One might say by way of criticism that Mami Shikimori plays Mozart a bit in the style of Brahms, and Brahms a bit in the style of Mozart. However the playing is elegant and pristine, beautifully phrased and full of color. It is a pleasure to see old friends in new surroundings, and it is a pleasure as well to hear these two moving works at a new vantage point through the forthright and loving hands (and fingers) of this fine artist. As the Ravel is a show piece, it gets the showy treatment it deserves, and makes us respect Shikimori’s technique without being distracted by the work’s depth, which doesn’t happen to exist. -Raymond Beegle