Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba was a world-renowned Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano.

A lyric coloratura soprano is a singer with a voice capable of singing high, agile notes with great skill. She became the first Australian musician to achieve true international recognition. To create her famous stage identity, she used a pseudonym. She took the name "Melba" from her home city of Melbourne. Her career spanned the late Victorian era and the early twentieth century.

Melba's musical journey began in Victoria, Australia. She was the eldest of seven children born to David Mitchell and Isabella Ann. Her father was a successful builder who emigrated from Scotland. Melba began playing the piano and singing in public at age six. She studied singing with Mary Ellen Christian and the Italian tenor Pietro Cecchi. In her teens, she performed in amateur concerts and played church organs. Although her father supported her studies, he did not want her to sing professionally.

After her mother died in 1881, the family moved to Mackay, Queensland. Melba became a popular singer and pianist in Mackay society. She married Charles Nesbitt Frederick Armstrong in 1882, but the marriage was unsuccessful. After a separation, she returned to Melbourne to pursue singing professionally in 1884. She eventually moved to Europe to find better opportunities. Her early attempt to find work in London in 1886 failed to make an impression.

In 1886, Melba moved to Paris to study with Mathilde Marchesi. Marchesi was a leading teacher who immediately recognized Melba's talent. The teacher famously exclaimed, "I have a star at last!"

Melba progressed so quickly that she performed the "Mad Scene" from the opera Hamlet in Marchesi's home. Soon after, the impresario Maurice Strakosch gave her a ten-year contract. She made her operatic debut at La Monnaie in Brussels on October 12, 1887. She sang the role of Gilda in the opera Rigoletto. This performance was described as an instant triumph.

Melba's repertoire was specialized but highly successful. Throughout her entire career, she sang no more than 25 different roles. She was most closely identified with only 10 of these roles. She focused heavily on French and Italian operas. She sang very little German opera, though she did occasionally perform roles in Wagner's works. Her famous roles included Marguerite in Faust and Violetta in La traviata.

She also sang as Aida, Desdemona, and Rosina. Even when offered small parts, such as Micaëla in Carmen, she was willing to perform them. She stated that she disliked the artistic snobbery regarding role size.

Melba achieved massive success in the world's greatest opera houses. She debuted at Covent Garden in London in May 1888. While her first appearance was only respectable, she later became a leading star there. In 1893, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. A critic described her voice as one of the loveliest ever heard. It was noted for its fullness, richness, and purity.

She eventually gained high social recognition in New York, succeeding the famous singer Adelina Patti.

Beyond the stage, Melba was a significant figure in her home country. During the First World War, she raised large sums of money for war charities. She returned to Australia often to perform in concerts and teach singing. She taught at the Melbourne Conservatorium to help train new musicians.

Melba continued to sing until the final months of her life. When she died in Australia in 1931, it was major news across the English-speaking world. Her funeral was a large national event. Today, her legacy is honored on the Australian $100 note.