A High Note at Cragside

A globetrotting piano, missing for a century, has returned to the Northumberland National Trust property.

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Celebrated pianist Arabella Goddard gained international acclaim during the 19th century.

Born to an English expatriate family in Brittany in 1836, she had demonstrated an extraordinary talent for music from a young age. After studying piano under Frédéric Kalkbrenner in Paris and later under Lucy Anderson, pianist for Queen Victoria, she performed for the royal family at Buckingham Palace while still only nine years old. Victoria was so impressed that Arabella was introduced to Sigismond Thalberg to complete her musical education. She made a triumphant public debut at Her Majesty's Theatre, aged just 14.

Famed for her refined technique and expressive interpretations, Arabella's career flourished, taking the pianist to perform around the globe. In the 1870s "the queen of pianists" embarked on a tour with her favoured Broadwood grand piano to promote the new rosewood model.

"In today's world of streaming and digital playlists, it's easy to forget how central live music and home instruments once were to everyday life," says Daisy Gibbs, National Trust research officer and music historian. "For middle-class Victorian families, having a piano in the home was normal – but owning a luxury model, like a Broadwood, was a true status symbol, and it was a piece of product placement as Arabella toured the world. Favoured by royalty and celebrated composers such as Chopin and Beethoven and referenced by Jane Austen in her novels, these instruments represented both cultural refinement and social prestige."