SQ or performance?

**** But sound quality dont hold a candle to musical interpretation...****
 

Not much more to add.  Great posts, mahgister.

Since the subject is Classical music I will add that sometimes what is perceived as great sound is actually artificial sound.  Classical music composers do not and did not intend their music to be heard with the kind of hyper detail and spotlighting often heard on some recordings.  Impressive sound perhaps…..in a way.  However, composers compose and choose certain instrumental combinations with the idea in mind that only from a certain distance the listener would hear the desired blend of instrumental colors and textures.  The pin point imaging and detail that is sometimes craved by listeners actually destroys the composer’s intent for the composition.  A classic case of less is more and why some feel that their stereos sound better than a live performance in a decent hall.  An absurdity, imo.

I'm like most of the rest of you guys. A stellar performance and stellar-quality music will always out-trump a lesser performance recorded with better fidelity. Luckily, though, I have many, many recordings that demonstrate that Holt's Law doesn't always hold true. I have lots of recordings that give me cake and proverbially allow me to eat it, too.

Luckily, though, I have many, many recordings that demonstrate that Holt's Law doesn't always hold true. I have lots of recordings that give me cake and proverbially allow me to eat it, too.

In some few cases yes the sound quality rival the performance...

The recording engineer here is a genius...

And for me it is one of the best, if not the best piano playing of these nocturnes...

But sometimes it is difficult to choose between marmorean perfection with Moravec and an elegant more moving interpretation which is not less powerful and way less known...

Even if the sound recording cannot rival Moravec album it is very good...Anyway very rare pianist can rival Brunhoff delicate intonation without any rigidity, a flowing heartfelt singing and dancing....

Same here impossible to choose between the well recorded Barbosa compared to Flier but the two versions are stupendously good and so different that listening one and the other is doubling pleasure....And most dont know these two geniuses...