BEST brand for Classical Recordings?

Jorge: If you are just getting started building a classical musical collection, here are a couple of suggestions. First, look for a book titled "The NPR Guide to Classical Music", or words to that effect. One of the main music critics has evaluated the best recordings for many of the major composers and their best-known works. The book is a graet starting point for "newbies". Second suggestion: try the RCA "Living Stereo" re-issue series and the Mercury "Living Presence" re-issue series. Both feature great recordings from the 1950's and early 1960's, and both series have some superb recordings. Finally, as to labels:
there are already some good suggestions from others. Over the past 40 years or so, the following labels have had some fine recordings: Decca, London, Teldec, Harmonia Mundi, BIS, Lyrita, Deutsche Grammophon (although their recording quality was sometimes not the best during the 1970's and early 1980's), Telarc (usually on the cutting edge of recording technology). There are also some fine classical recordings on Dorian and Chesky.

If you like classical music, I would seriously consider a vinyl frontend, because so far CD still falls behind the old technology in the renderings of big orchestral events in practically all parameters that are important for an audiophile and musiclover. As far as LP's are concerend you will find Decca, Emi, Mercury, RCA, Harmonia Mundi and most of the reissues (Classic Records) interesting. Perhaps the new technologies on the horizon will equal or better vinyl.
As far as CD's are concerend, I think the above posts are excellent, though I would warn of Deutsche Grammophon. I just bought Abado's Beethoven Symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonics and when I put it on, I thought my system was bust. Veiled, no punch, very distantly miked, no soundstage, in short terrible. Seems they are up to their old tricks of the 70's and 80' again. Telarc and RR have proven very reliable to these ears, harmonia mundi, Delos, sometimes Sony and the Mercury reissues on CD are generally quite enjoyable. Hope that helps a bit.

Jorge, IMHO as a classical music fan, "that label is best which offers the best performance of the work" (the one you refer, maybe)... As far as re-issues on CD go, Decca 24/96 remasters, Sony Classical, and EMI "art" offer good sound. But, in my system, they don't beat LP -- see Detlof above et alia...
Listen & enjoy, the music counts!

Reference Recordings is my favorite--but they are not all equal. I have a Mozart Concerto that is terrible, but then all of the Eiji Oui with Minnisota are exceptional--probably the best Classical I own on CD. Delos, Chesky, and Sony Classical are also excellent--but definitely a second to Reference Recordings in my opinion. On vinyl I like Reference Recordings, Sheffield, Klavier, and Classic Records Re-issues (180g). Again, there is some variation on these. Reference Recordings here has the most variation--I've gotten a few with quite a bit of surface noise. The others are consistent. The re-issues seem to generally be a function of the source material. I hope that helps.

If Deutsche Grammophon is not such good, why is that label among the most expensive ones? Why do most of the most prestigious orchestras record for this label? For example de Berlin and Viena Philharmonics. Thanks for your responds.