Camille Saint-Saëns scored his Third Symphony to achieve bombastic sounds, but the music, as usual for this urbane composer, was gracious and refined. To unlock all of its wonders, a maestro must perceive its underlying Gallic charm. Seiji Ozawa is only partly successful in this; too often his interpretation seems far too Wagnerian for comfort. The orchestra members play well for him, and the recording team has produced a sound that is clean, clear, and well balanced, but also curiously lacking in presence. What makes this CD interesting, then, is the inclusion of two of the composer’s best tone poems, neither of which has received exceptional attention from record companies. The performances maintain an overall charm, exemplified by engaging, mercurial woodwind passages near the beginning of Phaeton and a wonderful chorale-like passage for horns at its core. The Rouet D’Omphale is just as colorful, and like Phaeton, much better recorded than the symphony. At Seraphim’s low asking price, it makes sense to buy this CD for the filler rather than the main fare.
