Melba, Dame Nellie (1861-1931), was an Australian soprano who became one of the greatest international stars in opera during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Dame Nellie was probably the most famous person of her time in Australia . Her voice was noted for its even quality over a range of almost three octaves and for its pure, crystal-like sound. An octave is the distance between a note and the next highest note with the same name, such as C to C. Dame Nellie achieved her greatest fame in the role of Mimi in the Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohéme.
Nellie Melba was born on May 19, 1861, in Richmond, a suburb of Melbourne. Her real name was Helen Porter Mitchell. Her parents nicknamed her Nellie. She studied singing in Melbourne and made her professional debut in 1884, giving recitals and concerts. To advance her career, Nellie traveled to London, but her singing there received little attention. She made a successful opera debut in 1887 in Brussels, Belgium, in the role of Gilda in the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto. About this time, she changed her name to Melba, a contraction of Melbourne.
Melba returned to London in 1888. Within a year, she established herself as the leading lyric soprano with the Covent Garden opera company (now the Royal Opera). She made her American debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1893. Throughout her long career, Melba only sang about two dozen roles, almost entirely in French and Italian opera, and her reputation was largely based on her performances in about 10 of them.
Melba was active in raising money for war charities during World War I (1914-1918). In recognition of her services, in 1918 King George V made her a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and she became known as Dame Nellie Melba. The famous French chef Auguste Escoffier created four foods in her honor, notably the crisp Melba toast and the dessert Peach Melba. Dame Nellie’s autobiography, Melodies and Memories, was published in 1925. She gave her final performance at a charity concert in London in 1930. Dame Nellie died on Feb. 23, 1931.
