The Gift of the Magi is a chamber opera in four scenes with music by David Conte and libretto by Nicholas Giardini.
Based on the 1905 short story of the same title by O. Henry, 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.
Scene Two: Having no money, Della calls her friend Maggie to help figure out how to buy Jim a Christmas present.
Jim evades the question at first but eventually tells Henry he sold the watch that once belonged to his father.