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Classical Concert: Alex McDonald
On October 17 at Roussel Hall at Loyola University, pianist Alex McDonald gave a guest lecture and concert. He played more than he talked, which was very exciting for me because the entire evening was devoted to the works of composer Franz Liszt. The amount of emotion Liszt is able to convey in his music, and the intensity required to play it, have always astounded me, and being there for it live in a concert hall made the experience so much more powerful than listening to a CD.
Liszt is commonly associated with the "New German School" of music, but in my mind he stands apart from all other composers. His style is both aggressive and beautiful, and the melodies and harmonies he creates are totally unique. Watching Alex McDonald play made it very clear the kind of skills and passion required of the pianist when playing Liszt. I was astonished at the level of ease with which McDonald seemed to play; his connection to the piano made it seem as though it were just an extension of his fingers. Whether the particular piece was rough and rapid or soft and romantic, McDonald seemed to simply flow along with the music, letting it guide him as he guided it out of the piano and to our ears in with a full, natural and inspiring sound.
I was also impressed by McDonald's ease with the crowd. Though there were no other musicians or anyone else onstage with him, he was perfectly comfortable both when delivering his lecture and while playing. This is not too surprising; according to the program notes, he's been playing since he was for and made his orchestral debut at the age of eleven. Still, the way he talked to the crowd and connected to the piano made it clear that not only is Alex McDonald very good at what he does, he also really cares about music and our relationship to it. Attending this concert definitely strengthened mine.
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