Nellie Melba (1861-1931)

The Daily Mail (London) - 15th, May 1902
A MELBA NIGHT - BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE AT COVENT GARDEN

"Rigoletto"
Produced at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London

Mme. Melba made her first appearance of the season last night as Gilda in "Rigoletto," and had one of her usual triumphs. Decorous enough for Wagner, the house was not to be restrained by any nice regard for the thin dramatic continuities of Verdi. Applause broke the action time after time; in the good old fashion prima donna and primo tenore or basso - joined hands and bowed to it after every fine scena, and the enthusiasm grew at last to a pitch of general rapture.

Why not? Verdi meant it so; and Verdi's brilliant music for great voices was never sung by a cantatrice more exquisitely.

The house fills on Melba nights, and last evening the Queen and Princess Victoria were again in the royal box. And how could any part suit better the marvellous fresh voice and grace of this queen of song? In the white-sleeved, simple robe of lavender that she wore on her entrance Mme. Melba looked slender and girlish. Her voice is the unspoiled voice of a girl, touchingly beautiful, with an appeal which heightens by its mere suggestion of youth and purity the tragedy in which Gilda is the innocent victim. It heightens, too, beyond measure the wonder of such vocal mastery.

The voice leaps up the scale as easily as a lark mounts, and without shrillness. Its flexibility allows of roulades rapidly easy like the flutter of wings. But the critic who calls its sweetness birdlike is using a conventional word for lack of a better. There is nothinq in nature with the same soft brilliance, the same lightness of melody.

As a dramatic artist Mme. Melba has gained very remarkably since as a vocalist she first took English audiences by storm. Her Gilda of, last evening was in all ways a piece of consummate art.

The Queen, who arrived shortly after the commencement, wore black, with a diamond ornament in her hair and a diamond and emerald necklace. Her Majesty also wore a knot of deep pink roses on her shoulder.

Princess Victoria wore black and silver; while the Queen's twin maids-of-honour were in the adjoining box; both dressed in black.

The Duke and Duchess of Fife were in their box, and Lady de Grey was entertaining a party; which included Lady Cynthia Graham, in red, and Lady Mildred Allsopp, in black, with some beautiful diamonds.