ABSTRACT
On July 15, 1889, the same day The Bostonians signed the contract with Smith and de Koven for Don Quixote, the company also agreed to produce another of the duo’s collaborations, then in the planning stages, called The Outlaw; or, Robin Hood and His Merry Men, during their 1889-90 touring season. The agreement may have been precipitous on the part of The Bostonians, taking a chance on two untried operas, but it certainly energized the authors, prompting them to rent an office in Chicago where they could meet every day and work face to face. Smith had not enjoyed the long-distance collaboration that produced their previous effort. A musician in his own right, he wanted to have some creative input during the composition process, just as he knew a composer would appreciate the opportunity of making suggestions regarding the structure of the scenario or the lyrics. Because de Koven traveled in a very elite social circle and was the product of highly sophisticated European schooling, the middle-class Smith, without a college degree, had always felt an inherent distance between them. At least if they shared an office, leaving behind their divergent lifestyles and attitudes, he believed they might accomplish something significant.
