This, [Eva-Maria Zimmerman and Keisuke Nakagoshi’s] first CD, provides a fascinating program and spectacular performances to match, so I am not surprised that the record has just become a Grammy nominee!

Bernstein’s flamboyant Candide Overture feels surprisingly comfortable in these new clothes. Its orchestral version is a firework display of colors but the piano provides an alternative palette and is as scintillating as the original. The music prances happily along, collecting motifs by the armful and throwing them up in the air. The performers play with enthusiasm and élan. They are not afraid to apply brute force when needed, and convey all the humor of this light-hearted gallop of a piece. It’s vivaciousness and happiness all the way.

…[in] Four-Hands Sonata…The performers play with excellent drive. The Sonata is a student’s work…but it is technically well written and even memorable…it is accessible and enjoyable…

Overall, this is a very good disc. The four diverse works sound well together. The recording is very close and detailed…I wish them luck in the Grammy stakes, and will look out for other records by these spectacular four hands. © 2013 MusicWeb International Read complete review

These two fine pianists have been playing together under the name Zofo…They display tight ensemble and are of one mind in matters of tempo and expression, as duo-piano teams need to be…Their program contains some interesting music.

The best parts of this program are the pieces originally intended for the medium. Debussy’s languorous Épigraphs Antiques are ideal for this duo, which responds winningly to the subtle colors and delicacy of the writing. I would go so far as to say this is the finest recording I know of this sensual work. The real find, however, is the four-hand sonata by Harold Shapero…This three-movement, 16-minute sonata shows the influence of Stravinsky overall, unsurprisingly, in its sharp edged textures and rhythms, yet there is also a lyrical impulse that I can only describe as American. Like the best of the American neoclassicists, Shapero took a pared-back, unemotional European style and brought warmth to it. Zofo responds to both the hard edge and the underlying lyricism, and once again the tempos seem absolutely right.

The sound quality is excellent, spacious and clear. Recommended… © 2012 Fanfare

Highly varying works for four hands piano. Stravinsky’s ” Rite of Spring” popular. Debussy’s and Shapero’s pieces are lovely. © 2012 WRUV Reviews Read complete review