MADAME MELBA IN A PASSION.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 21 June 1901, Page 4

MADAME MELBA IN A PASSION.

American papers are apt to sacrifice accuracy to sensation, so that possibly their description of Melba’s display of temper in “ Romeo et Juliette ”_at Boston with its headlines “ Melba was in a whirl of passion,” “ She alone was star,” must be a good deal discounted. If, however, their version of the scene is the plain unyaruished truth, then the diva must posses all the petulance and jealousy that has characterised so many other prima donnas. The performance of the opera took place on the 2oth anniversary of M. Edonard De Reszke’s debut in opera, and his admirers came with the usual floral tokens of admiration, which were to be handed to him from the auditorium across the footlights in the orthodox way at the end of one of the acts. The audience knew of the event, and were prepared to give the bass a hearty reception. But Melba was to be reckoned with. According to the Boston Morning News the indignant Juliette thu.- intervened. While the people were craining their necks downward, a scene not in the libyetto was being enacted that completely upset the plans of the audience and the immediate friends who provided the flowers. It was Melba who caused it. She stamped her foot, and shook her head, and would have none of it. Speaking to De Ecszke, she said : “ I will not allow it. I will not go on the stage with a man and see him receive flowers when there are none for me. If you wisli to accept the flowers over the footlights you must go alone, for I certainly shall not accompany you.” In the meantime the audience were applauding, and at the same time Madame Melba was protesting. ‘ There is no other star here above me, and I will not submit to the indignity.” And she had her way, as women generally do. M. Do Eeszke shrugged his shoulders, after the manner of the French, and said: “ Very well, have the flowers sent round the stage.” But the most amusing part of it lies in the beautifully naive way in which Madame Melba is reported to have shown her estimate of her personal prerogative. Madame Melba relented just enough to suggest a morsel of consideration. Said she : “If you want to receive the flowers over the footlights why don’t you postpone the affair, and celebrate some evening when 1 am not singing?”