mikeydee
... a big part of music, especially classical music, is dynamics. A composer writes markings in the score to play a passage either loud or soft or in between in varying degrees. The dynamics are a very important part of written music.That's very true, but it's only half of it. There are dynamics that may not be part of the score itself, such as the "attack" of a note as a bow glances across a string, or the sharp leading edge of a horn note. That's a large part of what separates the great players from the merely technically competent ones.
This is not a big issue in rock or jazz, since most tunes are played with the same level of dynamics.Not so. In particular, the best rock takes advantage of huge dynamics, e.g. Pink Floyd, Dire Straits. Give a listen to Paul Simon's Graceland on a big system. And rock typically relies on amplified instruments, so you can have the range between that and the gentlest guitar and soft vocals.
A properly made LP can have explosive dynamics. While digital has a wider potential dynamic range, the music almost never requires it.
I don't see how the process of cutting a recording onto a vinyl disk can capture the whole range of dynamics from the original master the way that digital can. If I am wrong about this, please tell me how.