Best sounding Saint-Saens Sym No. 3?


Yes, I have the BSO/Munch sacd release but which version has the best sonics? It doesn't have to be the best performance and my purchases are online so I cannot judge that aspect very well.
rotarius
I have eight versions of this favorite warhorse and sonic blockbuster, and I'm surprised no one has mentioned one of the best, somewhat more recent versions, which has excellent sound: it's the SECOND Telarc version, also with Michael Murray as organist, with Christian Badea conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded 1990-91. (The first Telarc version, with Murray, Ormandy, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, was recorded back in the early days of digital in Feb. 1980.)
Another estimable version not mentioned here so far is the one recorded circa 1976 on DG with Gaston Litaize, organist, and Daniel Barenboim conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. By the way, I have on hand all three remasterings for CD that RCA has issued of the famous old Zamkochian/Munch/Boston SO version of 1959. These are the first CD issue of 1987, the "Living Stereo" remastering of 1993, and the DSD/SACD/hybrid remastering of 2004. I'm listening in two-channel only, but there is no question that the SACD hybrid of 2004 is the best-sounding of these three.
The BSO/Munch sacd is not bad sonically, there are plenty of classical cds that sound worse. I can't tolerate the harshness in classical as much as other genres for some reason. I stopped buying classical cds for an entire decade and I just started building up my collection again last year so I have some catching up to do. Cbrentc, thanks for the link. So Texasdave, which telarc version do you prefer?
Having both of the Telarc versions, I feel the more recent one was preferable sonically and interpretively. My only quibble with the second version is that the organ was recorded in a different venue than the orchestra (the intent was to use an organ which was the same as the one Saint Saens wrote the piece for), and while the editing was done very well I still think you lose some spontenaity in playing by recording the parts in separate sessions.