The Dame Nellie Melba files in the Library's PROMPT collection contain primarily theatre programmes with some ephemera and newspaper cuttings which document the opera singer's Australian and overseas careers from 1891 to 1931. These files are incomplete and the holdings list therefore reflects this however additions to the collection and to this list are continuously being updated. The reader is advised to check the currency of the holdings list from time to time.
Access to Melba material in PROMPT collection
The Melba material is arranged in chronological order in the following boxes:
Box 1 1891-1921
Box 2 1922-1931
Box 3 Plays, etc.; Performances; Newspaper cuttings; Ephemera; Memorial concerts
Material from the PROMPT collection is available for use through the Petherick Reading Room, Ground Floor. Readers should complete an electronic call slip for the following catalogue record:
The Melba-J.C. Williamson Co. programmes covering her Australian tours will be found in the J.C. Williamson Opera files which are arranged in chronological order. Readers will need to fill in a call slip for the J.C. Williamson opera programs record, that is below, and then specify the year(s) required. Anything from one to several boxes may be retrieved.
Additional Melba programmes some covering her early Australian appearances will be found in the PROMPT Scrapbooks collection particularly nos. 1, 6 and 8. Due to their fragility readers are requested to use the microform copy. Both versions are catalogued individually and are available on the Library's catalogue however the microform copy is available through the Newspapers and Microforms Reading Room.
Access to all other PROMPT material is through the Petherick Reading Room.
Access to other Melba material in the Library
All Melba material is available on the Library's catalogue and readers are advised to use the following search strategies:
- Personal author heading; subject heading; other subject keyword using – Melba, Nellie
- Title keyword using – Melba
- Use similar strategies for associated artists, companies, friends.
The catalogue also includes additional programmes not included in the PROMPT collection but available in the general and Australian collections.
Some other important materials on Melba held in the Library
- Biographical cuttings are available through the Newspapers and Microforms Reading Room.
- Pictorial material is available from Library's Catalogue online or through the Pictures and Manuscripts Reading Room.
- Printed music is available through the Petherick Reading Room and the Library's digital collections online (e.g. material written for and sung by Melba: The Melba Valse / Ch. Stephano, Ave Maria / May Summerbelle).
- Manuscript materials including Melba's archives are available through the Pictures and Manuscripts Reading Room. Please note that some of these also contain theatre programmes. Material related to some of Melba's associated artists, friends, business partners and institutions such as John Lemmone, Mathilde Marchesi, Charles Elsasser, the Tait Family including personal papers of Frank and Viola, Fritz Hart, Rita Coonan, the Lilydale and District Historical Society, Melba Conservatorium as well as extensive JC Williamson (Firm) materials including their archives are also available.
- Motion pictures and video recordings are available for loan through the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Melbourne.
Access to other Melba material on the Internet
A short list of other materials relating to Melba in Australia available through the Internet is included here.
- Dame Nellie Melba Research Centre at the Museum of Lilydale (Lilydale, Victoria) contains an extensive photographic collection of Melba, associated arts, composers and family. The archive includes historical files of press clippings, her music, her family including objects such as clothing, accessories, records, music and gifts.
- Melba Conservatorium of Music (Richmond, Victoria) holds some memorabilia.
- ScreenSound Australia, National Screen and Sound Archive (Canberra, ACT) contains some of her recorded legacy as well as print materials.
- National Archives of Australia contains various types of materials on Melba in Australia.
- PictureAustralia offers access to digitised pictorial material from a range of Australian and overseas cultural collecting institutions.
Arrangement
The holdings list is in one chronological by order of performance and incorporates her Australian and overseas careers. This order reflects the arrangement in the PROMPT files. It includes the city, venue, the name of the company, the name of the opera or recital, her role and any comments.
Holdings list - Dame Nellie Melba Performances
|
1891 |
June 25; London; Buckingham Palace Recital (program on paper doily) |
|
1891 |
July 8; London; Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden Romeo et Juliette Act. 4 (Gounod) and others (Command Performance for German Emperor & Empress souvenir program) |
| 1895 |
June 12; London; Royal Opera, Covent Garden Faust (Gounod) NM Marguerite |
|
1899 |
January 11; New York; Metropolitan Opera House Faust (Gounod) NM Marguerite |
|
1902 |
September 27; Melbourne; Town Hall First Concert NM with others |
|
1902 |
September 30; Melbourne; Town Hall Second Concert NM with others |
|
1902 |
October 11; Sydney; Town Hall First Concert NM with others |
|
1902 |
October 23; Sydney; Town Hall Fourth Concert NM with others |
|
1902 |
November 5; Melbourne; Town Hall Madame Melba's Concert NM recital |
|
1902 |
November 26; Melbourne; Princess Theatre Lucia di Lammermoor (mad scene) (Donizetti) - NM Lucia La Traviata (Verdi) - NM Violetta (Grand Opera Season Souvenir program) |
|
1903 |
January 31; ?Melbourne; Town Hall Concert d'Adieu (of E.A. Beaumont) NM with others |
|
1904 |
May 5; London; Queen's Hall Concert in aid of Queen Charlotte's Hospital NM with others (+ handbill) |
|
?1907 |
November 23; Melbourne; Town Hall First Concert NM with others |
|
1907 |
November 30; Melbourne; Town Hall Second Concert NM with others |
|
1907 |
December 10; Sydney; Town Hall First Concert NM with others |
|
1907 |
December 14; Sydney; Town Hall Second Concert Nm with others |
|
1907 |
December 17; Sydney; Town Hall Second Concert NM with others |
|
1907 |
December 18; Sydney; Town Hall Matinee Concert NM with others |
| 1907 |
December 26; Melbourne; Exhibition Building Concert NM with others |
|
1908 |
January 30; Ballarat, Vic. Concert NM with others |
|
1908 |
February 25; Adelaide; Jubilee Exhibition Building Concert NM with others |
|
1908 |
July 21; London; Royal Opera Covent Garden The Grand Opera Syndicate Otello (Verdi) NM Desdemona |
|
1909 |
March 9; Melbourne; Town Hall Concert NM with others |
| 1909 |
March 13; Melbourne; Town Hall Concert NM with others |
|
1909 |
March 27; Melbourne; Town Hall Second Concert NM with others |
|
1909 |
June 1; Sydney; Town Hall First Concert NM with others |
|
1909 |
November 15; Melbourne; Exhibition Building Madame Melba's Charity Concert NM recital |
|
1909 |
No date or venue Melba Tour, 1909 NM with others Sydney advertisement on back cover |
|
1909 |
No date or venue Melba Tour, 1909 NM with others |
|
1909 |
Australasian Tour, 1909 Publicity brochure |
| 1910 |
July 16; Folkestone; Pleasure Gardens Theatre Grand Melba Matinée NM with others |
|
1911 |
July 1911 – Anniversary of Postcard with NM's port. by Johnston-Ayres Co. |
|
1911 |
October 23; Sydney; Her Majesty's Theatre The Melba Grand Opera Season Romeo and Juliet (Gounod) NM Juliet |
|
1911 |
October 28; Melbourne; Her Majesty's Theatre The Melba Grand Opera Season La Traviata (Verdi) NM Violetta Facsimile of program centrefold |
|
1911 |
November 24; Melbourne; Her Majesty's The Melba Grand Opera Season Romeo et Juliette (Gounod) NM Juliette |
|
1911 |
December 5; Melbourne; Her Majesty's The Melba Grand Opera Season Rigoletto (Verdi) NM Gilda Facsimile of program centrefold |
|
1911 |
December 7; Melbourne; Her Majesty's The Melba Grand Opera Season Faust (Gounod) NM Marguerite Facsimile of program centrefold |
|
1911 |
December 9; Melbourne; Her Majesty's The Melba Grand Opera Season La Boheme Act. 1 NM Mimi |
|
1912 |
March 1; Melbourne; Her Majesty's Theatre Charity Concert (for University Conservatorium of Music) Hamlet (Thomas) Act 3 - NM Ophelia with others Otello (Verdi) Act 4 - NM Desdemona with others |
|
1913 |
May 4; London; Royal Albert Hall Melba and Kubelik Concert |
|
1913 |
October 5 – December 6; Melba Tour (of U.K.) Melba Concert NM with others |
|
1914 |
November 21; Adelaide; Exhibition Building Patriotic Concert NM with others |
| 1915 |
June 3; Sydney Town Hall Melba Special Concert in aid of the Polish Relief Fund |
|
1917 |
March 16; Riverside, Ca. USA; Loring Theatre Tuesday Musical Club Concert NM with others |
|
1917 |
August 21; Melbourne; Town Hall Concert by pupils of Melba NM did not perform herself |
|
1919 |
Port., biography of NM heading Royal Opera Covent Garden 1919 season, pp. 65, 85, 87 In: Stories of the operas and the singers : official souvenir, season 1919. |
|
1919 |
January 7; Sydney; Town Hall Concert NM with others |
|
1919 |
January 14; Sydney; Town Hall Concert NM with others |
|
1919 |
July 31; London; Royal Opera Covent Garden Gala Performance La Boheme Act 3 (Puccini) - NM Mimi Romeo et Juliette Act 3 (Gounod) - NM Juliette |
|
1919 |
September 28; London; Royal Albert Hall Concert NM with others |
|
1920 |
May 2; London; Royal Albert Hall Concert NM with others |
| 1921 |
August 31; Melbourne; Town Hall Home Coming Concert NM with others |
|
1921 |
September 10; Melbourne; Town Hall Home Coming Concert NM with others |
|
1921 |
October 4; Adelaide; Town Hall Concert NM with others |
|
1921 |
November 19; Sydney; Town Hall Concert NM with others |
|
1921 |
November 22; Sydney; Town Hall Concert NM with others |
|
1921-22 |
December 8 – January 24; Melbourne; Town Hall Concerts for the People NM with others |
|
1922 |
March 21 – April 12; Sydney; Town Hall Concerts for the People NM with others Copy for different performance (undated) |
|
1922 |
March 21 – April 28; Sydney; Town Hall Concerts for the People NM with others Copy for different performance (undated) |
|
1922 |
May 29; Melbourne; Town Hall Grand Concert of British Music by Conservatorium students (under patronage NM who did not perform) |
|
1922 |
June 6; Sydney; Town Hall Farewell Matinee NM with others |
|
1922 |
August 1; Melbourne; Town Hall Farewell Concert NM with others |
| 1922? |
September 2; Melbourne; Her Majesty’s Theatre Matinee performance given by NM; in aid of the Fund for The Soldiers’ War Memorial. |
| 1922 |
November 12; London; Royal Albert Hall Melba Concert Special Sunday concerts |
| 1922-23 |
January 17; London; Royal Opera House, Covent Garden British National Opera Co. La Boheme (Puccini) NM Mimi |
|
1922-23 |
January 20; London; Royal Opera House, Covent Garden British National Opera Co. La Boheme Acts 3 & 4 (Puccini) NM Mimi |
|
1923 |
December 4; Sydney; Town Hall Welcome Home Concert NM with others |
|
1924 |
Ports. Of singers from excerpt of undated sources |
|
1924 |
January 22; Hobart; City Hall Concert NM with others |
|
1924 |
March 29 – June 19; Melbourne; His Majesty's Theatre NM & JC Williamson Ltd Grand Opera Season Souvenir program |
|
1924 |
April 15; Melbourne; His Majesty's Theatre Dame Nellie Melba and J C Williamson Ltd Grand Opera Otello (Verdi) NM Desdemona |
|
1924 |
July 9; Sydney; Her Majesty's Theatre Dame Nellie Melba and J C Williamson Ltd Grand Opera Madame Butterfly (Puccini) NM did not perform |
|
1924 |
July 21; Her Majesty's Theatre Dame Nellie Melba and J C Williamson Ltd Grand Opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) NM did not perform |
|
1924 |
Sept. 4; Sydney; Her Majesty's Theatre Dame Nellie Melba and J C Williamson Ltd Grand Opera [Farewell] Copy imperf. |
|
1924 |
September 29; Adelaide; Theatre Royal Dame Nellie Melba and J C Williamson Ltd. Grand Opera La Boheme (Puccini) NM Mimi |
|
1924 |
October 6; Adelaide; Theatre Royal Dame Nellie Melba and J C Williamson Ltd Grand Opera Don Pasquale (Donizetti) NM did not perform |
|
1924 |
October 13; Melbourne; His Majesty's Theatre Dame Nellie Melba and J C Williamson Ltd Grand Opera Farewell of Dame Nellie Melba La Boheme (Puccini) NM Mimi |
|
1926 |
January 30, February 6; London Farewell concerts NM with others |
| 1926 |
June 25; London; Royal Albert Hall Farewell concert NM with others |
|
1927 |
March 2; Melbourne; The Auditorium Home – Coming concert NM with others |
|
1927 |
March 15; Hobart; City Hall Dame Nellie Melba's Farewell tour NM with others |
|
1927 |
April 9, 13; Sydney; Town Hall Farewell concerts NM with others |
|
1927 |
May 14; Newcastle; Central Hall Farewell Tour NM with others |
|
1927 |
August 2; ?Melbourne; The Auditorium Melba – Zimbalist Recital |
|
1927 |
November 10, 12; Adelaide; Exhibition Hall Concerts for the People Farewell to Adelaide NM with others |
|
?1927 |
No date; Brisbane; Exhibition Hall Farewell Tour NM with others |
|
?1927 |
No date; No city/venue Farewell Tour NM with others |
|
1928 |
May 2; Melbourne; Town Hall Dame Nellie Melba Appeal on behalf of the hospitals for women in Melbourne NM with artists and two combined orchestras |
|
1928 |
9 June; Melbourne; His Majesty's Theatre Williamson – Melba Grand Opera Season Turandot (Puccini) NM did not perform |
| 1928 |
15 August; Footscray; Barkly Theatre Souvenir programme to commemorate the visit of Dame Nellie Melba Nm did not perform. |
|
1930 |
June 10; London; Park Lane Hotel Charity Concert arranged by Dame Nellie Melba NM with others |
