DAME NELLIE MELBA.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20170, 24 February 1931, Page 9

DAME NELLIE MELBA.

DEATH ANNOUNCED. SINGER'S BRILLIANT CAREER. IvmsxD rasas ASSOCUTIOX—bt blectbio rBLBOEAPH—COPYEI3HT.) (Beceived February 23rd, 10.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Felbruary 23. Dame Nellie Melba passed away five o'clock this afternoon at St. Vincent's Private Hospital., , By her death, Australia loses her most prominent .representative daughter and world singer, who followed Adelina Patti as the reigning operatic soprano of her generation and her century in Europe. The voice which inspired the world and the picturesque personality that charmed thousands have passed beyond. Her passing was as courageous and _as fine as her public life. Her condition last night was extremely low. Towards morning the dying diva, who previously hadVefused to see a minister, murmured gently, "Get mo a • clergyman." Canon. Lea, of St. Mark's, Darling Point, was summoned, and stayed some time praying with her. By 10 a.m. she was beyond speech. Her pulse became more feeble and she waved her farewells. Outside the quiet room was John Lommone, the flautist, who had been her faithful friend and business manager for nearly fifty years, and who waited patiently for the end. Melba's father, David Mitchell, a dogged old North Country Scotsman, came to Australia in 1857. He was a poor man, but died a millionaire in 1916, aged 87. Melba, otherwise Nellie Mitchell, was born on May 19th, 1861, in Victoria. She came of musical parents, She married Captain Charles Armstrong, son _of an Irish baronet, in 1882. The union proved to be unhappy. There was a long separation and finally a divorce. There was > one son, George. In her early 'teens Melba studied at organ, harmony, and feomposition. Sho was taught singing by Madame Lucy Chambers, a local celebrity, who had sung opera in Italy. Later Bhe studied in Melbourne under Signor Cecchi, an Italian tenor. She made her debut at . Melbourne Town Hall in 1877. FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS. MANY MESSAGES OF CONDOLENCE. (Received February 24th, 1.8 a.m.) SYDNEY, February 23. The body of Dame Nellie Melba will be taken by train to Melbourne tomorrow for interment at Lilydale cemetery. The diva's early life was spent at Coombe Cottage, Lilydale, a picturesque resort twenty miles from the city. • There - will be a service in the Scots Church, Collins street, Melbourne, and the burial will take place on Among numerous messages of condolence received to-night by relatives were cables from their- Majesties the King and Queen, and Lord Novar, a former Governor-General' of Australia. - The State Governor, Sir Philip Game, expressed his deepest sympathy with Australia's loss of such a gifted daughter, and said that the Empire and tine world would mourn the death of a dis- , tinguished personage. ; " Tributes were also received from the Prime Minister (Mr J. H. Scullin), the Premier (Mr J. T> Lang), and from, many persons prominent in the musical world. [Melba, the famous, prima donna, 'whose real name was Helen,Portey Mit-' chell, was born in Melbourne/from which she took her stage title. daughter of a" settler, she was," from a keen - musician, arid at the age of three she began tti receive piaiio lessons from her mother,, who-was of Spanish origin. Her first, appearance as K singer was at £h6 early age of six, when she gave two little, ballads at a' church /concert t,o her bwn aecom- . paniments .When she was ten'uhe studied .music with two Melbourne te&cherfr for four years,. and then, received piano, lessons lrom Mme. Charbonnet Kellerjnann and organ-' tuition front Mr Summers. Her voice, Jby that time) had given in-dications.-of its-later purity and flc*- . ibility, >«£ nd her. vocal' training^,was begun at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, •'she Tfas attending., She then sang in the choir of St. Francises Cathedral, Melbourne, and- at local concerts'' us' Mr* Armstrong, for she had married Captain Armstrong, the son of an Irish baronet. la 1884 «he sang at s 'a gives by the Melbourne Liedertafel with such success that she decided to. attempt* an operatic career in England, and weflt to Lohtlon, wijh an in- ' Production to Wilhelm " Ganz, .who, -6n Hearing her sing, arranged for her to appe& at a'coiicert it,,the prince's Hall, at, which he ' was > Conducting orchestra. Her father'was appointed a' commissioner to ,ths Paris ""Exhibition, and, taking her with him, he placed her under, the c#re of Mme. Mathilde Mar-, chesi.' After,, studying, some of'the big operatic parts for a year she made her debut as Gilda in '/Bigoletto" at the Theatre la Monnaje in Brussels, as-' suming the stage naxrfe of Melba. 'Her , success was as brilliant'as it'was instantaneous, and she also appeared as Lakme, Violetta, Oph6Jie, and Lucia. In the same yep Sir Augustus Harris engaged for the Italian opera season at Covent Garden, and in 1888 she made her'first London appearance in "Lucia dt Lamm'ermpor,." again with .great success. After an engagement at Brusr sels she went -to - Paris, ■ where she ptudied Ambroise Thomas's opera "Hamin which she made her debut at* the, Cjpfira. She • then .worked- at /'Borneo and Juliet" under its composer, Gounod, 1 and sang in it at Covent Garden with Jean de Beszke in June, 1889. During the winter she was the favourflte prima donna of, the season in Paris, singing the parts of Marguerite, Juliet, OphtSlie, Lucia, and Gilda. 'She also sang , with great success .in Bussia, Sweden, /Italy, and Holland. Sho halt appeared by command before many Royalties, and has the recipient .oil a, large number of decorations. Her, greatest triumph was when she returned to Australia- in 1903,, and was feted by<' the Government and the people, publicly received in the .various States of the Commonwealth—by the Ministers, members of Parliament, , Mayors and Corporations;: and entertained at in-, numerable luncheons,' dinners, 'and other functions* .One of-her <most notable concerts was. at, the newly-diflcoyered 'Coolgardie goldfields, "whete the miners gave her a characteristically hearty welcome.' After her return to Europe, Melba achieved triumph, after triumph, -being 1 regarded as the qtieen of the lyric stage. A "Melba mght" at the Royal Opera, Covent •Garacn J marked , <tbe height or the operstid season. For years she was the most popular prima donna at the ,Royal' Opera, Covent Garden, where in the part of Mimi in "La Scheme" ns well as in her earlier roles- she was unsurpassed. In, 1911 Melba brought her own grand 'opera "company to "Australia. The, Ptfma. Donn?. celebrated thai twenty-fifth «nni- ■■ veersary of! her ap|>eatenbe at Cove,tit in May, iSIS". Herfather died ih r *9lß, . During the Great CW#r

she ' employed Iter ; gifts,) wfth' wholi-hearfejd" tlie assistance - 1 of.' patriotic* jvHovtf meats, raising, by/concerts audother means over £loo,oooin Australia Canada, and the United State? v Melba; whose marriage -wis dissolved' in. 1900, wag a Lady of Grace of St. John of Jerusalem.' v Por her war work, she received in, 1918 tfce* title<of .Dame .of the, British Empire. Shejreturned -to "Ejjyatid in Marti, 1919, »nd 1 W&P" peared itt* uperi; - >JETer »Pgin|fc 7 >ra® heard atk'sea 1000, miles'.distant, by wireless in 1920. After & yeax s. holiday in Australia Dame Nejli© Melbe returned to England; and. B®PjK; V, 1 ® Opera/in 1923. 'ln 19,25 her autobiography,,, "Melodies - f<fcnd Memories." In' the,same.yeafshe.toofe a' leading part in arranging a'peneni perforniance for another great Binger Albani. l£elba brought a second * Opera companyto Australia in ' 1924. "bade farewell to/the,operatic stage ol Australia at a gala performance oi "La Boheirie" iii Melbourne on Oct® jber 13th, 1924r&nd to Covent. Gardet audiences* before the King And Queer on June Bth, 1926,' Melba toured < Nov Zealand ojj more .than one occasion.]