I’ve been trying to come up with some examples of recordings where the non-Steinway piano is notated, AND it is a good representation of that makers sound.
I have many Bosendorfer examples, mostly Garrick Ohlsson’s vast output. I have also found some bad examples, such as good piano sound but bad playing (no, not Garrick) and good playing but bad piano sound. In the case of Bosendorfer, if the right technician isn’t working on it, then it is not going to be a good representation of the Bosendorfer sound.
I have found a recording of Garrick’s made on his rebuilt Mason & Hamlin (Prokofiev, Bartok, Webern, Barber) which, to my ear, does have a good representative Mason sound. Personally, I’m not crazy about the piano sound but I love the repertoire.
I also recently acquired another recording that is the best of both…good piano playing and good piano sound. In this case, it’s a Bluthner produced recording, “Alexander Paley Plays Bluthner” (Liszt, Mendelssohn, Bach, Mozart and more!). Again, to my ear, it has a very characteristic and pleasing, very specific, Bluthner sound. I like it a lot, actually.