Audiophile Classical cds?

Here are a few suggestions to get you started. You seriously cannot go wrong with most of these. They're mostly from the top of my head and from what I have lying around me as I type. They consist mainly of chamber and solo instrumental works, with a few symphonic performances that stand out. I consider all of the following to be must own CDs either on the basis of performance alone (with sound not too bad) or on the basis of both performance and audiophile appeal. They were also chosen for their musical accessibility to those without many years of active listening experience. Some great works which every classical music lover must also get at least one good recording are: Mozart's Requiem (remember the particular's of the one I own); Mozart Symphies 39&41; Mozart String Quartets, including the "Dissonant Quartet" (there's a great one on Deutsche Grammaphon); Schoenberg's Verklaerte Nacht&String Trio on Deutsche Grammaphon

SACD: (just got my SACD player, so I can't recommend many yet)
Stravinksy: Rite of Spring, Jaervo Paavi conducts, on Telarc
(also check out the CD recording of Benjamin Zander conducting Boston Philharmonic. That recording also has the piano role transcription of the Rite (supervised by Stravinsky himself), performed on a Pianola - a thrilling experience!
Complete Orchestral Suites - Boston Baroque conducted by Martin Pearlman on Telarc
Brahms Violin Sonatas 1-3, performed by Csaba and Heisser, Praga Digitals
(2004)
Yo-Yo Ma Solo, works of Tcherepnin, Kodaly, Wilde, and others, on Sony
(also on CD).
Beethoven's Ninth, Karajan, (1976 performance is considered the best)
(complete symphonies also on CD)

CD:
Debussy: Images and Preludes performed by Thibaudet (London Label)
Bach:
Complete Lute Suites - John Williams, classical guitar (best performance)
Complete Cello Suites performed by Janos Starker - Mercury Living
Presence (also avail. on SACD)
Toccata BWV 911;Partita 826;English Suite No.2 BWV 807, performed by
Martha Argerich, Deutsche Grammaphon
Complete Partitas, Preludes, and Fugues, Glenn Gould, piano - Sony
Goldberg Variations, ditto
Early Music, Kronos Quartet
Brandenburg Conceros 1-3, and 4-6 (2 disks), Martin Pearlman conducts
The Boston Baroque
Complete Works for Solo Violin, Nathan Milstein, Deutsche Grammaphon
Mozart:
Sonatas, performed by Mitsuko Uchida on Phillips CD (soon to be SACD!!!!)
multiple CDs
Clarinet Quintet;Kegelstadt Trio, Charles Neidich w/ L'Archibudelli Sony Vivarte
Concertos 1-5, Isaac Stern& Pinchas Zuckerman (? Label) 3 CDs
Mahler, Das Lied von der Erdel Eije Oue conducts Minnesota Orchestra,
Reference Recordings HDCD
Complete Symphonies, Leonard Bernstein
Beethoven:
Octet, Sextet, Mozzafiato,(wind music) Charles Neidich&others on Sony Vivarte
Complete String Quartets, Vegh Quartet (performance)
(6 CDs)
The Legendary Pablo Casals, Cello Sonatas of Bach, Beethoven, and
Brahms, EMI Classics
Beethoven-Lizt Piano transcriptions of Beethoven's Symphony No. 6,
performed by Glenn Gould, Sony Classical
Schubert Lieder, Elly Ameling, Soprano (also on SACD) - amazing technique+ sweet voice
For Two to Play, Harpsichord Music for Four Hands, performed by Moroney and Baumont, on Virgin Classics label
Brahms, String Quartets Op.51 &OP.67 and Clarinet Quintet Op 115,
Charles Neidich, clarinet;Julliard String Quartet, on Sony Classical (2 disk)
Boccherini, Cello Sonatas; Fugues for 2 Cellos, performed by Anner Bylsma and others, Sony Classical
Chopin: can't go wrong with Rubinstein or Ashkenazy
Bartok Complete String Quartets, performed by Emerson Quartet, DG
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 3, 7, 8 - performed by Borodin Quartet
on Virgin Classics.

LP:
Beethoven:
Ninth Symphony, conducted by Isserstedt, Marilyn Horne
Soprano, London Decca Records (very special performance)
Violin Concert; Nathan Milstein, violin
(I forget the orchestra and label). One of my favorite performances ever!
Symphony No. 3 "Eroica", Ansermet conducts L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, London ffrr
(easy to find and cheap)
Stravinsky
Symphony in C; Symphony in Three Movements, same conductor/orchestra as above, London Records (C S6190)
Get this one: (performance and AUDIOPHILIA)
L'Histoire Du Soldat (The Soldier's Tale - Suite); also has Rimsky Korsakov's Capriccio Espangol. Chicago Pro Musica, REFERENCE RECORDINGS
(also on HDCD)

By audiophile standards, the CD sound quality of the1976 Karajan series verges on good. I have both the original Deutsche Grammaphon CD release and the remastered SACD release and can definitely recommend the latter, though if you want the ultimate sound quality you'll need to pick up a more recent 'Pure DSD' recording such as that conducted by Runnicles on Telarc. The Karajan performance is so good that combined with decent (but not great) sound you shouldn't have any problem staying engaged, but the Telarc DSD version is decidely superior in every way when it comes to sonics. SACD has been a godsend for classical music lovers. Even my unmodded Sony DVP-s9000es DVD/CD/SACD player (avg. used price ~$425-550) trounces my almost four grand redbook Linn Ikemi cdp when playing back the SACD layers of *certain* classical recordings vs. the redbook layer on the Ikemi. For redbook only, you're best bet for sound quality in classical is going to be anything on the Reference Recordings label (most or all of which also support HDCD).