Goddard, Arabella (1836–1922)
Goddard, Arabella (1836–1922)
English concert pianist who was one of the first to play entire concerts by memory and to achieve a world career. Born in St.-Servan, St. Malo, on January 12, 1836; died at Boulogne, France, on April 6, 1922; married the critic J.W. Davison, in 1859.
Born of English parents, Arabella Goddard was the most famous pianist in England during the 1860s and 1870s. Because of Goddard's superb technical skills, George Bernard Shaw felt "nothing seemed to give her any trouble." At age six, she began her studies with Friedrich Kalkbrenner, who was followed by Thalberg and then by her future husband, the critic J.W. Davison. At age 17, Goddard was the first pianist to perform Beethoven's formidable Hammerklavier Sonata in London. She played everything from memory, a rare feat at the time. In 1857 and 1858, again in London, she performed the then rarely heard last five piano sonatas of Beethoven. In 1872, she was the soloist at the inauguration of the Royal Albert Hall, playing the Emperor Concerto of Beethoven. Goddard was one of the first pianists to achieve a world career. In 1872, she left for a three-year tour, playing in Australia, New Zealand, India, China, and throughout America. Retiring in 1882, she died at Boulogne, France, on April 6, 1922.
John Haag , Athens, Georgia