Each year on The Record Shelf, Jim Svejda presents his annual Guide to Gift Recordings, a public service for the befuddled holiday shopper. Below is the complete list of Jim's picks for 2012.

Printable List (PDF)

Handel:  Messiah.  Soloists, London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis. 
Philips 438 356 (2 CDs) (M).
BUY:

Tchaikovsky:  The Nutcracker.  Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, Antal Dorati. 
Philips 442 562-2 (2 CDs) (M).
BUY:

Chanukah in Story and Song.  Leonard Nimoy, narrator; The Western Wind. 
Western Wind 16
BUY:

Saint-Saens:  Orchestral Works.  Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi.
Chandos 5104.
BUY:

Leopold Stokowski:  The Stereo Collection 1954—1975.
RCA 1916852  (14 CDs) (IC)
BUY:

Smetana:  Ma Vlast; Dvorak:  Slavonic Dances.  Czech Philharmonic, Vaclav Talich.
Supraphon 4065 (M)
BUY:

Various:  Danish Accordion Concertos.  Bjarke Mogensen, accordion; Danish National Chamber Orchestra, Rolf Gupta.
Dacapo 6.220592.
BUY:

The Greatest Film Scores of Dimitri Tiomkin.  London Voices, London Symphony, Richard Kaufman.
LSO Live 720 (M)
BUY:

Anthony Hopkins Composer.  City of Birmingham Symphony, Michael Seal.
Classic FM CFMD 22.
BUY:

tenThing.  Tine Ting Helseth, trumpet, et. al.
EMI 88326.
BUY:

Bach:  Violin Sonatas.  Lara St. John, violin; Marie-Pierre Langlamet, harp.
Ancalagon 139.
BUY:

Air:  The Bach Album.  Anne Akiko Meyers, violin; English Chamber Orchestra, Steven Mercurio.
EOne 77852.
BUY:

Vasks: Vox amoris.  Alina Pogostkina, violin; Sinfonietta Riga, Juha Kangas.
Wergo 6750.
BUY:

Ysaye:  Six Sonatas for Solo Violin.  Tai Murray, violin.
Harmonia Mundi 907569.
BUY:

Invocacion.  Mattias Jacobsson, guitar.
Avie 2254.
BUY:

Schubert:  Wanderer Fantasy and other works.  Paul Lewis, piano.
Harmonia Mundi 902136.37.
BUY:

Schumann:  String Quartets (3).  Doric String Quartet.
Chandos 10692.
BUY:

Delius:  A Mass of Life.  Soloists, The Bach Choir, Bournemouth Symphony, David Hill.
Naxos 8.572861-62 (2 CDs) (B)
BUY:

Gorecki:  Miserere.  Los Angeles Master Chorale, Grant Gershon.
Decca 478 3537.
BUY:

Schubert:  Schwanengesang.  Matthias Goerne, bar.; Christoph Eschenbach, pf.
Harmonia Mundi 902139.40.  (2 CDs)
BUY:

Wagner:  The Great Operas.
EMI 973359 (36 CDs) (IC)
BUY:

Wilhelm Kempff:  Poet at the Piano.
Membran 233479. (10 CDs) (IC)
(Available at www.mdt.co.uk.)

Solomon:  Clarity and Mystery.
Membran 233360. (10 CDs) (IC)
(Available at www.mdt.co.uk.)

Beethoven:  Symphonies (9).  Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, David Zinman
RCA 65410 (5 CDs) (IC)
BUY:

(M) = mid-priced recording

(B) = budget recording

(IC) =  insanely cheap recording