The Life of Dame Nellie Melba
Helen Porter Mitchell was born on 19th May, 1861 in Melbourne, Australia. Her father, David Mitchell, was a building constructor and her mother Isabella Ann. She was the eldest of 10 children and had seven brothers and two sisters. Her father's strict code of behaviour had a serious effect on her.
She grew up in a music loving family and learned music at an early age from her mother, who was her first music teacher. Helen performed for the first time in public when she was 6 years old. Melba was educated by her aunts before she attended a boarding school at Richmond and eventually becoming a day-girl at the new Presbyterian Ladies' College. While there she pursued her interest in singing and piano. She was very intelligent and was talented in painting and acquiring the social graces but was average at Maths and English.
Melba graduated in 1880, the same time of her mother’s death and later on a sister. She and her father moved to Queensland where he brought a sugar mill. It was there where 21-year-old Melba met Charles Nisbett Frederick Armstrong, tall, blue-eyed and three years her senior. They were married in Brisbane on the 22nd of December 1882 and soon after had a little boy, George. Melba was not content with her life and was restless; the desire to sing professionally had not faded. On 19 January 1884 she left Mackay for Melbourne.
Rise to Fame
On the 17th May 1884, at age 22, Melba made her debut at the Liedertafel concert at the Melbourne town hall. A review by the Australasian's critic said that 'She sings like one out of ten thousand'. There she meet John Lemmone who later became her accompanist, manager and opera company impresario. She was encouraged by the Marchioness of Normandy, who was also the wife of the Austro-Hungarian Consul of Victoria, to go abroad to study opera more extensively. She accompanied her father to Europe in March 1886 and by that time had become a professional singer.
She auditioned for Mathilde Marchesi who was introduced to her by the wife of the Austro-Hungarian consul in Melbourne, who was a former student herself. Her talent was recognized and she was taken under wing by the renowned teacher who refined her techniques and taught her how to become a professional opera singer. Melba met many famous operatic composers such as Delibes, Gounod and Massenet. During this time she was convicted to change her name to one more suitable and decided on Melba, in honour of her home town Melbourne.
On the 13th October, 1887, she performed at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. She was an immediate hit when she made her debut as Gilda in Rigoletto and appeared against custom and appeared in plaits. It was there that she made a real start to her career. She was to later increase her fame when she performed in La Traviata and in Lucia di Lammermoor; and again on 24 May 1888, when she sang Lucia at Covent Garden. Melba headed back to Brussels, and on 8th May 1889 made her début as Ophélie in Hamlet in Paris where the public and press praised her. Moving to Covent Gardenshe performed in Roméo et Juliette, and was soon known as Covent Garden's prima donna.
Melba, with the support of her mentors, friends and Lady de Grey became a well-known figure in high society and could move around freely. She was ecstatic at her new social status and over the years she effectively diminished many of her rivals. During her time she performed for many important individuals, such as; III Tsar Alexander, who she had been invited to sing in front of in St Petersburg, in Stockholm before King Oscar II, in Vienna before Emperor Franz Joseph, and in Berlin before Kaiser Wilhelm II as well as the Queen Victoria.
During this time Melba’s husband had joined the army in Europe, he would occasionally visit her and their son. During Mebla’s debut in Brussels she meet the dashing heir of the Bourbon and Duke of Orleans, Philippe, pretender to the French throne. They were glimpsed together in several places, though neither of them was looking for anything permanent. Charles was hesitant to separate but because of the scandal the pair ended in divorce in 1900 with him taking their son to America.
In 1902, after a long awaited return, she came to Australia to perform a tour of the states and New Zealand. Thousands came to greet her as she travelled, most noticeable in Melbourne. Through her Australia felt like they had been accepted to some degree, but a week after she went back to England she was accused of wilfulness and drunkenness among other things but she chose to ignore it though rumours would be alive years later.
Melba reached the peak in her career as she entered her forties. She was commanded to sing for the president of France and Buckingham Palace and created the title role in Saint-Saëns' opera, Helene, at Monte Carlo in 1904. In 1906-7 she revived financially and was rewarded with a successful season. She came down with pneumonia after her American tour and went to Australia for a holiday. While she was away a young star named Luisa Tetrazzini made her debut. This made Melba realized the fragility of her primacy and returned for another tour of Australia in 1909. She brought a property in Victoria and had Coombe Cottage built which became the base of her operations. In 1914, around 7 Kings and Queens watched one of her gala performances at the Covent Garden.
WW1 began in 1915 Melba was in Coombe Cottage, in Australia. During the War Melba performed fundraising concerts for war charities. She hosted 3 war time concerts in North America, she also raised funds at home. She may have raised up to £100,000 for the war and even said she would work on the wharves it needed.
Around the time of 1915 she laid the foundations for a music school where she drew students in from all over the country. Melba continued to sing into the 1920’s with several successful performances. On 8 June 1926 Melba returned to England to give her farewell performance at Covent Garden. She continued her farewell performances and in 1924 announced her Australian farewell to grand opera. She sang several times after, her last performance in Australia was in November, 1928. She developed a fever in Egypt were she was singing. Her last ever performance was at the Hyde Park Hotel, London, for a charity entertainment. She later went to St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney where she died on 23 February 1931 of septicaemia. She was buried in Lilydale.
She grew up in a music loving family and learned music at an early age from her mother, who was her first music teacher. Helen performed for the first time in public when she was 6 years old. Melba was educated by her aunts before she attended a boarding school at Richmond and eventually becoming a day-girl at the new Presbyterian Ladies' College. While there she pursued her interest in singing and piano. She was very intelligent and was talented in painting and acquiring the social graces but was average at Maths and English.
Melba graduated in 1880, the same time of her mother’s death and later on a sister. She and her father moved to Queensland where he brought a sugar mill. It was there where 21-year-old Melba met Charles Nisbett Frederick Armstrong, tall, blue-eyed and three years her senior. They were married in Brisbane on the 22nd of December 1882 and soon after had a little boy, George. Melba was not content with her life and was restless; the desire to sing professionally had not faded. On 19 January 1884 she left Mackay for Melbourne.
Rise to Fame
On the 17th May 1884, at age 22, Melba made her debut at the Liedertafel concert at the Melbourne town hall. A review by the Australasian's critic said that 'She sings like one out of ten thousand'. There she meet John Lemmone who later became her accompanist, manager and opera company impresario. She was encouraged by the Marchioness of Normandy, who was also the wife of the Austro-Hungarian Consul of Victoria, to go abroad to study opera more extensively. She accompanied her father to Europe in March 1886 and by that time had become a professional singer.
She auditioned for Mathilde Marchesi who was introduced to her by the wife of the Austro-Hungarian consul in Melbourne, who was a former student herself. Her talent was recognized and she was taken under wing by the renowned teacher who refined her techniques and taught her how to become a professional opera singer. Melba met many famous operatic composers such as Delibes, Gounod and Massenet. During this time she was convicted to change her name to one more suitable and decided on Melba, in honour of her home town Melbourne.
On the 13th October, 1887, she performed at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. She was an immediate hit when she made her debut as Gilda in Rigoletto and appeared against custom and appeared in plaits. It was there that she made a real start to her career. She was to later increase her fame when she performed in La Traviata and in Lucia di Lammermoor; and again on 24 May 1888, when she sang Lucia at Covent Garden. Melba headed back to Brussels, and on 8th May 1889 made her début as Ophélie in Hamlet in Paris where the public and press praised her. Moving to Covent Gardenshe performed in Roméo et Juliette, and was soon known as Covent Garden's prima donna.
Melba, with the support of her mentors, friends and Lady de Grey became a well-known figure in high society and could move around freely. She was ecstatic at her new social status and over the years she effectively diminished many of her rivals. During her time she performed for many important individuals, such as; III Tsar Alexander, who she had been invited to sing in front of in St Petersburg, in Stockholm before King Oscar II, in Vienna before Emperor Franz Joseph, and in Berlin before Kaiser Wilhelm II as well as the Queen Victoria.
During this time Melba’s husband had joined the army in Europe, he would occasionally visit her and their son. During Mebla’s debut in Brussels she meet the dashing heir of the Bourbon and Duke of Orleans, Philippe, pretender to the French throne. They were glimpsed together in several places, though neither of them was looking for anything permanent. Charles was hesitant to separate but because of the scandal the pair ended in divorce in 1900 with him taking their son to America.
In 1902, after a long awaited return, she came to Australia to perform a tour of the states and New Zealand. Thousands came to greet her as she travelled, most noticeable in Melbourne. Through her Australia felt like they had been accepted to some degree, but a week after she went back to England she was accused of wilfulness and drunkenness among other things but she chose to ignore it though rumours would be alive years later.
Melba reached the peak in her career as she entered her forties. She was commanded to sing for the president of France and Buckingham Palace and created the title role in Saint-Saëns' opera, Helene, at Monte Carlo in 1904. In 1906-7 she revived financially and was rewarded with a successful season. She came down with pneumonia after her American tour and went to Australia for a holiday. While she was away a young star named Luisa Tetrazzini made her debut. This made Melba realized the fragility of her primacy and returned for another tour of Australia in 1909. She brought a property in Victoria and had Coombe Cottage built which became the base of her operations. In 1914, around 7 Kings and Queens watched one of her gala performances at the Covent Garden.
WW1 began in 1915 Melba was in Coombe Cottage, in Australia. During the War Melba performed fundraising concerts for war charities. She hosted 3 war time concerts in North America, she also raised funds at home. She may have raised up to £100,000 for the war and even said she would work on the wharves it needed.
Around the time of 1915 she laid the foundations for a music school where she drew students in from all over the country. Melba continued to sing into the 1920’s with several successful performances. On 8 June 1926 Melba returned to England to give her farewell performance at Covent Garden. She continued her farewell performances and in 1924 announced her Australian farewell to grand opera. She sang several times after, her last performance in Australia was in November, 1928. She developed a fever in Egypt were she was singing. Her last ever performance was at the Hyde Park Hotel, London, for a charity entertainment. She later went to St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney where she died on 23 February 1931 of septicaemia. She was buried in Lilydale.
