Back before music notation software was generally used, score for Mice and Men was written in pencil directly as full orchestration roughly over six summers (Act I - 1987, II - 88, III - 89, IV - 90, V Scene 1 - 91, V 2 - 92, although the work extended to a completion date of October 5, 1992). As of today (with MM V 2 part F page 14-15), it's finally, basically, all in the computer (a process that extended, on and off, over the last two years), and MIDI versions have been produced for recording. Hallelujah...
It's a collage, detailed, Ivesian work -- markedly different in approach with respect to the later operas, all latter of which are troped on pre-existant material and notated directly into computer, usually (with the exception of Henry Miller, which evolved into the present procedure) conceived as piano-vocal "short scores," then subsequently orchestrated.
Further work today on the August 2008 issue of 21st-Century Music (work-in-progress at 21st-centurymusic.blogspot.com and soon to be published in print and at 21st-centurymusic.com), plus reconstructing August 2005.
