Borodin and Tchaikovsky were both hostile to Rimsky-Korsakov's Third Symphony when they heard it in its first version, but not as critical as the composer himself. What we have here is its third and final revision, purged of the excesses of technique that, he wrote in his memoirs, made it all too dry. In this version, which has had several recordings, it is enjoyable less as the solemn exercise to which Borodin objected than as a piece of vivid orchestral writing with some attractive ideas guiding it. It therefore fits easily into a programme of Korsakov orchestral show-pieces, of which the most substantial is the musical picture Sadko.

Svetlanov is an old hand with this music, and he draws properly colourful performances from the orchestra, clearly and brightly recorded. The version of the symphony is preferable to Yondani Butt's over-stressed performance with the LSO or the limper version by Kitaienko with the Bergen Symphony Orchestra. Serious collectors of Rimsky-Korsakov's symphonies will no doubt have acquired the fine set by Neeme Järvi with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra on DG: this is on two records, and contains all three symphonies together with the Russian Easter Festival Overture and the Capriccio espagnol. For those following Svetlanov's series (the two other symphonies were reviewed last November) or for what might be called a Rimsky-Korsakov taster, even if not of his best music, the present disc is very acceptable.

-- Gramophone [10/1995]