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Chrys Weedon<\/strong> | Entertainment Editor<\/span><\/p>\n According to Alon Goldstein\u2019s website, alongoldstein.com<\/a>, he is \u201cone of the most original and sensitive pianists of his generation, admired for his musical intelligence, dynamic personality, artistic vision and innovative programming.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n On Friday night, April 19 at 7:30 p.m., Goldstein was introduced for his concert in Smith Music hall as an acclaimed and \u201cbusy\u201d pianist. At the age of 18, Goldstein made his orchestral debut with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then, Goldstein has travelled across the world to play the piano with various symphonies, to places like Paris, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and across the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n Goldstein travelled to Western\u2019s campus to play the works of composers with backgrounds as diverse as his travels: Domenico Scarlatti, Leonard Bernstein, Ludwig Van Beethoven and Robert Schumann.<\/span><\/p>\n Opening the concert were four of Scarlatti\u2019s 555 sonatas written for the piano. Born in Italy, Scarlatti\u2019s compositions were influenced by the vitality of Spain and Portugal and by his home country. Goldstein described his chosen sonatas as \u201cexercises in precision.\u201d These selections were very technically intricate, and Goldstein played them with a meticulous yet graceful hand.<\/span><\/p>\n Next was the selection symphony no. 2 titled \u201cThe Age of Anxiety\u201d by Bernstein, followed by \u201cSonata no. 13 in E-flat Major, Op. 27 No. 1\u201d by Beethoven. Both pieces were skillfully navigated by Goldstein, who morphed between different emotions with ease.<\/span><\/p>\n The second half of the performance started with compositions by Schumann, a German composer that, according to Goldstein, sought to tell stories through his music. Titled \u201cKinderszenen Op. 15,\u201d and containing many sub-movements, this composition explored \u201cwhat is real and what is unreal,\u201d described by Goldstein, \u201cpainted with notes.\u201d Finally, the concert was concluded with another sonata by Beethoven.<\/span><\/p>\n Goldstein played with a conservative, light nature, never over-explaining a song\u2019s background or meaning unless it was significant. Goldstein\u2019s performance was only interrupted twice \u2014 once before the Scarlatti pieces and once before the Schumann pieces \u2014 but overall the pianist seemed to descend into a hyper-focused flow state throughout his performance.<\/span><\/p>\n Very technically proficient and with a light touch, Goldstein maintained the emotional integrity of each meticulously selected work. Goldstein, as made apparent by his April 19 performance, has cultivated and honed his talent into a practice that is accessible to an audience.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n