BEST brand for Classical Recordings?

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.

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.

I'm with Detlof all the way on his recommendations and also agree to be careful of Duetsch Grammophone recordings so far as quality of the recordings, not too many good ones on vinyl although many excellent performances to answer Jorge. Some of their more recent digital recordings are better IMO. It is unfortunate that a label that records such great orchestras with many excellent performances would not be as discriminating in the engineering of their recordings.