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May I add to the dialogue that we are fortunate to have recordings either performed or conducted or in some cases supervised by such composers as Stravinsky, Copland, Bernstein, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Gould, Glass, Adams, Previn, Richard Strauss and Shostakovich among those whose names come to mind.

Decca recorded many of the British composers of the latter part of the 20th century as Columbia did for American composers. There are also old 78 recordings of turn of the 20th century music conducted or performed by their composer.

The first performance of a composer's piece may not necessarily have been played or conducted by that composer. The only way to define "original", then, would be its "first" performance. There are very few pieces whose first performances were recorded.

So no, there is not an original "track" for every classical piece. Many of the great works, I'm sure you realize, were created before we had any sort of recording technology. Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, etc. were all dead before we had the ability to record their playing.

Cheers,

G.

For some artists, who were born later, there are piano rolls made by them, which is like an early version of recording. I know Debussy and Grieg have those.