The best performance on a recording? Hard to say. Try Karajan (1977 as well as the '63), '89 Bernstein, '87 Solti, '51 Furtwangler, or Klemperer if your looking for performance without the sonic gymnastics. Newbee is right - there is no one definitive performance. Other than the premier in 1820-something.
Definitive Beethoven's 9th recording
What is the best performance of this legendary composition?