Abstract
The following essay was written, and the accompanying material com-piled, in 1961. With the exception of the addition of some singers' names, the essay has been only slightly revised; at this late date it would be diffi-cult to find and to correct any errors in the production data. My purpose forty years ago was simply to record a short but vibrant pe-riod in the history of American opera through my experience as coach and conductor in the Columbia Opera Workshop and the closely related series of American opera premieres.