Movie Love Themes:Erich Kunzel(cond)/Cincinnati Pops Orchestra/William Tritt(p)

For this 1991 disc, Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra have gathered together 18 famous love themes into slick arrangements that will appeal more to easy listening fans than to classical aficionados. While the performances are competent, with a glossy finish that may please on a superficial level, the material is too consistently bland to sustain attentive listening. The lush renditions of the Main Theme from On Golden Pond, "Unchained Melody" from Ghost, and "Evergreen" from A Star Is Born are precious but relatively inoffensive, since they offer the gentle mood one expects from a collection of dreamy romantic hits. However, that delicate ambience is periodically broken by tracks of unalloyed bombast. The version of 'What a Feeling" from Flashdance is the most egregious example, too garish and overblown in its pop grandiosity to sit comfortably among the other saccharine selections. Nine tracks feature the piano concerto stylings of William Tritt, a decent performer who, unfortunately, is allowed to play little more than easy arpeggios and melodies in octaves. Also presented are accordionist Jean Dulaney in the Waltz from Cousins and guitarist Angel Romero in the Cavatina from The Deer Hunter, yet their performances come too late to recapture much interest.