Romance Abounds in New CD

(first published in The Cincinnati Post March 29, 2001)

Jesús López-Cobos: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2, Vocalise, Telarc, A.

Lopez-Cobos and the CSO go all mushy on their newest disc from Telarc - mushy-romantic, that is.

How else to treat this most romantic of symphonies, which has inspired pulsing movie themes, from ''Gone With the Wind'' on, not to mention more contemporary pop songs (''Never Gonna' Fall in Love Again'')?

Innovations in sound technology (Direct Stream Digital recording) likely motivated this new version of the popular work, which joins many others in the catalog (including Telarc's own). And the sound is laudable, with lush strings, bright woodwind solos and thrilling climaxes. Rachmaninoff's popular Vocalise makes an affecting encore.