The symphony's rhythmic vitality is nicely balanced by a gentle and slightly quirky lyricism that is entirely Rousselian, yet is in places (especially the first and last movements) almost Prokofievian in its puckish humor. This work is resolutely positive in outlook, especially compared to its predecessor, the powerful but gloomy Second Symphony. The composer Francis Poulenc talked of springtime, and that indeed captures the mood. Easily the most popular of Roussel's symphonies, it stands with Le festin de l'araignée and Bacchus et Ariane as his most well-known works.

How well known? Not as well know as it deserves, but it has a very high reputation amongst people who know 20th century music. For example, when the composer Wittold Lutoslawski was asked to develop a list of this century's "top forty" classic pieces of music, Roussel's Third was on the list, and was performed at the very first concert in the series devoted to Lutoslawski's list. Other commentators have ranked it among the ten greatest symphonies of the century.

Among the symphony's admirers was Prokofiev, 22 years Roussel's junior and living at this time in Paris, who noticed stylistic similarities with his own work. A friend wrote to Roussel:

Prokofiev, whom you have seen with me, charged me to express to you his admiration, although he owes that you should say the same thing to him [because of similarities of technique].

After the vigorous first movement, the slow second movement provides a welcome change of pace. The longest movement in the symphony, the Adagio contains strong melodies and a delightful fast section of its own. There is no hint of the "music for contemplation or meditation" that characterizes many of Roussel's slow movements. (For example, the Concert pour petite symphony or the Piano concerto.) Instead, the climax of the movement carries clear, powerful emotions before it breaks through to a world of peace and harmony — similar to but better executed than the climax at the end of the Second Symphony.

The scherzo is perhaps the most immediately accessible movement, with dancing tunes and the strong rhythms characteristic of the work. It is perhaps Roussel's most successful scherzo, completely light and cheerful without succumbing to inconsequentiality. The finale continues the positive mood with clear melodies, strong rhythms, and a return of a five-note theme that appears also in the first and second movements.

The Third Symphony was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky for the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Roussel was present for the premiere, making his only trip to America. An incredible series of music was commissioned for this anniversary, including works by many of the major composers of the 20th Century:

• Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms
• Honegger's Symphony No. 1
• Howard Hanson's Romantic Symphony
• Hindemith's Concert Music for Strings and Brass
• Copland's Symphonic Ode
• Prokofiev's Symphony No. 4

Interestingly, of all these works by all these giants and near giants, only the Symphony of Psalms really compares with Roussel's Third.

The Third Symphony, opus 42, is perhaps the highest point in Roussel's oeuvre. [Marc Pincherle]

Prominent among the "calling cards" of the mature Roussel in the Third Symphony are his primitive "stamping rhythms" — not at all the sort associated with the traditionally elegant French ballroom; also, long-lined melodies, both sturdy and graceful, and harmonic attitudes that follow convention just long enough to jolt the listener when they momentarily depart from it. [Martin Bernheimer]

It would be difficult to find any two symphonies written by one composer between the two World Wars that are worthy of comparison with Roussel's [Third and Fourth]. [Martin Cooper]

As a whole it is an astute type of modern superclassicism, but far from mere precision of construction. Roussel's symphonic message is delivered by direct application of form and legible style, but with a perceptive diversity that avoids a paraphrase of stock patterns. [Arthur Cohn]

Its crystalline forms and clarity of orchestration reveal it as the summit of Roussel's mature neoclassicism. [Lucy E. Cross]

It is really marvelous to combine so much springtime and maturity. [Francis Poulenc]