My decades-long exploration of classical music has always been repertoire based. By this I mean I always sought out those less-known or outright forgotten composers on obscure labels, rather than sticking to a core of canonical composers and pieces, and perhaps multiplying the number of recordings I have of one piece. (Exception: Mahler.) I explore laterally a period I enjoy. For years I was after Mahler's near contemporaries, from Suk, Reger, to Martinu and a host of others. More lately I got into the Stylus Phantasticus, and collected twenty recordings from the early Italians through Biber and beyond--mostly composers most people have never heard of. For quite a while I was buying the installments of Hyperion's seemingly never-ending survey of 19C piano concertos. Conclusion: you do stumble occasionally over minor gems, but you also listen to a lot of worthy but ultimately unexceptional music. There is a reason the canon is the canon (or rather two canons: the canonical works by canonical composers). But I suppose I have the completist gene, and the thrill of the hunt keeps me going. It's not a question of guilt, but rather of curiosity and ultimately enjoyment. So many things are a chore, music shouldn't be one of them.