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Book I Am Melba by Ann Blainey

Download or read book I Am Melba by Ann Blainey written by Laura Dickson and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book I Am Melba

    Book Details:
  • Author : Ann Blainey
  • Publisher : Black Inc.
  • Release : 2009-01-31
  • ISBN : 192182543X
  • Pages : 410 pages

Download or read book I Am Melba written by Ann Blainey and published by Black Inc.. This book was released on 2009-01-31 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of an Australian girl who defied convention and became the most famous singer of her era. Growing up in Melbourne, Nellie Mitchell dreamed of fame, but her devout father disapproved. When a chance arose to go to Paris, she trusted in her musical talent and hoped for a lucky break. Within a few years, reborn as Nellie Melba, she was performing to overflowing concert halls, hobnobbing with European royalty and collaborating with some of the most renowned composers of the age. Audiences swooned over the 'heavenly pleasures' of her voice, while the public showed an insatiable appetite for news of her sometimes passionate private life. Dame Nellie Melba was Australia's first international superstar. In this important biography, enhanced by new research, Ann Blainey captures the exuberance, controversy and pathos of Melba's remarkable career. Winner of the 2009 National Biography Award. Shortlisted, 2008 Age Book of the Year Awards. ‘Blainey ... writes with clarity and panache. This is an entertaining biography. Everyone should read it and be reminded of what a remarkable singer we once had in our midst.’ —Sydney Morning Herald ‘There have been five biographies of Melba, together with her own rather fanciful memoirs; but the present one by Ann Blainey is superior to them all.’ —The Age ‘Thoroughly researched, excellently written and beguilingly human biography of Nellie Melba’ —Australian Book Review ‘Blainey brings a freshness to the story, giving us the feeling that we are reading about a life in progress.’ —Good Reading ‘Welcome and timely, shedding new light on the diva’ —Courier Mail ‘This is a gripping story of triumph and sorrow.’ —Sun-Herald ‘Meticulously researched biography’ —The Australian Ann Blainey is the author of I Am Melba. She has written five biographies, and her most recent biography of Dame Nellie Melba reflects her fascination with singing and opera. She has served on the council of two Australian opera companies and of the Percy Grainger Museum in Melbourne, where she lives.

Book King of the Air

Download or read book King of the Air written by Ann Blainey and published by Black Inc.. This book was released on 2021-08-03 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revealing portrait of a brilliant and troubled figure – a daredevil of the sky Charles Kingsford Smith was the most commanding flyer of the golden age of aviation. In three short years, he broke records with his astounding and daring voyages: the first trans-Pacific flight from America to Australia, the first circumnavigation around the equator, the first non-stop crossing of the Australian mainland. He did it all with such courage, modesty and charm that Australia and the world fell in love with him. He became a national hero, ‘Our Smithy’. Yet his achievements belied a traumatic past. He had witnessed the horror of World War I – first as a soldier at Gallipoli, later as a combat pilot with the Royal Flying Corps – and, like so many of his generation, he bore physical and emotional scars. The public saw the derring-do; only those close to him knew the anxious man who pushed himself to the edge of health and sanity. In November 1935, Kingsford Smith’s plane crashed and he was lost at sea near Burma, his body never to be recovered. This brilliant work from one of Australia’s foremost biographers reveals the complicated, tumultuous life of a fascinating figure, who pursued his obsession to the greatest heights of fame and catastrophe Ann Blainey is the author of the acclaimed I Am Melba, which won the 2009 National Biography Award and was the most popular book in the 2009 State Library of Victoria Summer Reads program. Her other books include biographies of Leigh Hunt and the Kemble sisters. ‘Brilliant ... Blainey’s fascinating book focuses on the inner as well as the outer man. While Smithy’s career highlights may be well known, his ambiguous relationship with fame, his drinking, and his doubts and fears were not. In this beautifully written, scrupulously researched and meticulously indexed work, Blainey has filled this gap to perfection.’ —Ross Fitzgerald, The Weekend Australian 'Crisply written ... Even people not particularly interested in the feats of aviators will find this book an engrossing read.' —Jim Davidson, The Sydney Morning Herald ‘Blainey is a pleasure to read and this biography is superbly researched’ —Michael McGirr, Australian Book Review

Book Conductors in Britain  1870 1914

Download or read book Conductors in Britain 1870 1914 written by Fiona M. Palmer and published by Boydell & Brewer. This book was released on 2017 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Frontcover -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- List of Tables -- Acknowledgements -- Editorial Note -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1 The Context: Conductors in the British Marketplace (1870-1914) -- 2 Conducting the Philharmonic Societies of Liverpool and London (1867-1880s): Julius Benedict and William Cusins -- 3 Conducting the Royal Choral Society and the Leeds Festival (1880s-1890s): Joseph Barnby and Arthur Sullivan -- 4 Conducting the Philharmonic Society of London (1888-1900s): Frederic Cowen and Alexander Mackenzie -- 5 Conducting in Bournemouth, London and Birmingham (1890s-1914): Dan Godfrey Junior and Landon Ronald -- Conclusion -- Select Bibliography -- Index

Book Nellie

    Book Details:
  • Author : Robert Wainwright
  • Publisher : Atlantic Books
  • Release : 2022-03-03
  • ISBN : 1838955100
  • Pages : 317 pages

Download or read book Nellie written by Robert Wainwright and published by Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2022-03-03 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'In this highly readable biography of Nellie Melba...Robert Wainwright tells the story of the girl with the incredible voice who, by sheer force of her personality and power of her decibels, took the operatic world by storm and managed to escape from her violent husband' Ysenda Maxtone Graham, DAILY MAIL Nellie Melba is remembered as a squarish, late middle-aged woman dressed in furs and large hats, an imperious Dame whose voice ruled the world for three decades and inspired a peach and raspberry dessert. But to succeed, she had to battle social expectations and misogyny that would have preferred she stay a housewife in outback Queensland rather than parade herself on stage. She endured the violence of a bad marriage, was denied by scandal a true love with the would-be King of France, and suffered for more than a decade the loss of her only son - stolen by his angry, vengeful father. Despite these obstacles, she built and maintained a career as an opera singer and businesswoman on three continents which made her one of the first international superstars. Award-winning biographer Robert Wainwright presents a very different portrait of this great diva, one that celebrates both her musical contributions and her rich and colourful personal life.

Book Opera

    Book Details:
  • Author : George Henry Hubert Lascelles Earl of Harewood
  • Publisher :
  • Release : 2008
  • ISBN :
  • Pages : 956 pages

Download or read book Opera written by George Henry Hubert Lascelles Earl of Harewood and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 956 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Marvelous Melba

Download or read book Marvelous Melba written by Ann Blainey and published by Ivan R. Dee. This book was released on 2009-03-16 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nobody sings like Melba, and nobody ever will, proclaimed the impresario Oscar Hammerstein in 1908. Like many others of his time, he considered her the world's greatest singer. The wild acclaim showered on her by American fans led to the coining of the word Melbamania. Year after year she toured America on the Melba train, bringing opera and concerts to out-of-the-way cities and towns; thanks to the new gramophone, she could also be heard in the remotest locales. Ann Blainey's beguiling life of Nellie Melba tells the story of a woman who-in an era when no woman was prime minister, chief justice, head of a church or financial firm, or a universal film star-became perhaps the most famous woman in the world. Ms. Blainey's Marvelous Melba punctures many of the myths surrounding Melba's life and career, and offers a new portrait of the great diva.

Book Who s who in Australia 2009

Download or read book Who s who in Australia 2009 written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 2300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A biographic reference to notable people in Australia. Entrants are drawn from all areas of Australian life, including the arts, politics, education, medicine, defence, business, diplomatic service, and recipients of honours and awards.

Book Carmen Abroad

    Book Details:
  • Author : Richard Langham Smith
  • Publisher : Cambridge University Press
  • Release : 2020-07-30
  • ISBN : 1108481612
  • Pages : 387 pages

Download or read book Carmen Abroad written by Richard Langham Smith and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-07-30 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A transnational history of the performance, reception, translation, adaptation and appropriation of Bizet's Carmen from 1875 to 1945. This volume explores how Bizet's opera swiftly travelled the globe, and how the story, the music, the staging and the singers appealed to audiences in diverse contexts.

Book Before I Forget

Download or read book Before I Forget written by Geoffrey Blainey and published by Random House Australia. This book was released on 2019 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in his late-eighties, and listed by the National Trust as a 'Living Treasure', in Before I Forget Geoffrey Blainey reflects on his humble beginnings as the son of a Methodist Minister and school teacher, one of five children, and a carefree childhood spent in rural Victoria, from Terang to Leongatha, Geelong to Ballarat. From a young age these places ignited for Blainey a great affection for the Australian landscape, and a deep curiosity in Australia's history. He longed to travel, and would climb atop the roof of their home to stare out at the Great Dividing Range and imagine the world beyond. His mother created gardens wherever they went and had literary ambitions of her own; his father spent more on books than he could ever afford, and the library travelled with the family. Blainey's devotion to the Geelong Football Club began in Newtown from where he'd watch his team play at Corio, and as a newsboy he developed an early interest in current affairs, following the dramas and triumphs of the Second World War and the political careers of local identities John Curtin and Robert Menzies. With a burning desire to see Sydney but barely a penny to his name, he hitched there with a schoolfriend to see the harbour that greeted the First Fleet, and visited the national theatre of Parliament House on the way home to see Billy Hughes, JT Lang, Arty Fadden, Arthur Calwell, Enid Lyons and hero Ben Chifley in action. The course of Blainey's life changed when he was awarded a scholarship to board at Wesley College in Melbourne - an opportunity that instilled in him a great love of learning, under the tutelage of a group of inspiring teachers. This flourished further at the University of Melbourne, first as a wide-eyed student at Queen's Collage, where he was lectured by Manning Clarke, and later as a professor of history. Later he and Manning Clarke became great friends, both sitting on the Whitlam Government's new Literature Board. Hours spent at Melbourne's State Library as a student poring over the country's old newspapers cemented his calling to become a professional historian. Like Clarke Blainey has always been compelled to visit the places of our historical interest, including places of archaeological and Indigenous significance. Now the author of over forty books, Geoffrey Blainey claims he has discovered Australia's history his own way - and is still learning. Warm, insightful and lyrically written, Before I Forget recounts the experiences and influences that have shaped the astonishing mind of Australia's most loved historian. But in this book Blainey has given us something more - a fascinating and affectionate social history in and of itself.

Book Great White Fleet to Coral Sea

Download or read book Great White Fleet to Coral Sea written by Russell Parkin and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Andre Rieu  My Music  My Life

Download or read book Andre Rieu My Music My Life written by Marjorie Rieu and published by Hardie Grant Books. This book was released on 2014-12-18 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Andre Rieu is a violinist, conductor and international classical music star, who has won the hearts of millions of music-lovers throughout the world with his extravagant concerts and sell-out tours. Born in the Netherlands in 1949, Andre started taking violin lessons at the age of five, the beginning of a love affair that would never end. As a student he was asked to take part in a salon ensemble and as he played his first waltz a whole new world opened up for him. From that time on Andre was hooked on the waltz rhythm and dreamt of creating a large orchestra that would enchant its audience. After recruiting his own 'Johann Strauss Orchestra', Andre began to tour. Crowned the "Waltz King", Andre's wish was to make classical music accessible for everyone, and this has undoubtedly come true. The Johann Strauss Orchestra has grown from strength to strength and now has up to 50 players, and the orchestra's first CD, 'From Holland with Love' (1994) stayed in the Top 10 chart in the Netherlands for over a year. Written by his wife, Marjorie Rieu, My Music My Life explores the story of Andre's youth; growing up in the Netherlands; the musical family he grew up in; his music studies; and his extraordinary success story as he went on to become a bestselling, international music star.

Book Melodies and Memories

Download or read book Melodies and Memories written by Dame Nellie Melba and published by . This book was released on 1926 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The Spare Room

    Book Details:
  • Author : Helen Garner
  • Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
  • Release : 2009-02-03
  • ISBN : 1429992514
  • Pages : 187 pages

Download or read book The Spare Room written by Helen Garner and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2009-02-03 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A powerful, witty, and taut novel about a complex friendship between two women—one dying, the other called to care for her—from an internationally acclaimed and award-winning author How much of ourselves must we give up to help a friend in need? Helen has little idea what lies ahead—and what strength she must muster—when she offers her spare room to an old friend, Nicola, who has arrived in the city for cancer treatment. Skeptical of the medical establishment, and placing all her faith in an alternative health center, Nicola is determined to find her own way to deal with her illness, regardless of the advice Helen offers. In the weeks that follow, Nicola's battle for survival will turn not only her own life upside down but also those of everyone around her. The Spare Room is a magical gem of a book—gripping, moving, and unexpectedly funny—that packs a huge punch, charting a friendship as it is tested by the threat of death.

Book Stonnington Thematic Environmental History

Download or read book Stonnington Thematic Environmental History written by Lesley Alves and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Australia  a Cultural History

Download or read book Australia a Cultural History written by John Rickard and published by Longman Publishing Group. This book was released on 1988 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The Virtual Republic

    Book Details:
  • Author : McKenzie Wark
  • Publisher : Allen & Unwin Academic
  • Release : 1997-01-01
  • ISBN : 9781864485202
  • Pages : 314 pages

Download or read book The Virtual Republic written by McKenzie Wark and published by Allen & Unwin Academic. This book was released on 1997-01-01 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: McKenzie Wark, one of Australia's most exciting cultural commentators, takes a fresh look at recent debates about gender, race, culture and the media and suggests that our sense of national identity no longer resides in our past but is continually being reinvented.