A Question of Taste

About

The 1989 production at Glimmerglass Opera marked the world premiere of William Schuman's A Question of Taste, conceived as a companion to his earlier baseball-themed opera The Mighty Casey. Directed by R. Rodney Marriott with sets by Peter Dean Beck, the staging emphasized a realistic, mid-century domestic environment suited to the intimate Alice Busch Opera Theater. Stewart Robertson’s musical direction highlighted Schuman’s late style, balancing lyrical vocal writing with rhythmically incisive orchestral textures. The evening presented a focused American double bill that contrasted Dahl’s darkly comic parlor wager with the Americana of Casey, creating a cohesive yet varied night of contemporary opera. The production’s design and pacing kept the dramatic tension taut, while the chamber-like scoring supported clarity of text and character.