I agree completely... strangely, my love of classical music ends with piano. I listen to CDs to analyze the artistry and technique of the master pianists. The best recordings are done in a small studio, or better yet, using a quality electronic midi connection to avoid all room noise (pedals, sniffles, squeaky bench, etc.) . Concert hall recordings echo and reverb too much, and turn the piano sound to mud. Besides, how many of us are going to actually play concertos with a full orchestra behind us? Solo piano is as honest as it gets.
I have a good collection of solo classical piano works, and didn't buy a single CD... got 'em from the public library and copied them. So I admit it, I'm a pirate... avast ye, mateys...
Seriously, the library is a great source... check it out!