Like its companion album, the second volume of Classics for the Heart consists of piano music that is sentimental in nature and gentle in mood, and despite Domo's cost-cutter presentation, these are fairly decent recordings of popular Romantic gems. Pianist
Fujiko Hemming, no stranger to this repertoire, gives straightforward performances of evergreens by Franz Liszt,
Frédéric Chopin,
Claude Debussy, and Franz Schubert, and while she may not be the most famous artist to have played these pieces, her interpretations are enjoyable and soothing, which is really all this compilation promises and all most casual listeners will require. The sound is fairly rich and resonant, to fit with the lush character of this music, and the dynamic levels are consistently clear but quiet from track to track, making this a pleasant CD to play as background music, without obtrusive volume adjustments.