Madame Melba.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7400, 16 September 1902, Page 2

Madame Melba.

Speaking recently to an Adelaide interviewer on his return from England, regarding Madame Melba's tour, Mr George Musgrove said :— " Madame Melba will make her first appearance in Melbourne on September 24th, and will give five concerts there. She then proceeds to Sydney, where she will give a similar number of concerts, and will then return to Melbourne for Cup week. Naturally, I was desirous that she should sing at Melbourne during the racing carnival, but Madame Melba would not hear of it. 'Oh, no,' she said, when I proposed it, 'no singing during Cup week for me ; I will pay my company, but I'm going to the races with the boys and girls, and I mean to thoroughly enjoy myself.' " " That's just like Melba," continued Mr Musgtbve. " She is the greatestartist in the world, but you will perhaps be surprised to find that she is not only a, great singer, but a real good sort, too, with no trace of affectation and no suspicion of 'side.' As an instance of,that, I may say that when in London I received a number of cables and letters from Australia and elsewhere from persons who were desirous of arranging receptions in honour of Madame Melba ; but the instructions I received from her were that she wished to land in Australia as a strictly private individual. She will first visit her relations, whom she is very anxious to see, and after she has made her first public appearance will have no objection to such receptions as may be arranged. Three concerts will be given in Adelaide, and the company will next visit Brisbane, where three concerts will also be given. Possibly, if we can squeeze in time, she will give four more in New Zealand. But that depends entirely on how the steamers to San Francisco run, as Madame Melba is due at New York for the grand opera season."

Replying to a. question as to whether he was present at Madame Melba's farewell appearance at Cqvcnt Garden, Mr Musgrove said :— " Indeed I was and it was a revelation in enthusiasm. Madame Melba selected for her final appearance her favorite character 'Gilda,' in Verdi's 'Rigoletto,' and sang divinely. The audience simply went mad, and never in my life have I witnessed such a scene. The choering and applause was deafening, and at the conclusion o! the performance it seemed as if the people would never allow her to go. It was wonderful. This was supposed to be her last appearance in "London, but the next night she went to a party given by the Rothschilds, who are great friends of hers, and sang two songs. This she did in a friendly way, and not for her usual fee, hut the Rothschilds would not allow her to go without accepting a cheque for 1000 guineas. You see, in the London season Madame Melba. earns £2000 a week, but she has many calls on her purse, and-is generous to a degree. What with charities and the ready assistance she gives to every Australian who appeals to her, much of her money goes/