The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever! Volume II is another entry in a time-worn exercise in packaging that programs a number of bits and pieces of classical works in order to achieve a "mood music" sequence conducive to relaxation. There have been (and still are) so many of these compilations around that putting together something that breaks out of the pack is proving quite a challenge to record producers. This one is a little different in that there are some pieces that are on the margin between popular music and classical, such as Toots Thielemans playing the Jean de Florette theme, John Williams' theme to the film Schindler's List, James Horner's theme to Titanic ("My Heart Will Go On"), and an instrumental version of the popular hit "Time to Say Goodbye." Does this make The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever! Volume II better than its competition? In a sense, it makes it a little more honest -- after all, such discs are really put together for sale in the popular market rather than targeted to the classical music mainstream. It is a generous (perhaps a mite too generous), two-disc program with some rather dull proceedings and a little depressing. But the provision of excitement is not what this is designed for and as a relaxation disc, it may well fill the bill, if mostly in a "rainy day" kind of way. That's a little at odds with the front cover, which looks like an ad for Claritin.
Rovi