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Melba claimed to have encouraged Puccini to see the play on which his opera Madama Butterfly is based. She studied the title role with him, as well as that of Tosca, however she never performed either role.

Melba’s star status was reflected in the high quality of her opera costumes. This sumptuous purple velvet robe was created by the House of Worth, the leaders of Parisian haute couture. Trimmed with ermine and lined with cream floral silk damask, this…

This ‘cloak of angels’ was worn by Melba to perform before Tsar Alexander III in St Petersburg in 1891. Together with Polish opera singers Jean and Edouard de Reszke, she had been commanded by the Tsar to perform in several operas at his Imperial…

Over her career, Melba lived in several different
homes at exclusive addresses in London and Paris.
In 1929, she rented this Paris apartment from Polish
aristocrat Princess Catherine Radziwill.

This performance at Covent Garden was held less
than a month before Melba sailed for Australia to
visit her ailing father. It was one of the last times
that she sang in London prior to the First World War,
during which Covent Garden was closed.…

Melba’s reign as prima donna at Covent Garden in London was assisted by patron Lady Gladys de Grey, whose husband was one of the venue’s powerful supporters. Melba’s role in this performance, staged by the command of Queen Victoria, indicates the…

The ill-fated Mimi in La Bohème was one of Melba’s most frequently performed roles. She had particular success in the opera singing opposite Enrico Caruso as Rodolfo. While impressing audiences with his sublime tenor voice, Caruso took great delight…

Melba’s earliest performance as Violetta in La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi was during her first season in Brussels in 1887. At the time, her inexperience in acting was noted but the role later became a staple in her repertoire.

It was as Violetta…

This concert was part of the celebrations in London leading up to the coronation of King George V. Three young male performers also appeared in the concert: German pianist, Wilhelm Backhaus; Irish-Canadian bass, Edmund Burke; and Irish tenor, John…