A GREAT SINGER’S STORY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4740, 23 August 1902, Page 4 (Supplement)

A GREAT SINGER’S STORY.

Madame Melba has a personality as charming and magnetic as her voice, but she is not very easy of access. During tlic opera season she is one of the busiest women in London. She must sing, she must rehearse—for even the greatest of prime donne are not exempt from the toils of rehearsal—she must ride and drive—keep social engagements, anct conduct the usual amount of correspondence with which great persona aro overwhelmed. Knowing this, a "Daily Express” representative yet begged an interview- of Madame Melba, and she granted the request. “You must know by now,” said she, “how I made my debut in Melbourne, from which town 1 took my professional name. I was then only six years old, so you may judge that 1 was always fond of singing. On this occasion i sang a simple song, and played the accompaniment myself; but as my parents were very much l against my taking up music as a career it was not until after my marriage that I really sang at concerts, and then only as an amateur at first, till, finding that very expensive. I became a professional. But 1 knew tliat my voiem wanted to be trained properly, and I had set my heart on going to Madame Marchesi.”

Who. I have always heard, gave you a very warm reception f “Yes; f shall never forget her kindness to me the first time she tried my voice. She promised that if X would stay with her for a year she would make something extraordinary of me. “My delfut was not in Paris. It was in Brussels as Gilda in ‘Kigoletto,’ the role X took for my first appearance this season. On that previous occasion the Queen of the Belgians was present, and her Majesty afterwards sent for me and complimented me. Like my sister prima donna, Madame Nordics,, I had the privilege of studying ‘Faust’ under the direction of M. Gounod himself.

“My London debut was made as ivcuna in the year 188 S, and I shortly afterwards was honoured by a command to sing before her late Majesty at Windsor. Both Queen Victoria and their present Majesties have ever accorded me the kindest of receptions; indeed I have been singularly fortunate in winning the approval of Eoy. altv. for at the courts of St. Petersburg and Stockholm I was accorded an enthusiastic reception; nor must I forget to mention the kindness shown by the Empieror of Austria and the Kaiser/' Of all your triumphs which do you consider the greatest? “That is a difficult question to answer, but I shall never forget the evening of ray debut as La Scala. I was singing Lucia, and the audience clapped and cheered me for twenty minutes after the mad scene.

“My favourite role ? I suppose you want to know it; but I really cannot do more than say I love the part of Mimi in ‘La Boheinc.' which I have been singing a good deal latterly. Yet I cannot definitely say that I am fondest of that part.” Will you be singing it again this sea/son ?

“Yes, I hope so; it was so well received last year.” Eecently you have been at Monte Carlo, singing with M. do Eeszke, have you not? “Yes. M. de Eeszke was Faust, M. Eenaud Mephistopheles. and myself Marguerite in Berlioz's work. "La Damnation de Faust." It was my first appearance in the part, and we all three got a tremendous reception. M. Eenaud also made his first appearance there as Eigoletto, the part he took on 14th May, and in which he repeated his former great success, being enthusiastically applauded. "You know I am going over to Melbourne again this autumn. I open there on 27th September, starting from here in August.” Being an Australian, I suppose you love horses and riding? “Of course I do, and to save my dear animals from night work I am using an automobile.”

"You must have had some amusing experiences at various times. Can you recall any? “I don’t know that I can on the spur of the moment. That good, brave man. President McKinley, once amused me quite unconsciously. I chanced to be singing in New York at the time that the Presidential elections were being carried on, and on one occasion he came to my dressing room to congratulate me, and said that my 'voice had given him the greatest pleasure.’ ‘‘Of course, I get extraordinary letters sometimes—a good many begging ones. I remember once hearing from a Tone, lorne widow,’ as she termed herself, asking me to give her a piano for .her three daughters to learn on, as her husband couldn’t and wouldn’t afford it.’’

I gathered from a friend of Madame Melba that her success in society is phenomenal in the artistic world. In palaces and cottages she is alike an honoured and welcome guest, her great social talents rendering her company much sought after. It has been said of her that, great artist as she is, Madame Melba is still greater as a woman; her sympathy and generosity are widespreading, while her tact and charm of manner have served to alleviate many a heartache. Her tastes and occupations are so entirely normal that nothing can be dragged into the prominence of a hobby, and she is entirely without superstition, like most Australians. Her personality is decidedly magnetic, and that, combined with her marvellous voice, endears, her to all with whom she comes in contact, ’