X

KATHARINE GOODSON

AN ARTIST AT HOME

When one has frequently listened to a favorite pianist in the concert room, and has studied impersonally, so to speak, the effects of touch, tone and interpretation produced during a recital, it is a satisfaction and delight to come into personal touch with the artist in the inner circle of the home; to be able to speak face to face with one who has charmed thousands from the platform, and to discuss freely the points which impress one when listening to a public performance.

[Illustration:  Katharine Goodson]

It has been my recent privilege thus to come into intimate touch with the artist pair, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hinton, the latter being known all over the world as Katharine Goodson.  They have a quiet, beautiful home in London—­a true artist’s home.  One feels at once on entering and enjoying its hospitality, that here at least is one instance where two musicians have perfect harmony in the home life.  Mr. Hinton, as is widely known, is a composer and also a violinist and pianist.  The beautiful music-room, which has been added to one side of the house and leads into the garden, contains two grand pianos on its raised platform.  This music-room is Miss Goodson’s own sanctum and workroom, and here piano concertos, with orchestral accompaniment supplied on the second piano, can be studied ad infinitum.  Mr. Hinton has his own studio at the top of the house.

The garden music-room is lighted at one end by a great arched window, so placed that the trees of the garden are seen through its panes.  It is easy to imagine one’s self in some lovely sylvan retreat—­which is indeed true!  All the appointments of this room, and indeed of the whole house, every article of furniture and each touch of color, betoken the artistic sense for fitness and harmony.  Miss Goodson has a keen and exquisite sense for harmony in colors as well as for color in the harmonies she brings from her instrument.

“My coming tour will be the fifth I have made in America,” she said.  “I enjoy playing in your country immensely; the cities of New York, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia are the most appreciative in the world.  It is true we have masses of concerts in London, but few of them are really well attended and people are not so thoroughly acquainted with piano music as you are in America.  And you are so appreciative of the best—­even in the smaller cities.

“I can recall a recital which I gave in a city of not more than forty thousand, in the West.  The recital was arranged by a musical club; they asked for the program some time in advance, studied it up and thus knew every piece I was to play.  There was an enormous audience, for people came from all the country round.  I remember three little elderly ladies who greeted me after the recital; in parting