A Christmas Battle

On the completely opposite end of the palette is Kathleen Battle's Christmas album recorded in 1986 - where Swedish heroine optioned for spare, organ-and-voice sound recorded in churches, American soprano's album is angelic, lushly produced and has not one but two choruses. Naturally, there's no point of comparing these two because they are radically different artists and sounds. Just for the sake of description let's say Nilsson was unstoppable amazon-warrior who would probably not just conquer but impale her enemies, while Battle is delicate butterfly who would watch it all from a high tower and faint at the sight of the blood.

I always loved Kathleen Battle. From the very first time I ever heard her, it was pure magic and intoxicating sound - I am aware that hers is the sound that might sound sugary to some and it is consciously sweet but I never had problem with that, because no matter where you put her (opera, live concerts, oratorios, acoustic guitar-and-voice only, lieder and anything else in between) she always had absolute command of music, technique and some of the most fluttery, lightest and fluffiest voices imaginable. So far I still have to find something where she was not top-perfect.

This is a fairly traditional Christmas collection with expected chestnuts (Schubert, Bach/Gounoud, Gruber) superbly produced and slightly medieval in atmosphere, where soprano is surrounded with all sorts of harps, bells and strings, not to mention two choruses. I mean, you don't come to Battle expecting tough Brünnhilde, she is celebrated (amongst other things) for being delicate, feminine and angelic coloratura who easily picks those notes out of thin air. As expected, hers Christmas is heavenly and warm Disneyland (and I don't mean this as criticism but more as description) so main surprise comes when listener realises that even with all this cellophane, Battle sounds actually most effective when she is left to soar in simple surroundings - on "I Wonder as I Wander" there are no big choruses or colossal orchestras but she harmonises/duets with herself and result is unforgettable.