In this magnificent 1960 recording conducted by Herbert von Karajan, Price’s effortless soprano has the perfect timbre for Christmas songs such as Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” “Silent Night,” and spirituals such as “Sweet Little Jesus Boy.” It’s always on my playlist when I decorate the house the day after Thanksgivings. Lots of great singers have made wonderful Christmas CDs (Kathleen Battle, Luciano Pavarotti, Marilyn Horne, Kiri Te Kanawa, Thomas Hampson, Eileen Farrell, Roberto Alagna, etc.) but none have topped Leontyne Price as the season’s best interpreter of Christmas songs.