Are you troubled by the imaging of a symphony orchestra?

Large Jazz Band

I saw the Hot Sardines live, wide stage, trumpet far left (behind the christmas tree actually), horns moving in, bass, drums, to piano far right. Up front, tap dancer left of center, singer right of center. 

bought this album, awesome recording

https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Home-Bon-Voyage-Sardines/dp/B07NBD1QDF

"This live album was recorded in two originative bursts at their regular haunt, Joe's Pub, in New York and Koerner Hall in Toronto."

but, the imaging was opposite of what I saw/heard live???

turns out, Donna was at that show at Joe's Pub, smaller stage, and the piano was on the left.

Still, my mind was expecting the opposite. Oh yeah, the McIntosh mode switch has 'stereo reverse'. Bingo, nirvana.

One of the reasons I have wheels on my heavy speakers is so I can adjust toe-in, for single listener, for wider center for 2 listeners, content with too much separation, or content with not enough separation.

I also chose a cartridge with both wide channel separation and tight channel balance, a big part of imaging success.

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/cartridges/line-series/at33-series/at33ptg-2

Next, you need the tools and skills to align the cartridge. Once physical alignments are correct, anti-skate is critical to imaging.

I use both the CD and Vinyl versions of this to first tweak my system balance with the CD, then twerk my anti-skate on LP version

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_Night_in_San_Francisco

side 2, tracks 2 and 3: CD proves system balance is correct, then LP, adjust anti-skate to get the imaging of the 3 guitarists right.

Then, it's about content with great: recording techniques, engineering, mixing, pressing ... Many awesome recordings are out there, but you cannot buy any '1812' you need to do some research, find the ones done right.

Since I can get carried away with Bach, Brahms, Haydn etc in my car with about 20$ worth of speakers not something I worry about .

If you go to symphonies and "sit close," then you are certainly aware that that symphony ('sound-stage'?) will be completely different when you sit somewhere else.  (e.g., as in Disney--you can sit 'close' in front, behind [for 1/10 the price], close on the side, close on the side balcony, first row, tenth row).  Since the instrument location will be different from each one of those seats, there is no possible way a recording can "correctly" image that.