The 1961 recording of Christmas music by Leontyne Price and the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, achieved cult status worldwide in a very short time. The making of the 1961 album Christmas with Leontyne Price is a fascinating chap-ter in music history, marked by artistic excellence, a deep musical friendship, and a very special setting. This album is perfectly complemented by Tchaikovskys musical adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmanns Christmas fairy tale, The Nutcracker.