San Francisco Classical Voice

Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors , long a fixture at Yuletide, may now have a companion, San Francisco composer David Conte's 1997 opera The Gift of the Magi. Conte's new work received its premiere on Monday of this past week at the SF Conservatory's Hellman Hall, led by Nicole Paiement conducting the Conservatory's New Music Ensemble. Based by the librettist Nicholas Giardini on O. Henry's short story, The Gift of the Magi was written shortly after the successful 1996 premiere of the composer's first opera (The Dreamers) at the Sonoma City Opera

With its warm sentimentality and easily absorbed archetypal themes, the O'Henry story line lends itself readily to operatic treatment. Della (sung by soprano Aimee Puentes) and Jim (portrayed by baritone Tim Krol) are a young couple in love, rich in their affection for one another but otherwise cash deprived for the holidays. Secretly breaking a no-gifts promise made to each other, Della sells her beautiful long hair to wigmakers in order to get Jim a gold chain for his prized heirloom pocket watch. Similarly, Jim decides to sell his gold pocket watch to get Della an ornate comb for her hair.

We might have expected a sparse and almost folklike musical treatment, designed to convey the familiar moral themes about love and selflessness during the holidays. Conte instead has lavished music of grand romantic feelings upon the proceedings, providing this simple tale with a lush spectacle of extravagant lyricism. At first hearing, Conte's music sounded a bit disproportionate in scope to the plot. But the work's soaring duets and arias of Puccinian exuberance readily and effectively grabbed my ear and my attention.

Aided by the clarity of Giardini's articulate libretto, Conte exercised particular skillful in integrating specific events, acts, and even the characters' gestures into his orchestration. The work was also framed by striking a cappella ensemble numbers, sung off-stage and evoking the guiding spirit of the three Magi.

Having had a received a workshop student performance in December 1997, last week's premiere was also its first a professional cast and orchestra. Puentes delivered a classy, balanced characterization of her role, as well as some thrilling vocal moments. Krol, a veteran of eight seasons with Chanticleer, sang with tasteful sensibility and a warm cantabile elegance.

Adler fellow Elena Bocharova sang the role of Della's friend Maggie, flaunting her chesty bravura mezzo during Maggie's intensely delivered attempts to dissuade Della from selling her hair. Baritone Chad Runyon (another Chanticleer alumnus) offered a convincing performance in the role of Henry, revealing in the process a fine comedic instinct. The offstage Magi were aptly sung by Aaron di Piazza, Branden Smith, and Gary Sorenson.

(Ching Chang is a regular contributor to the SF Bay Times and The SF Gate.)

©2000 Ching Chang, all rights reserved