BEST brand for Classical Recordings?


DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON?, DECCA?, TELDEC?, TELARC?, SONY?,...etc. Which is your favorite one for classical music? Why? Thank you!
jorge_err
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.
Jorge, we audiophiles are few, we don't count on the big market, so the big record labels don't record according to our gospel and/or needs. They record for the needs of the mainstream. Now most low end, mid fi CD players sound rather forward and harsh in the highs, so the very drawn back renderings of the Beethoven in my excample may be just right for that kind of gear. The ordinary music lover, not being audiophile hardly cares for soundstage, resolution, layering of depth, right placement of instruments or what have you. He quite innocently just wants to enjoy the music. He will not buy for "sound", as many of us do, he will buy for the artistic rendering, which not all of us, but the mainstream of music lovers would.