Bach, Goldberg Variations, played by Glen Gould. I consider the piano the hardest instrument to record/reproduce in a "life like" manner. On a "good" system with better than "good" speakers, you can clearly hear not only beautiful piano, but also Glen Gould humming along with his remarkable playing. There are two recordings of this piece, the first being from the late 50's I think, and another, later. I prefer the first.
System Reference Recordings
Understanding that everyone uses (or should use) a variety of recorded media and a variety of tracks/sides when giving a listen to newly added components, IC's, PC's, etc., let me ask this. What are the one or two recordings (CD and/or LP) that you reach for FIRST when bending that discerning ear? Artists, titles, labels..