I know this may sound heretical, but I am more interested in a good recording, or the sonics of classical music "classics".
I have found that that I like the performances of most of the recordings I have, but the sound of the recordings may be somewhat lacking.
Can anyone make any suggestions for well recorded symphonies, concertos and chamber music. I love classical music and one of the reasons I like it is because I can relate it to actual performances I have attended. I know where all the instruments are located in a typical orchestra, and I want to hear that placement (soundstaging & imaging), both laterally and depth-wise. Ideally, the recording should be made with a minimal number of microphones, but that seldom happens.
Most popular music is recorded on multiple tracks, at different times, and put together by the producer according to the way he thinks it should sound. It may also be very compressed. Anyway, although it MAY sound good, it isn't something that one can relate to anything real.
If you are an audiophile and a classical music lover, your recommendations will be greatly appreciated.