Am I totally nuts or just a bit off?

Mono is every bit as capable of producing high end sound as stereo or multi-channel sources. By removing L/R soundstage info more attention can be focused on tone, rhythm and dynamics.

The very best stereo classical recordings are almost invariably those which have been recorded using a minimal number of microphones, perhaps just two or three, well placed in a good hall. And with minimal or no subsequent mixing, equalization, limiting, compression, or other processing.

Only true if you attach primacy to the sound of musicians performing in a space. If you're more interested in the just the sound of the musicians performing, then you need to be open to post recording manipulation. All performing spaces don't sound great. Microphone placement is always a compromise between tonality, detail and spatial info. Even in great sounding spaces there's no agreement about the best seats in the house. Each recording is unique and may require a different set of tools.