I bought some Handel, some Mahler, and some Shostakovich today. The ABC Classical released CDs are from mostly (if not entirely) Australian performers. At $10 a CD they look like good value.

Whilst the recordings may technically be superior to the performances of the NCO, I don't expect them to be as much fun to listen to. In my experience classical music either gains greatly in live performance, or loses something in recordings, possibly both.