In article , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes:

If you were to do a rule of thumb for a classical recording with no chance
to experiment or rehearse in the venue, you'd simply sling a stereo pair
above the conductor. Since he is the one who 'engineers' the balance of
the orchestra. But that's not a place any member of the audience can hear
the work from.

"People make an awful lot of fuss, anyway, about the quality of the
sound they listen to. Have you noticed; they spend all that time
trying to get the exact effect of an orchestra actually playing in
their sitting room. Personally, I can't think of anything I should
hate more than an orchestra actually playing in my sitting room."

--
Mike Fleming