Overview

Dame Nellie Melba is, arguably, the most famous of all Australian women and her portrait graces Australia's highest denomination banknote. Blessed with an exceptionally fine voice, Melba forged a spectacular career for herself in the rarified world of grand opera and was acknowledged as a 'Queen of Song'. Triumph after triumph crowned her 44-year-long career and her admirers included numerous famous composers and the monarchs of many countries. Melba also provided a role model for other Australians who followed in her footsteps onto the stages of the world's great opera houses. Melba's private life was almost as colourful as the plots of the operas in which she sang. A turbulent marriage that ended in acrimonious divorce, custody battles, a doomed love affair with a member of the French royal family, health problems and a press campaign of criticism about her character taxed Melba's stamina and her courage.

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9781923042131

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Richard Davis is an internationally acclaimed writer specialising in biographies. He's written a series devoted to the lives of famous Australian musicians, including Close to the Flame: The life of Stuart Challender and Wotan's Daughter: The life of Marjorie Lawrence, published by Wakefield Press, as well as biographies of pianists Geoffrey Parsons and Eileen Joyce. These have enjoyed international critical success and earned Richard the Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Award for the Arts. Richard is also the author of some lighter books including the popular Great Australian Ghost Stories. He also teaches creative writing.

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