ALL ABOUT MADAME MELBA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6126, 12 March 1898, Page 3

ALL ABOUT MADAME MELBA.

[Bt One Who Knows Her.] (IFdiii.n. at Horn..) Madame Melba is." at home " in London on the first floor of the Savoy Hotel, but her home is in Paris, where she owns a charming flat in the Rue de Prony, close by the leafy glades of tho Bois de Boulogne. It is in Paris we will take a peep at the Diva's many beautiful possessions, before claiming an interview with her charming self in London. " Show me her house, and I will show you the woman ! " So runs one .of our newest proverbs. Madame Melba, to judge by her gilded cage, must be a veritable bird of Paradise. Gold, and salmon pink, and lime green — these are the predominating colours, which flash before your eyes wherever you may turn. As you peer about, like a conscientious interviewer, you make a note that the furniture, brilliant of aspect, is nevertheless a century old. The wondrous brocade-covered sofas and fauteuils, which you feel sure were picked up in the choicest curiosity shops of all Paris, the tabourets aud embroideries, are " beautiful exceedingly," but you turn with more interest to the pictures and bibelots scattered about, for these are more personal and tell their own story. Upon the mantlepiece stand various photographs. One signed " Eddy" strikes you at first familiarly, and then with a sigh you recognise the writing of that gracious prince, the late Duke of Clarence. Here are others, " Consuelo Manchester," and " Kirn" (the present young Duke of Manchester), and there again au excellent likeness of Mons. Jean de Reszke, inscribed, " A sachere petite Juliette, le plus devoue Romeo." Signor Tosti and the Prince de Sagan are represented. The late Sir Augustus Harris wrote, "Cc nest pas l'alouette, mais le doux rossignol." Other photographs are of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Earl and Countess de Grey, the Princesse of Monaco, Gounod, Bemberg, Massenet, Mme. Calve, and Miss Clara Butt. Among the most cherished possessions of the Diva may be mentioned some sketches of Jan Van Beers, a pastel by Miss Schlesinger, and a gold and tortoise-shell writing set, the gift of Count Tolstoi. Like Adelina Patti, Melba boasts ah autograph album, but hers is naturally less interesting than that of the elder Diva, who bethought herself of starting the institution now thirty years ago. Patti's book is filled with the autographs and inscriptions of all the most famous men and women of European countries during that time, and whilst being more cosmopolitan, ranks second only in distinction to Queen Victoria's own. On a memorable evening at Craig-y-nos, the fair Adelina brought out her book in triumph, and showed it to her assembled guests — though 'tis rarely she allows such a treasure out of her own hands — and long and delightedly we pored over its contents. But it is with the treasures of Madame Melba that we have to do at the present moment. Here is a finely drawn profile in water colours which takes your faney — that of the prima donna herself from the hand of Emil Wauters. Another, too, by Van Beers, equally effective in its way. Goring Thomas writes : " * J'aime et je suis aim. !' — a phrase I shall never hear sung without thinking of your heavenly voice and lovely singing." Sarah Bernhardt, Lesseps, Maurel Boito, Puccini, Alboci (on her golden wedding day), Bemberg, Tosti, Paderewski, Leoncavallo, with others too numerous to mention, have not failed to inscribe their sentiments of affection and appreciation. And last, but not least, let me remember the lines of Madame Marchesi: " Que Dieu protege ma chkre oleve, Nellie Melba, et qu'en chantant et enchantant le monde, elle se souvienne quelquefois de son affectionce Mathilde Marchesi." Before leaving the fascinating appartement of Madame Melba, a fleeting eye must be cast over her monumental bronze vases, Japanese China bowls of huge size, her velvet pile carpets, and hundred and one treasures. And then to London and to the Savoy Hotel. "Of course you want to know what are my earliest recollections ?" said Melba to her interviewer. " I think my very earliest are of creeping under a table to hear my mother play the piano— my first enjoyment of music. Soon I began to sing little songs of my own, but 1 don't think that I showed any decided talent until I was ten years old. Then my voice seems to have attracted some attention. Anyhow, I set to work and studied very hard at mastering harmony and musical composition, and afterwards I learnt to play the organ. That was a good foundation to my career, I can assure you. Afterwards Madame Lucy Chambers, of Melbourne, gave me a course of instruction in singing. It seems I made rapid improvement. No ! lam not conceited! but one has to tell the truth— and when I was about sixteen I decided to give a concert of my very own at Melbourne My father, like many other fathers before him, held the idea of a public career for his daughter in detestation. But nothing daunted, I persevered in my endeavour, and actually hired a hall and invited all the friends _ could gather to my dibut That was very naughty of me? Yes, I suppose it was ! But my father learning what I had done, begged of these same friends to keep away from the concert. , Andvthey-did. with vtho-exceptioa-of just,

two valiant souls who stood by me. To those two I sang my loudest and best "Then I came over to Europo with my family. And in due course of time Mr Wilhelm Ganz heard me sing, and expressed himself pleased with my voice and style I sang, indeed, at one of his concerts at St James Hall. But no one took very much notice of me then. Afterwardslstiidiedunder Mme. Marchesi of Paris. I cannot tell you what I owe to her tuition ! 1 could never, never be grateful enough for all she has taught me !" Mme. Melba's dark and striking face was all aglow as she spoko with such animation ; a very un-English face, I thought, and I ventured to say so. "Ah! you see I have Spanish blood in my veins from my mother's side. My father was a Scotchman, but I think of myself as a colonial, an Australian. I was born in Melbourne, you know, and I take the name— -Melba— from that town of my adoption. * *.*.*.' But to return to my career. My first appearance was made — in opera — at Brussels, as Gilda in Rigoletto and it was, if I may say so, so pronounced a success that other offers of engagement poured in upon me. Not very long afterwards I appeared in London.^ " I have often wondered," continued her visitor, " how you managed to keep your voice in such excellent couditiou. Madame Patti never speaks on the day she is to sing, never looks at a crumb of food after three or four o'clock, and is careful every day of her life not to touch tea, f nut, sweets, cako or anything which might by any possibility impair the clearness of her voice. Madame Albani is almost equally careful, not so fanciful about food, it is true, but she positively refuses to utter a word on days when an oratorio or opera looms in the evening." " I take no care of my voice, so far. It is young, and it takes care of itself. I have often given alunch or afternoon party on the day of an engagement. Neither the muchabused tea, nor anything I could name,influences its quality. And I can talk— oh ! I assure you I can talk as much as I like up to the hour of starting to sing in the opera." When asked if she found that hard work affected her, sho replied, "Ohno ! Not in the least. I like hard work immensely. I am never so happy as when my engage-ment-book is crowded. I love singing, aud studying a new opera is joyous excitement to me. lam not fond of being interviewed (forgive me for tolling you that), but I delight in receiving a number of friends, artistic, or fashionable, or kindly — whom yon will. Indeed, I enjoy life very heartily. The world treats a prima donna so well. At the same time I often long to dissuade young girls, whose voice and talent are not truly remarkable, from attempting to study for the operatic stage, dazzled by the accounts which reach them of the life of a Diva. I could not tell you tho number of women annually who come over from America to Milan with the idea of having a few singing lessons, and then making a fortune as a prima donna. Aye ! And English and French and Russian girls too. Their utter failure, loss of money, and ensuing misery — these are oft-told tales. A magnificent voice, robust health, perseverance, and self-re-liance are absolutely necessary nowadays to a great singer's career. But, ala. '. vanity too often prompts a girl with but modiocre talent to imagine herself a future Patti ! Now lam getting seriou ., you see." Madamo Melba laughed again. And laughingly she bade me adieu