REDISCOVERED OPERA WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING IN MELBOURNE
Ms Kosky said that Melbourne-based Melba Recordings made history at the South Melbourne Town Hall this month with the first ever recording of Hélène, a neglected masterpiece written by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns especially for Dame Nellie Melba to sing.
(Media-Newswire.com) - A recently rediscovered opera written especially for Victorian music icon, Dame Nellie Melba, has its world premiere recording in Melbourne more than a century after its last performance, Minister for the Arts, Lynne Kosky, said today.
Ms Kosky said that Melbourne-based Melba Recordings made history at the South Melbourne Town Hall this month with the first ever recording of Hélène, a neglected masterpiece written by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns especially for Dame Nellie Melba to sing.
The recording has prompted several major opera houses to express an interest in reviving the opera. Melba Recordings will release Hélène in February 2008 to coincide with a European revival of the opera in Prague followed by a launch in Paris that month.
Ms Kosky said the opera, based on an episode of the Hélène of Troy story, premiered in 1904 at the Monte Carlo Opera and then at Covent Garden, was later performed at La Scala and in Frankfurt in 1905. It has not been performed since.
“This world premiere recording represents a significant piece of music history, and a little known part of the Dame Nellie Melba story,” Ms Kosky said.
“Dame Nellie Melba was the greatest diva of her day and the most famous Australian of her time. She was an international figure, appearing at major opera houses from New York to Milan, Paris to St Petersburg.”
Hélène is a one-hour, one-act opera for four soloists, orchestra and chorus. Conducted by exciting young French conductor Guillaume Tourniaire, the recording features soloists Rosamund Illing and Leanne Kenneally ( soprani ), tenor Steve Davislim, alto Zan McKendree Wright and Orchestra Victoria. The recording took place at the South Melbourne Town Hall over four days in early October.
“The Victorian Government is committed to supporting excellence in music and we are proud to support this important international project,” Ms Kosky said.
“The modern revival of this historically significant work will focus world music attention on Victoria, our wealth of artistic talent and rich music scene.”
Maria Vandamme, Executive Director of The Melba Foundation discovered the score in Monte Carlo while undertaking research on Nellie Melba’s life.
“I was excited to come across the score and was immediately struck by the extraordinary opportunity a recording of Hélène offered for Australian music. This is an important and complex recording and we at Melba are thrilled to be bringing this work back,” Ms Vandamme said.
“Hélène is just the first of many Melba Foundation projects that focus attention on Melbourne and Victoria. Future plans include a series of recordings in Victoria’s regional centres.”
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