Saint-Saëns was greatly regarded in his time but his reputation has slipped in our own, when ready tunefulness, elegance, craftsmanship and the ability to entertain and hold the listener are not enough. Even so, the miniatures on the first disc of these discs remastered for SACD make delightful listening. The composer’s ready melodic gift immediately effervesces in the Africa Fantasy, sparkles in the ballet music and charming Tarantelle, and is wonderfully catchy in the ripping Algerian March. The Sarabande and Rigaudon then show a restrained warmth and elegance. But the surprise item is the original version of the Danse macabre with a spectral vocal line “Zig-a-zig-a-zig, zig-a-zag” (Death tapping at the tomb). Lasting barely three minutes, it is splendidly sung by Anthony Roden and is a real collector’s item. La muse et le poète is an elegant concertante work for violin, cello and orchestra, perhaps a little over-extended but pleasingly inventive. The performances are warmly affectionate, beautifully played and flattered by the rich-textured surround sound. So this first disc is very much worth considering.

The second collection opens with the sprightly Princesse Jaune Overture, exotically mock-oriental, and continues with a little-known Requiem from 1877 with echoes of Fauré and an impressive reflection of Berlioz in the “Tuba mirum”, which quotes the Dies irae against four unison trombones. But it is an agreeable work rather than a masterpiece. The Organ Symphony undoubtedly is one, and is given a good performance under Geoffrey Simon, with the richly played slow movement the highlight. But the famous organ entry has not enough edge and I recommend instead Olivier Latry and the Philadelphia Orchestra under Christophe Eschenbach (Ondine, 3/07), or a brilliant bargain reissue (Regis) by Noel Rawsthorne and the RLPO under Loris Tjeknavorian, recorded in Liverpool Cathedral: the organ entry has to be heard to be believed!