BEST brand for Classical Recordings?

I am only beginning to "get into classical" but have noticed that there is some excellent recordings of not so well-played music (Reference Recording of Copland Fanfare comes to mind) that are not as enjoyable to listen to as a less recording of a better performance. I have purchased a couple of the 24/96 digital master from original master tape and they are great performances and sound just fine.

while not offering much "mainstream" music, lyrita recorded some of the most spectacular classical lp's ever. i find harmonia mundi and bis to offer consistently excellent classical cd's, also on the more obscure side. _kelly

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!