THE GALLOPING CURE
Based on the Story by Karen Russell
Full Score
From the G. Schirmer Rental Library
Date of Printing________________
G. Schirmer, Inc.
New York, NY
Missy Mazzoli Royce Vavrek
THE GALLOPING CURE
Based on the Story by Karen Russell
Full Score
Commissioned by Opera Ventures Productions, Scottish Opera, NorrlandsOperan AB, Edinburgh International Festival and San Francisco Opera
The work is partially financed by the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, ‘RJ Konst och kultur’ and created with inspiration from Susanne Lundin’s ‘Biomedicine at the borders’ and Mats G. Hansson’s ‘Mind the Risk’.
The Galloping Cure received its premiere performances at the Edinburgh International Festival on August 9, 11 and 12, 2026
Tom Morris, Director and Dramaturg, Performed by the Orchestra of the Scottish Opera, conducted by Stuart Stratford
NY
G. Schirmer, Inc. New York,
Instrumentation:
2 Flutes (2nd doubling Piccolo)
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets in Bb (2nd doubling Bass Clarinet)
2 Bassoons (2nd doubling Contrabassoon)
4 Horns in F
2 Trumpets in C
2 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Tuba
Percussion (3 players):
1: Tambourine, Whip, Woodblock, Suspended Cymbal, Brake Drum, Bass Drum (shared with 3), Triangle, Marimba, Autoharp (shared with 2)
2: Snare Drum, Tenor Drum, Ratchet, Sandpaper, Chimes (Tubular Bells), Glockenspiel, Autoharp (shared with 1)
3: Tenor Drum, Bass Drum (shared with 1), Tom-toms (4), Temple Blocks (5), Large Metal Spring, Vibraphone
Harp
Strings (10.8.6.5.3)
Dramatis Personae:
Theresa Albertine Hart: A Doctor, dedicated and compassionate (lyric mezzo-soprano)
Noy: A teenager, angry and energetic (light lyric soprano)
Lucky Mack: A devil, smooth and charming (baritone)
Ivona Kowalski: An old lady, embattled and in pain (dramatic soprano)
Meg: A farm dog, gleefully disgusting and optimistic (soprano)
Sam: A farm dog, gleefully disgusting and optimistic (baritone)
Chorus (12-16) (SATB) including solo townspeople: Shawna (soprano), Warren (tenor), Mayor (tenor), Duane MacGregor (tenor), Jacky-Boy (bass), Reporter (bass).
A mix of ages including 6 who look like teenagers, including Zoe (soprano), Erin (alto)
Synopsis:
Act One (Winter to Spring)
In a struggling industrial town, residents suffer increasing chronic pain. Dr. Theresa Hart treats patients with compassion but feels powerless, plagued by her own migraines. Her teenage daughter Noy resents her, calling her a “shitty doctor.” A mysterious carnival arrives led by the devilish Lucky Mack, offering the townspeople joy and release on his carousel, “The Galloping Cure.” The community becomes enthralled; even skeptics like the eccentric Ivona Kowalski feel relief. Noy experiences the ride’s euphoria and urges her mother to try it. Theresa remains wary, but the town descends into mass hysteria as the carousel’s allure grows.
Act Two (Summer to Autumn)
The mayor hails the Galloping Cure as an economic miracle, and Theresa publicly endorses it, partnering with Lucky Mack. Demand spirals, fights erupt, and Mack institutes dynamic pricing and a two-ride-per-week limit. At home, Noy returns injured in the carousel frenzy but finds relief riding a “HomeHorse”, a stick-horse for private use that Mack provides. Theresa, curious, succumbs and discovers her migraines momentarily vanish. Mack tempts her further, blurring medicine with miracle. Meanwhile, Noy and the town’s youth retreat to an abandoned cinema, where HomeHorses transform into a rave-like party. They drift into dangerous dependence, surrendering their sense of self to the galloping cure.
Act Three (Autumn to Bitter Winter)
Mack preys on Ivona, persuading her to sacrifice her eyes, hair, and body parts for his carousel horses, which grotesquely incorporate human remains. Theresa, exhausted and addicted, nearly loses herself before realizing Noy and the other youths have been mutilated: tongues, hair, and more taken by Mack. She tries to save Noy, but her daughter succumbs, dying in her arms, convinced she was “ridden” by the cure. Mack then confronts Theresa with Rosa, the baby, insisting they are partners in the town’s destruction. Theresa resists but cannot undo the damage: Ivona and Noy are transformed into carousel horses, and the town continues to ride, Theresa doubles down on her commitment to serving the town in the face of addiction.
TenorTrombone1
TenorTrombone2
THEGALLOPINGCURE
BasedontheStorybyKarenRussell
ActI:Overture,Prologue,Scene1
AsmallindustrialtowncalledYourtownMountainscreateadynamictopography,dominatedbyverdantoaktrees andloudmachinery:areminderofthebusinessofminingthatemploysthemajorityofthecommunityThereare badspotsonthehorizon,asthesunslightdipsbehindtherollingearthInthesmalltown,peopleareingreatpain, theirbodiesslumpedoverastheywalk,brokenbyalifetimeofhardwork
dampenedverydry SuspendedCymbal / snaresoff
ViolinI
ViolinII
SUPERTITLE: What'shappening?
SUPERTITLE: Noonewouldunderstandus,weredogs!
SUPERTITLE: Don'ttheyhavesupertitles?
InYourtown,everythirdstorefrontisboardedup:theindustrialheartofthetownhaslong collapsed;oldandyoungalikeivewithchronicspirituapainSAMandMEGlookdownfrom theirperchattheirfarmhousetothedepressedfacesofthetownspeople
ActI:Scene2
IntheclinicwemeetDrTHERESAAlbertineHart,a40-somethingruralfamilydoctor SHEmeetswithasuccessionofpatients:SHAWNA,JACKIE-BOY,IVONA,andWARREN
ActI:Scene3
WeseeLUCKYMACK,asmoothandcharmingdevilishcharacter,asothemanbehindatravelling carouselthatcomestotownLUCKYMACKistouchingupthepainttothehorsesonthecarousel, eachrenderedinthemostbeautifulcolours,becomingofanamusementride
LUCKYMACKnailsalargesign, grotesquewiththewordsinastrange fontmadeofwhatmightbehuman hands:“TheGallopingCure”
ActI:Scene4
Thedogs,SAMandMEG,runuptothewindowofthehouseandpeerinside,watching THERESArockthebabytosleepAretheyplayingwiththesheep?
ActI:Scene5
IVONAexcaims whensheseesROSA
œ J‰ŒŒ
œ J‰ŒŒ
œ R≈‰ŒŒ
œ œj‰ŒŒ
ActII:Scene1
ActII:Scene2
NOYlooksathermother,smiling,convincedofthehealingpowerofthestickhorseInsteadoflimping roundthehouseshebeginstodanceOutsidethetreesburstintoblossomuprootthemselvesanddance withherSheep,ambs,clouds,trees–everythingsingsinabeautifulharmony
blindsinthebreezeTHERESAisbothanxiousandintrigued
ActII:Scene3
THERESAwinceswiththesheep,allfeelingthe
THERESAcontinuestogallop incirclesaroundthehouse NOYwakesup,stumblingoutofbed andoutofthehouse,unnoticedbyhermother NOYmakesherwaytotheabandonedcinema
ActII:Scene4
NOY,ZOEYandERINarrivesatthetownslocal,abandoned,cinema,meetingamotley assortmentofyouthfromtheareaItisacavernousspace,whereyellowstuffingexpodes fromthecushionsandthetornscreensymptomizesthetown’sdimhorizonTheyoung peopleofthetownhavebroughttheirhorsestoformanewsortofcarousel itwillbecometheirnewencampment
Amiracleoccurs:thescreenisseamedagain,aprojectorrollsandthe palatialtheatreisrestoredtoitsformergloryIt’sadoorwaytoaworld thesekidsarelearningtomaketheirhome
Wewatchthehallucinatoryshiftasthegalloping
ActIII:Scene1
ActIII:Scene2
THERESAgallopsaroundtheroomofthehouseonthebackofthe stickhorseSAMandMEGwatchthroughlargepatiowindows ROSAisasleepinanotherroom,beingwatchedonababymonitor
SAMgetsanidea-theywillusethe doctorsownwordstopersuadeher
NOYstepsintothelightandwe seethatsheiswithouthereyes
ActIII:Scene4
THERESAenterstheMoviePalaceManyyoungpeoplearegoingthroughthemotionsofthegallopingcure, butmostwithouttheenergytomusterTheMoviePalaceisfiledwithmusic,drone-y,wordlessmusic Itbecomesimmediatelynoticeablethatallofthechildrenhavesacrificedtheirhairandtonguesandcanonly communicateinWawawawawasItisgorgeousandterrifyinginequalmeasure
Thekidsmoveawayfromthecenter,revealingNOY,collapsedonthe groundHerhairandeyeshavebeenremovedWealsoseeLUCKY MACKinadifferentspaceholdinganewcarouselhorsejustasinAct1 thishorseisfreshlystretchedwithhumanskinandhair,festoonedwitheyeballs