The Mighty Casey
William Schuman (1910-1992)
The Mighty Casey
Page 2
Full score and sketch for
"Peanuts, Popcorn, Soda, Cracker Jacks"
Music Division
Gift of the composer (207.4a,b)
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American composer and educator, William Schuman spent from 1951
to 1953 working on his first opera, The Mighty Casey
composed to a libretto by Jeremy Gury and based on the famous poem
"Casey at the Bat" by Ernest L. Thayer. Schuman, an avid baseball
fan, remarked "To me, baseball is the epitome of American life and
character. The Mighty Casey . . . musically is a straight,
serious piece . . . it requires no technical knowledge to enjoy
it, and we shall be satisfied if it only appeals to baseball lovers."
The opera premiered on May 4, 1953, in Hartford, Connecticut.
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