Melba made her Covent Garden début in May 1888, in the title role in "Lucia di Lammermoor". She received a friendly but not excited reception. "The Musical Times" wrote, "Madame Melba is a fluent vocalist, and a quite respectable representative of light soprano parts; but she lacks the personal charm necessary to a great figure on the lyric stage." She was offended when Augustus Harris, then in charge at Covent Garden, offered her only the small role of the page Oscar in "Un ballo in maschera" for the next season. She left England vowing never to return. The following year, she performed at the Opéra in Paris, in the role of Ophélie in "Hamlet"; "The Times" described this as "a brilliant success", and said, "Madame Melba has a voice of great flexibility ... her acting is expressive and striking."