As a couple of people have mentioned, close-miking an orchestra does not result in the best sounding recording - it all has to be mixed later, which always ends up sounding totally different than it does in the hall. This is not even to mention the problem of instruments bleeding over into the wrong mikes, which will always happen, even using directional mikes. The very best sounding orchestral recordings that the previous posters have mentioned were without exception miked from farther out in the hall, or far above the orchestra, using far fewer microphones than are used in today's digital world.
Recommendations for close miked classical recordin
Anyone have any recommendations for excellent sounding close-miked classical recordings? Perhaps I spent too much of my formative years listening to rock and jazz, but what I'm looking for are orchestral works recorded as if one were sitting right in the middle of the orchestra alongside the musicians. So many classical cds I hear sound dull and lifeless, like you're sitting half way back in an empty auditorium. I want it to sound like the conductor is standing right between my speakers! (Of course the performance has to be top-notch too, or else it's a pointless exercise.) I'd appreciate any pointers anyone can provide.