The Batshit Classical Holiday Mixtape

John Brown, Bertolt Brecht, and George Michael

In recent years, I have spent more time than any one human probably should with the subgenre of classical Christmas albums in the name of journalism. In 2020, I mixed all of the liquor I had left in my temporary sublet (I was moving the next day) and listened to Jonas Kaufmann’s It’s Christmas! (exclamation point the album’s, not my own). The following year, I undertook the scientific listening and ranking of every extant classical singer’s holiday album, which resulted in a lot of children’s choirs and regret.

This year seems like one in which I ought to set aside old grudges and woes and embrace the season of good cheer. And so, dear reader, I offer you this mixtape of holiday anthems that this industry — and year — richly deserves.

Montserrat Caballé: “Weihnachtsgrüße/Saludo Navideno/Voeux de Noel/Christmas Greetings”