Iconic Musicians in Society

Iconic Musicians and Their Accomplishments

Iconic musicians have accomplishments that make them stand out. Some musicians become icons because they invented a music genre or played a pivotal role in the popularization of a genre.^[1] Such musicians constantly innovate and play with sounds, in the process creating new sounds that revolutionize a music genre. Some musicians also become icons because of their immense talent. Musical geniuses such as Mozart and Michael Jackson have gained recognition for the talent that they possessed.^[2] The third category of musicians who become icons involves musicians that have made positive contributions to society. Social responsibility is a concept that has become significantly popular in modern human society. Nellie Melba is a musical icon because of her immense talent and positive contributions to society. She is among musicians that have been recognized both for their talent and efforts made towards improving societal well-being.^[3]

Nellie Melba: A Talented Musician and Cultural Ambassador

This paper focuses on Nellie Melba as a talented musician that made significant contributions to society.

Recognition and Personal Triumphs of Nellie Melba

Nellie Melba appears on the Australian hundred-dollar bill because of her status as an individual that made positive contributions to the Australian society. She served as an outstanding cultural ambassador for her country during her active years as a singer and performer. Melba also appears on the note because of her personal triumphs.^[4] She is placed on the note as a symbol for what can be achieved when an individual strives to have a better life. The 1861-born singer was named Helen Mitchell but later changed her name to Nellie Melba. Her last name was a tribute to Melbourne, the city in which she was born. Having walked out of her marriage because she was unhappy, Melba set out to develop her musical talent to become an accomplished singer and performer. She moved to England in 1886 to gain exposure and pursue a career in music.

Melba’s Journey to Success

Melba found it difficult to succeed in the English operatic industry and her initial efforts to achieve breakthrough success did not pay off. She then moved to Paris to study under the mentorship of Mathilde Marchesi, an accomplished opera music tutor.^[5]

Breakthrough and Leading Roles

Marchesi was moved by Melba’s talent and noted that she had found a star in the Australian native. Melba learned new singing techniques with the help of Marchesi. As she began to gain recognition as an opera singer, she made a mistake that most novices make in the music industry.^[6] She entered into a contract that limited her freedom as an artist and tied her down to one promoter for a decade. Melba could not pursue various performing opportunities because of the contractual agreement that she had signed. For instance, she was forced to refuse an offer from La Monnaie Opera House situated in Brussels because of her contractual obligations. Melba was expected to portray the character Gilda in the opera. However, her lucky break came when the person that she was contractually obligated to passed away. She made her debut on stage in 1887 and moved audiences with her performances. Soon, she was drafted to play the leading role in Lakmé. The opera was created by Delibes. The composer was surprised by the excellent performance of Melba. He thought that her voice interpreted his composition with “supernatural purity”.^[7]

Recognition for Melba’s Purity of Voice

Melba began to gain prominence because of what many critics regarded as a pure voice. She was sought by many composers because of her natural ability to interpret their work through her pure voice. Sir Henry Wood described her notes as a “string of pearls”.^[8] He regarded them as separate yet touching. Melba’s vocal line of tone was also described as pure and without any noticeable distortion. While many British audiences were initially skeptical of her work, they gradually came to appreciate her talent. One of the most conspicuous skeptics of Melba’s singing was Bernard Shaw. She eventually won him over with her performances, especially during her performance in Elaine. He noted that the singer had grown to become one of the very best in her genre. According to Shaw, Melba sang with a lot of heart, and this made her performances significantly moving.

International Success and Stardom

Having conquered Britain, Melba set out to conquer the Far East. Achieving success in a country such as Russia would only further cement her status as an opera icon. Her performances in Russia were loved by audiences there to the extent that when she visited the country in 1891 to perform again, crowds placed clothes on the ground so that her feet could not be soiled by the ground. The gesture was an adequate testament to her superstar status and an indication that she had become an opera icon. Tsar Alexander III gifted the singer a necklace made of diamonds as an appreciation for the beautiful performances that she had staged in the country.^[9] Following her success in Europe and Asia, Melba turned her attention to the United States. She attained a stardom status that few opera singers could rival during the late nineteenth century. She received lots of gifts and stayed in luxurious hotels at the peak of her singing career.

Nurturing the Next Generation

Melba also made efforts to nurture the next generation of opera singers in Australia. She taught music at the Melbourne Conservatory as a way of giving back to society.^[10] Melba was generous and, therefore, found it easier to tutor upcoming singers. She also had great respect for her fans and the common person, a trait that endeared her to many adoring fans around the world.

Nellie Melba: A Music Icon

In conclusion, Nellie Melba is considered a music icon because of her talent as an opera singer. She received accolades from critics who were moved by the purity of her voice. The singer sought to convert skeptics by putting out the best performances in the opera. She was viewed by many people as one of the most talented and successful opera singers of her generation. Nellie Melba is also regarded as a music icon because she used her platform to improve the wellbeing of young singers in Australian society. She volunteered to tutor up-and-coming singers to ensure that they were ready to take the world stage. Her efforts towards improving the music industry in Australia were recognized by the Australian government that honored the singer by having her image on the hundred-dollar bill. Melba’s talent and contributions towards society, therefore, make her a music icon.

Bibliography

Barber, Stella. “Alberto Zelman: Australia’s Unsung Musical Hero.” ISAA Review 10, no. 1 (2011): 25.

Blainey, Ann. Marvelous Melba: The Extraordinary Life of a Great Diva. Ivan R. Dee, 2009.

Brackett, David. The pop, rock, and soul reader: Histories and debates. Oxford University Press, USA, 2009.

Campbell, Rachel M. “Dame Nellie Melba: Celebrity and the portrait.” Context: Journal of Music Research 40 (2015): 69.

Lipton, Martina. “Imbricated Identity and the Theatre Star in Early Twentieth-Century Australia.” Australasian Drama Studies 58 (2011): 126.

Marin, Gabiann, and Rae Dale. Dame Nellie Melba. New Frontier Publishing, 2010.

Reserve Bank Australia. “RBA Banknotes: Dame Nellie Melba”. 2018. Banknotes.Rba.Gov.Au. https://banknotes.rba.gov.au/australias-banknotes/people-on-the-banknotes/dame-nellie-melba/.

Richards, Jeffrey. “The Empire’s queens of song: Dame Emma Albani, Dame Nellie Melba, Dame Clara Butt.” In Imperialism and music. Manchester University Press, 2017.

[1] Martina Lipton. “Imbricated Identity and the Theatre Star in Early Twentieth-Century Australia.” Australasian Drama Studies 58 (2011): 126.

[2] David Brackett. The pop, rock, and soul reader: Histories and debates. Oxford University Press, USA, 2009.

[3] Rachel M. Campbell. “Dame Nellie Melba: Celebrity and the portrait.” Context: Journal of Music Research 40 (2015): 69.

[4] Reserve Bank Australia. “RBA Banknotes: Dame Nellie Melba”. 2018. Banknotes.Rba.Gov.Au. https://banknotes.rba.gov.au/australias-banknotes/people-on-the-banknotes/dame-nellie-melba/.

[5] Gabiann Marin and Rae Dale. Dame Nellie Melba. New Frontier Publishing, 2010.

[6] Stella Barber. “Alberto Zelman: Australia’s Unsung Musical Hero.” ISAA Review 10, no. 1 (2011): 25.

[7] Gabiann Marin and Rae Dale. Dame Nellie Melba. New Frontier Publishing, 2010.

[8] Ibid

[9] Jeffrey Richards. “The Empire’s queens of song: Dame Emma Albani, Dame Nellie Melba, Dame Clara Butt.” In Imperialism and music. Manchester University Press, 2017.

[10] Stella Barber. “Alberto Zelman: Australia’s Unsung Musical Hero.” ISAA Review 10, no. 1 (2011): 25.