''The Gift of the Magi'' is a

chamber opera Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra. Early 20th-century operas of this type include Paul Hindemith's ''Cardillac'' (1926). Earlier small-scale operas such as Pergoles ...

in four scenes with music by David Conte and

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

Nicholas Giardini Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and it ...

. Based on the 1905 short story of the same title by

O. Henry William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer known primarily for his short stories, though he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His works include "The Gift of the M ...

, the opera focuses on Jim and Della, who are a poor married couple and cannot afford to buy each other presents for Christmas. It premiered on December 7 and 8, 1997 with a workshop production to the accompaniment of two pianos at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The orchestral version was premiered at the conservatory on December 3, 2000.

Roles

*Jim (

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

) *Della (

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

) *Henry (

bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing thr ...

) *Maggie (

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

) *Magi (three voices)

Synopsis

Jim and Delia's small flat. Christmas Eve. ''Scene One'': Della prepares for Christmas before Jim returns home. She lets her hair down and sings of her love and happiness. When Jim comes home, he briefly tries to entice her, then announces he has an errand to run. Being poor, Della reminds Jim, he should not get her a present for Christmas. Jim shrugs it off until she begs him to promise, then he leaves. ''Scene Two'': Having no money, Della calls her friend Maggie to help figure out how to buy Jim a Christmas present. Della decides in her eponymous aria to sell her hair, over Maggie’s objections. They leave to sell her hair. ''Scene Three'': Jim and his friend, Henry, carry in a Christmas tree. Knowing Jim’s financial situation, Henry asks how he purchased it. Jim evades the question at first but eventually tells Henry he sold the watch that once belonged to his father. Henry chides Jim for being foolish. Jim tries to explain his love for his father and his wife in the aria “Jim’s Soliloquy”. ''Scene Four'': Jim and Della reunite in their flat. Each admits having broken their promise and gives the other a gift. Jim receives from Della a gold chain bought with Della's hair. Della receives ornate haircombs from Jim bought with his father's watch. They sit in melancholy silence evaluating what they have received. Their mutual sacrifice shines forth in their minds and they sing of their love and renewed fidelity.

Arias

Both "Della's Aria" and "Jim Soliloquy" can be found in E. C. Shirmer's Opera Aria Anthology vol. 1 Soprano and vol. 4 Baritone respectively.

Recording

*Conte: ''The Gift of the Magi'' – Aimee Puentes (Della), Elena Bocharova (Maggie), Tim Krol (Jim), Chad Runyon (Henry),

Branden Smith Branden James Smith (born June 19, 1978), known as Branden James, is an American tenor who has performed as a soloist with American symphony orchestras. James came to prominence as a contestant on America's Got Talent during the show's eighth ...

, Aaron DiPiazza, Gary Sorenson (Magi); San Francisco Conservatory New Music Ensemble;

Nicole Paiement Nicole may refer to: People * Nicole (name) * Nicole (American singer) (born 1958), a contestant in season 3 of the American ''The X Factor'' * Nicole (Chilean singer) (born 1977) * Nicole (German singer) (born 1964), winner of the 1982 Euro ...

(conductor). Label:

Arsis Records Arsis is an American heavy metal band from Virginia Beach, Virginia, formed in 2000. The band is currently signed to Nuclear Blast. History Demos and Willowtip era (2000–2006) Arsis was started by James Malone and Michael "Mike" Van D ...

''American Record Guide'' (May 2002)

Notes and references

Sources

*'' American Record Guide'' (May 2002)
"Conte: ''The Gift of the Magi''
*Eidemiller, Maryann Gogniat (December 3, 2005)

''

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'', also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Although it transitioned to an all-digital format on December 1, 2016, it rem ...

'' *Gerbrandt, Carl (2006)
''Sacred Music Drama: The Producer's Guide''
2nd edition. AuthorHouse.

External links

on the official website of the composer {{DEFAULTSORT:Gift of the Magi English-language operas Chamber operas Christmas operas Operas 1997 operas One-act operas Adaptations of works by O. Henry