"Philip Amalong, the Cincinnati-based pianist who has developed this ongoing project, has said that he likes to play toccatas because he likes the way they feel in his hands and in his ears. It shows. His playing is both technically assured and joyous. This is a very-well-produced survey of American piano music, as heard through the filter of a particular form." - Peter Burwasser [Fanfare Magazine]

"...extroverted, engaging and stylistically sympathetic performances...a fascinating project, and I look forward to further volumes." - Jed Distler [ClassicToday.com]

"5 Stars! What a Devilishly Clever Idea! ...Pianist Philip Amalong has scored a coup...One must say a word not only about the cleverness of Philip Amalong's programming, but his invigorating playing on this disc. I'd not known of him before but am definitely signing up for any further discs he decides to make." - J Scott Morrison [Amazon.com]

"...There is not enough space to discuss every piece, but each one has its particular personality and contributes to the iridescent colorfulness which makes this CD special. The moods may be diverse, but one thing is true for all pieces on the recording: they require considerable pianistic dexterity, and pianist Philip Amalong masters not only the technical challenges with sovereignty, but also offers interpretations of the more complex pieces by Rorem and Harris that are convincing and captivating. " -Albert Muhlbock [American Record Guide]

"...Amalong's performances are consistently impressive...more than enough wit and dexterity to keep you amused and amazed..." - Jonathan Valin [The Absolute Sound]

"...it's when Amalong gets to Ginastera's splendid First Sonata that he really cuts loose. His performance is easily as dynamic as the well-known readings by Adrian Ruiz on Genesis 114 (Jan/Feb 1999) and Barbara Nissman on Newport 85510 (reissued on Pierian 5, Sept/Oct 2001). Amalong is particularly dazzling in the brilliant fast passages, where Eroica's strong, sharply focused sound (much better than the other two recordings) adds impact and excitement. In III, the mysterious nocturnal adagio, Amalong surprises by playing considerably more slowly than anyone else I’ve heard, drawing out Ginastera’s study in plangent sonorities to six minutes (Nissman takes 4:27). The trick is to hold the piece together at this extra-slow pace, and Amalong manages to do this--but just. Pyrotechnics in the fast movements notwithstanding, this is actually his most daring and dangerous interpretive gamble."-American Record Guide, January 2004

"Amalong negotiates all of this richly cascading music [Prokofiev, Granados, dellaPicca] with aplomb, and imparts lots of character and nuance to the Prokofieff--more than in the too-languid reading on Chandos 8851 (July/Aug 1991)." -American Record Guide, January 2004

"Beautifully played piano music selected for a rainy afternoon and featuring a remarkable Ginastera Op. 22 ...pianist Amalong is refusing to cater to any "crossover" sentiments. This is serious classical music for people who love classical music and no apologies expected. Pianist Amalong is a virtuoso of the first order and plays and achieves a distinctively intense, reflective mood which perhaps reaches its most intense in the adagio molto appassionato of the Ginastera Sonata." -MusicWeb International, January 2004

"Efficient and sensitive...a stirring performance of the exhilarating 1st Sonata by Alberto Ginastera..."-Music and Vision, May 2004