Each time I listen to a new recording from Charles Dutoit I am reminded of his famous French predecessor in the gramophone world. Pierre Monteux had similar gifts, bringing a naturally sympathetic response to the widest range of repertoire and, even more important, bringing everything fully to life in the studio. With Dutoit—as with Monteux—his records have both immediacy and natural spontaneity and one has the sense of being at a live performance. So it is with this splendid new digital record of Saint-Saens's Third Symphony which also confirms yet again what an excellent orchestra—in every department—is the Montreal group. The recording itself is transparently detailed and everything that Dutoit does is clearly conveyed. The strings are given a thrilling brilliance above the stave—There is a hint of digital edge but the quality is truthful—and for the symphony's closing pages (and indeed the actual entry of the organ) the weight of the sound is very impressive. All in all this is technically now perhaps the finest record of this much-recorded symphony, but this must be a subjective view; as well shall see, the competing versions (except Karajan's DG, which I find fierce) have much to offer too. Dutoit creates (as does Barenboim, also DG) an evocative feeling of expectancy in the opening, the allegro has fine attack and bustles with energy while the contrasting secondary material is beautifully played. The slow movement is very telling, the combination of strings and organ heart-warming (I find the digital sound particularly lustrous at mezzo forte). The movement reaches a climax of great intensity and the closing pages are touching. The Scherzo has tremendous energy and the finale is able to make a powerful dynamic contrast because of the weight and freedom from bass distortion. There is an exhilarating quickening at the coda and one is left tingling as the final chord dies away.