Aaron THE SECOND HURRICANE A Youth 6-15 October 2017 Horti Hall DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE PRODUCTION The Second Hurricane The Second Hurricane

In The Second Hurricane a group of would go on to memorably describe Composer Chorus teenagers impulsively set out to make McCarthy as a ‘plebeian Faustus’). Through Librettist Edwin Denby heroes of themselves when disaster strikes careful evasion Copland avoided having his a nearby town. They soon find they are of livelihood and reputation systematically Amanda Hargreaves, Annabella no use, and when the hurricane returns, dismantled by McCarthy. This fate, of Running time is approximately 60 Merakis, Anushka Tiwari, Brianna they are left totally helpless. In a world course, befell many other artists and minutes, with no interval Ekberg, Chloe Toh, Christelise obsessed with individuality, they learn thinkers of the time who had leftist political de Graaf, Elizabeth Potter, Emilie instead to foster a sense of collective sympathies. While Copland’s relationship Washington, Hannah Kostros, identity through communal solidarity. In with Browder was indeed questioned, The doing so they find a way to live and work Second Hurricane was thankfully never Creative Team Harmony Lee, Jamilah Dogar-Hurd, together – where the hero is ‘we’, not ‘me’. brought up. Katia Lang, Kelsey Cotton, Madeleine Conductor Angus Grant Sullivan, Maia Hanrahan, Maggie Copland and his librettist Edwin Denby If McCarthy and his cronies had read the Director Alastair Clark Orr, Rosemary Cocklin, Sarah Amos, wrote this piece in a time of great political score closely they might have noticed Set and Lighting Design Eduard Inglés and economic uncertainty. Of all things, that underneath this seemingly simple and Sophia Wasley the penultimate number of the opera is naïve piece is a quietly radical message. Costume Supervisor Joanne Paterson an adapted version of a folk-song from The show is a kind of American-Lehrstück. Production Manager Eduard Inglés Mezzo-soprano the American Revolution. It is a call to It is surprisingly strange and experimental Production Stage Manager Erin Towns, Freya Boltman, Hayley arms for the characters. It demands the in its form. Indeed, the performance notes Marina Milankovic Jobson, Katrina Couroyannis, Kristina ‘haughty pretenders’ to ‘surrender with in the score insist on an ascetic Brechtian Fekonja, Matilda-Pearl Muir, Miriam Deputy Stage Manager shame’. A new revolution is being called performance style, and for the director ‘to Whiting-Reilly, Olivia Federow-Yemm, for. In the final number, the chorus and sacrifice his knowledge of adult theatricality Chantal Trimboli Olivia O’Brien, Rachel Amos, principals discover ‘a new idea of what life for his feeling for what young adults are Repetiteur/Pianist Tom Griffiths could be like’. Their clear manifesto: if we really like on stage’. This has very much Stella Joseph-Jarecki ‘joined together’ as equals with ‘everybody informed my approach to the piece. as good as everybody else’, we would be Here the hurricane becomes a psychological Cast ‘feeling happy’ and ‘feeling free’. Freddie Grieves-Smith, Lachlan space where the self-absorbed protagonists Queenie Shimona Thevathasan McLean, Nicholas Christie, Zac Mistri The United States presidential election are confronted with their immaturity and Gwen Saskia Mascitti of 1936 – the year before The Second foolhardiness. In the process, perhaps Hurricane was written – was won in a unwittingly, they are radicalised. They Gyp James Emerson landslide by Franklin D. Roosevelt. The return – for better or worse – to attempt a Lowrie Thomas Harvey Harrison Dart, Jack Jowett, Kevin fourth runner-up, with 0.17% of the vote, revolution in their community. The show has Butch Lachlan McLean Jung, Maurice Wan, Oscar Harwood, was Earl Browder leader of the Communist a sense of social purpose and a subversive Fat James Young Simon Wright, William Clarke Party USA. He campaigned under the edge that is intriguing and perhaps Jeff Dorcas Lim slogan ‘For a Free and Happy America’. compelling today, and is well-matched by Featuring singers from the Victorian Aaron Copland supported Browder’s Copland’s sly, ebullient score. candidacy. That his slogan became the final Opera Youth Chorus Ensemble (VOYCE) lyric of the opera is hardly a coincidence. Acknowledgements In 1953, Copland was compelled to deliver Alastair Clark, Director Victorian Opera would like to thank testimony in a McCarthy hearing (Copland 2017 VO Developing Artist Hal Leonard Australia and Resolution X. Connect with us Go behind the scenes with our blogs, videos and podcasts to learn more about our work.

victorianopera.com.au

@VictorianOpera #victorianopera

Supported by Victorian Opera’s Education Syndicate.

These performances of The Second Hurricane by Aaron Copland are given by permission of Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd, exclusive agents for Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd of London.