a young Gertrude Johnson, a valuable professional asset. In 1924, Melba brought the new star Toti dal Monte, fresh from triumphs in Milan and Paris but still unheard in England or the US, to Australia as a principal of the Melba-Williamson Grand Opera Company. The Australian baritone John Brownlee was helped by her, and it was Brownlee who accompanied Melba on her last commercial recordings in 1926, where her voice sounds as astonishingly preserved as ever. The Australian tenor Browning Mummery sang with Melba in her Covent Garden farewells also. Melba also "discovered" a lyric soprano named Stella Power whom she thought sounded a lot like herself. In early 1918 Miss Stella Power participated in a "Melba Concert" with Nellie Melba at the Isis Theatre where she was well received. Power was dubbed "the little Melba", but Power lacked Melba's ambition, soon married and had a child, and retired. In music, a cadenza (Italian for cadence) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a free rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display. ... Gertrude Emily Johnson O.B.E. (1894-1973) was an Australian coloratura soprano and founder of the National Theatre in Melbourne. ... Antonietta Meneghel (27 June 1893 – 26 January [[1975), better known by her stage name Toti Dal Monte, was a celebrated Italian operatic soprano, and a favourite of Arturo Toscanini. ... John Brownlee (1900-1969) was an important Australian baritone of the early twentieth century. ... For the Australian electronic musician Andrew Lonsdale, see Browning Mummery (Electronic sound works). ...

Solitary radio performance

In 1920 she appeared on a pioneering radio broadcast from Guglielmo Marconi's factory in Chelmsford, England. People listening on the radio barely heard a few scratches of the trill and two arias she sang. It was an historic moment but there were few radio receivers for people to hear her, so she never made another radio broadcast not realising the potential of the new medium. The microphone was not even adapted to recording until 1924 and Melba carefully sang a select repertoire for it. Her farewell from Covent Garden was largely broadcast. For the inventor of radio,Marconi see the competing claims in history of radio and the invention of radio. ... Arms of Chelmsford Borough Council This article is about the town of Chelmsford in Essex. ...

Recording

Melba's official "farewell" to Covent Garden in 1926 was recorded. Her voice still sounds remarkably fresh, and at the end of the evening she makes a tearful speech to the audience.

Some recordings of her voice were made in the early 20th century, and have been re-released on CD for contemporary audiences. The audio fidelity of the recordings reflects the limitations of the early days of commercial sound recording. However, even these early recordings show an almost seamlessly pure voice, with effortless coloratura, legato and perfect intonation. Melba had perfect pitch and Michael Aspinall says of her on the complete London recordings issued on LP, that there are only two rare lapses from pitch in the set! Even so they are hard to hear. The recordings give an idea of the voice which people described as silvery and disembodied, with the notes forming in the theatre as if by magic and floating up through the theatre. Like Adelina Patti, and unlike the drama of Tetrazzini, her purity of tone is probably the reason for her fame with British audiences with their choral and orchestral traditions. CD redirects here. ... Methods and media for sound recording are varied and have undergone significant changes between the first time sound was actually recorded for later playback until now. ... Patti as Marguerite in Faust, 1875. ...

"Farewells"

She then left for Europe and later developed a fever in Egypt which she never quite shook off. She is also well remembered in Australia for her seemingly endless series of "farewell" tours between her last stage performances in the mid 1920s and her final, last concerts in Australia in Sydney on 7 August 1928, Melbourne on 27 September 1928 and Geelong in November 1928. The real final performance was a mere matinee in Adelaide, ending perhaps the most stellar operatic career which had begun in 1887. This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ... This article is about the Victorian city; the name may also refer to City of Geelong or Geelong city centre. ...

From this, she is remembered in the vernacular Australian expression "more farewells than Nellie Melba".

Her autobiography "Melodies and Memories" was published in 1925. There are several biographies of her and countless articles and references. A film called "Evensong" (1934) was a loose adaptation of her life based on the book by Beverley Nichols and later the Australian Broadcasting Commission produced a more authentic mini-series on her life "Melba" (1987), starring Linda Cropper miming Yvonne Kenny, which does not quite convey the more exciting side to her story. Linda Cropper is an Australian actress, noted for her television roles. ... Yvonne Kenny is an Australian opera singer. ...

Death

She returned to Australia but died in St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney in 1931 aged 69 of septicaemia which had developed from facial surgery in Europe some weeks before. She was given a state funeral from Scots' Church, Melbourne, which her father had built and where as a teenager she had sung in the choir. She was buried in Lilydale, near Coldstream. Her headstone has Mimi's farewell words "Addio, senza rancor" (Farewell, without bitterness). Sepsis (in Greek Σήψις) is a serious medical condition caused by a severe systemic infection leading to a systemic inflammatory response. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The Scots Church, Melbourne The Scots Church, a Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia, was the first Presbyterian Church to be built in the Port Phillip District (now the state of Victoria). ... Lilydale is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

The funeral motorcade was over a kilometre long, and her death made front-page headlines in Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Europe. Billboards in many countries said simply "Melba is dead".

Legacy

Nellie Melba on the $100 note

Melba was closely associated with the Melbourne Conservatorium, and this institution was renamed to the Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music in her honour in 1956. Australian $100 note, front. ... Australian $100 note, front. ... The Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music is a school of music located in Melbourne, Australia. ...

Her name is associated with two foods, a dessert (the Peach Melba), and Melba toast, both of which were created by the French chef Auguste Escoffier. Peach Melba The Peach Melba is a classic dessert, invented in London to honour the Australian soprano, Dame Nellie Melba (1861 - 1931). ... Melba toast is a very dry, crisp, thinly sliced toast often served with soups and salads, or topped with melted cheese. ... Georges Auguste Escoffier (28 October 1846 – 12 February 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. ...

The music hall at the University of Melbourne is known as Melba hall The University of Melbourne, is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. ...

The Australian 100-dollar note features the image of her face.

Sydney Town Hall has a marble relief bearing the inscription "Remember Melba", unveiled during a World War II charity concert in memory of Melba and her World War I charity work and patriotic concerts. The Sydney Town Hall The Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. ...

Melba, the last of the 19th century tradition of bel canto sopranos, is one of only two singers with a marble bust in the foyer of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The other is Adelina Patti. The Floral Hall of the Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House is a performing arts venue in London. ... Patti as Marguerite in Faust, 1875. ...

The suburb Melba, Australian Capital Territory is named after Nellie Melba. All the streets are named after composers, singers and other musically notable Australians. Melba (postcode: 2615) is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. ...

Melba became associated with the song "Home sweet home". She inherited it from Adelina Patti as Prima Donna Assoluta and after many performances the piano would be wheeled out and she would accompany herself singing the song, so bittersweet for her as home was an 11,000 mile sea voyage away when in England. Joan Sutherland later continued the tradition of singing "Home sweet home" and sang it after her own farewell performance in Les Huguenots at the Sydney Opera House in 1990. Patti as Marguerite in Faust, 1875. ... Dame Joan Sutherland OM, AC, DBE (born November 7, 1926) is an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the bel canto revival of the 1950s and 1960s. ...

See also

• David Mitchell
• Melba Conservatorium Victoria
• Melba, Australian Capital Territory
• Melba Highway
• Eva Mylott
• Landon Ronald
• Mathilde Marchesi
• 2MT

David Mitchell was the Austalian builder of Scots Church, Melbourne. ... The Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music is a school of music located in Melbourne, Australia. ... Melba (postcode: 2615) is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. ... The Melba Highway connects the outer eastern suburb of Coldstream, near Lilydale, and the town of Yea, in Victorias Central Highlands on the Goulburn Valley Highway. ... Eva Mylott (1875 Tuross Head, Australia - c. ... Landon Ronald (1873-1938), born Landon Ronald Russell was an English conductor, composer, pianist and administrator, born in London, England. ... Mathilde Marchesi (born: Mathilde Graumann; March 24, 1821 – November 17, 1913) was a mezzo-soprano, teacher of singing, and exponent of the bel canto technique. ... 2MT was the first British radio station to make regular entertainment broadcasts. ...

Notes

Florence Austral (26 April 1892 - 16 May 1968) was an Australian operatic soprano renowned for her interpretation of Wagnerian roles. ... June Bronhill (June 26, 1929–January 24, 2005) was an internationally acclaimed soprano opera singer. ... Broken Hill Post Office Broken Hill is an isolated mining city and Local Government Area (see City of Broken Hill) in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia, with a population of 21,000. ...

References

• Serle, Percival (1949). "Armstrong, Helen Porter". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson. 

The Dictionary of Australian Biography, first published in 1949, is a reference work by Percival Serle containing information on notable people associated with Australian history. ...

External links

• Bio at Australian Dictionary of Biography online
• The Reserve Bank of Australia page on Melba
• Dress worn by Dame Nellie Melba
• Nellie Melba - includes her 1906 recording of the Aubade from the opera by Edouard Lalo Le Roi d'Ys (1888)
• Nellie Melba at the National Film and Sound Archive