Choice here is quite clear. The Ormandy version of the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony is recorded in a very 'swimmy' acoustic, and although the sound is pleasant it is acoustically a little overwhelming. The performance is very professional but not distinctive. It has a very spectacular moment at the entry of the organ when the already wide dynamic range is extended by a couple more dBs or so, and few will be able to resist this without a grin at the sheer sumptuousness of it all. But at the high price this version commands it really is not competitive.
The Karajan CD sounds quite a bit better than the LP, but in the finale the miscalculation of the DG engineers still brings a fierceness that few will enjoy. So we are left with Dutoit, a thoroughly satisfactory recording, well balanced, brightly lit but not glaring, and with plenty of weight in reserve when the big moment comes. The CD is not remarkably better than the LP (or the chrome cassette) except for the background silence, but all are sophisticated in balance and detail. R1 '8403034'