Once the premiere date was set by the Seattle Opera for January 1970, many people entered the picture and made unique contributions to the opera’s eventual success.  Glynn Ross and Henry Holt demonstrated considerable courage and enterprise in mounting the first production.  (I say “courage” since Seattle is a city largely oriented to traditional opera.)  Frank Corsaro staged the opera brilliantly, constantly making imaginative suggestions for improvements up to and including the opening.  Anton Coppola prepared the orchestra with the utmost care and with grate devotion to his task, and, of course, the opera was peopled by a superb cast, notably Julian Patrick, Robert Moulson, and Carol Bayard.  If the opera had not succeeded, the fault would have been entirely mine.

--Carlisle Floyd in The Opera Journal, 1971
Composer Of Mice and Men