Romance (Arr. J. Williams for Guitar & Orchestra)-John Williams/William Goodchild/String Orchestra/Traditional

Denon's generous, if hyperbolically titled twofer The Ultimate Most Romantic String Music in the Universe covers extremely familiar ground in its selections, so prudent buyers should examine them carefully for any duplication of pieces they may already have. However, one probably wouldn't buy this compilation for any single track or to fill holes in a collection, but might choose it for its overall ambiance and utility as pleasant background music. The smooth, lyrical tone of the program ensures a mellow mood, and the balanced levels between tracks guarantee that there will be no loud surprises and little need to adjust the volume. The textures vary according to the instrumentation, so there are pieces and movements for violin and piano, violin, cello, guitar, string quartet, string orchestra, and several concerto formats, and the variety of ensembles is refreshing. The label's distinguished roster is well-represented, and such artists as violinist Chee-Yun, guitarist Shin-Ichi Fukuda, the Smetana and Prague String Quartets, I Solisti Italiani, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra are just a handful of the sophisticated musicians included in this package. One may quibble with the term Romantic, as it is used here, since music from the Baroque, Classical, and modern periods are sampled; if it is taken loosely, as it seems intended, then the music is indeed warm, lush, and emotionally satisfying, and suitable for quiet pursuits and relaxation.