Classical Music for Aficionados

jim, IMHO there is nothing wrong with how you feel about poorly recorded music. I have many, well at least quite a few, records which I bought solely because of the quality of the performance despite the poor quality of the recording. I wanted to be informed. I listened and my curiosity was satisfied. I put them away and rarely have a desire to hear them again. Quite a few of these were old 'live' performances. Richter's Mussorgorsky's Pictures is a clear example. Sonics are terrible but you are unlikely to hear a more exciting performance. 

RV, Ormandy was my intro to Symphonic dances. I still prefer your previous  recommendation of Ashkenazy's.

 FWIW I agree with you about RR recordings, and I feel much the same way about Telarc recordings but for different reasons. I have more that I don't listen to than I do. That said I'm a sucker for RR's Copland Symphony #3. Also some of the earlier RR's are quite good as well. I've always enjoyed Keith Clarks recordings with the Pacific Symphony of the Menotti and Barber VC's and Copland's Appalachian Spring in its original 13 instrument version and which includes Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson sung by Marni Nixon, and a rarely heard Ourdoor Overture. The Telarc recording of Barbers Symphony #1 which includes Higdon's Blue Cathedral and Theofanidis' Rainbow Body is another disc I really enjoy for the music, especially the two modern pieces.

Babies and bathwater......:-)

Everything from Barber is a must ! As is the Great American novel
"A Death in the Family"  by James Agee  from which this poem comes .

https://youtu.be/RF05F0Sc4dw?t=4

Stumbled upon a stunning Barber Knoxville 1915 done with British Chamber Orch. without baton no less , Won’t get better than these great musicians ! Literally took my breath away . A masterpiece in all its glory .

https://youtu.be/PQzaFJZ8CuE?t=3

Newbee,

Reference Recordings LP’s are fantastically good.  I’ve just never had much luck in finding good sounding CDs, even though my player automatically reads their HDCD encoded discs.  I’ll have to try your examples of good ones.  I’ve noticed that lately their philosophy has changed: not such a distant, undefined presentation.  Even so, not state of the art as far as I’m concerned.
btw, You might want to re-listen to the Ormandy “Symphonic Dances” Especially if your set has improved over the years.  It was a revelation for me.