Word: melba
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...queue of people waited all night and all day outside the doors of His Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. At an auction sale, held from the stage, tickets were sold−some at 100 guineas each. It was Dame Nellie Melba's farewell appearance−Melba, for over 20 years the world's greatest singer, true successor to Patti. The vast audiences went wild with joy, cheered and cheered−and eight carloads of flowers were carried to the stage...
Helen Porter Mitchell (Melba) born in 1859, made her first public appearance at six years of age at a school-concert, when she sang Comin' Thro' the Rye to a delighted audience. She received a good musical education, mostly at the piano, married one Captain Charles Armstrong when 23 and sang and played at private musical soirees in Melbourne. But, because of some prejudice against her early marriage to a well-to-do man, the Australian public ranked her "an amateur." So she departed for Paris in 1884, trained her voice−and studied hard−under...
Social recognition is of the utmost importance for a musical success in England. Invitations to entertainments of their lordships are of more importance than good press notices. Edward Johnson during his appearances with the British Opera made huge success both artistic and social. Of course, as Melba's tenor he was a logical candidate for acceptance by the elite. However, he amplified this with a bit of wise strategy...
...Many of Melba's tenors have tried to make good use of their position to gain social favors, and have made a disastrous mistake. They have tried first of all to impress the veteran soprano with their merits and importance. This impression they have sought to make in usual operatic ways. They have engaged press agents and a claque, which usually have functioned too well. It is a long standing characteristic of Melba, as of most prima donnas, that she likes to have the lioness' share of the applause at performances and of the complimentary columns...
Johnson, a cool-headed fellow well versed in the tricks of operatic art, understood all of this. When he was engaged to sing with Melba and went to England, he kept clear of both press agents and claques. He sought neither publicity nor applause, contented himself with a modest and sincere acclaim and was genuinely glad when the grand enthusiasm went to Melba. This attitude delighted her, and soon it was known that where she was invited Johnson was to be invited also. Half the time she was indisposed and could not accept invitations, and Johnson went alone...