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is in order, and tells his family to plant a prickly tree on his grave, for he has been the prickliest of men. He asks the servant to read to him from the favorite tract, and begins to sing his hymn. Everyone gradually joins in; Paavo goes quiet and listens. He hear Riitta in the distance, calling him to the Island. Paavo praises God. He knows that he has overcome.
40:
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At the
University graduation Paavo wants to go as an invited guest, but three men and three women stop him. They tell him he is uneducated idiot who has no business at the University ceremony. Paavo retorts that he has read religious tracts since he was a boy. He hears his own hymn sung and tries to
498:
Paavo and Riitta are at their first homestead by the lake. Paavo promises to build a new house, but a wicker gate ominously reminds him of the
Barrier of Heaven which he dare not approach. The chorus comments how Paavo took Riitta to the backwoods to a life of misery. The white frost suddenly rises,
637:
Paavo is lying on his bed in the cottage. He is still tossing around and crying. Gradually he comes round, surrounded by family. The three men and three women who have tormented him turn out to be his daughters and their husbands. Paavo recognizes that his time has come. He makes sure that his will
526:
Paavo demands his knapsack back. Riitta shouts back complaining about him always wandering, not caring for work or family. Riitta threatens to kill Paavo to spare him the shame of starving his family. She hurls the axe at him, but misses. Paavo tries to explain and reconcile the needs of the family
484:
Riitta takes Paavo to visit the smith who had instilled faith in him in his youth, blacksmith Jaakko (Jakob) Högman. Riitta accuses the blacksmith for compelling Paavo to wander around in revivalist meetings, leaving family behind to starve. The blacksmith retorts contemptuously to Riitta, but then
540:
Village women come to the house. They look at the dent left by the axe Riitta threw at Paavo. They tell her in a roundabout way that Juhana has been murdered. They wonder why Riitta does not weep. She replies that she wept for him for three whole years. Paavo has been listening, and cries that all
554:
Riitta is dying three years later. She feels calm and remembers the happy illusion of the first homestead on the island, where Paavo used to sing thanks to God's blessings. Paavo is surprised: Riitta can give thanks. Yes, she replies, and sees the barrier of Heaven open in front of her. She asks
456:
On a stormy winter night Paavo tosses on his bed in fever. He calls for Riitta, his deceased first wife. His second wife Anna
Loviisa and servant Albertiina enter. They try to comfort Paavo by singing his favorite hymn. Paavo sobers up but shouting orders the women to leave for, as he says, to
568:
Three men want to confound Paavo at the place where he once had to defend himself at the
Assizes against charges of undermining the authority of the Church. They feed Paavo's depression and reveal themselves as his enemies. They humiliate his arrogance and taunt him with dancing girls. Paavo
470:
Paavo relives in his hallucinations key events of his life. In his youth he meets Riitta at a dance. Three men and three women mock him and warn Riitta not to go with Paavo, a madman, for it will only bring her misery. Nevertheless, Riitta decides to go with Paavo. Riitta calls for Paavo and
512:
Paavo's son Juhana is repairing his father's knapsack. Juhana is longing to get away from the dreary existence to a wider world. He dances at the thought and teases his mother. She snatches the knapsack away to hide it from Paavo, to keep him from leaving the family for his travels.
582:
Riitta appears, calling Paavo to the Island. Paavo insists his calling to speak to the nation. "Into the sea of men I cast a net all flaming with it I search for sinful wretches.." Riitta repeats the call, but he insists he must speak at the graduation ceremony in
Helsinki.
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623:
Paavo is praying for forgiveness. The blacksmith appears, encouraging him, then Riitta with a thanksgiving, then Juhana, singing the Lord's Prayer. It is time for Paavo to settle accounts of his life. His time has come.
650:, Matti Lehtinen, Kalevi Koskinen, Jorma Falck, Jaakko Ryhänen, Taru Valjakka, Eini Liukko-Vaara, Raija Määttänen-Falck. Chorus and Orchestra of the Savonlinna Opera Festival. Chorus master Kyösti Haatanen. Conductor
205:. At the Finnish National Opera there have been three productions: 1975–1983 (directed by Sakari Puurunen) and 1994 (directed by Paavo Liski) and 2001 (directed by Jussi Tapola).
874:
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154:, it is considered one of the most important Finnish operas. The opera deals with the life of the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century folk preacher
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Riitta calls Paavo to the Island. He resists. He doubts he would be welcome. Finally he yields to Riitta's pleas, but objecting he is but a wretched sinner.
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threatening the crop. Riitta and Paavo together try to fight it to no use. In the struggle to move the air on the field they trample their baby underfoot.
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252:, Finland during four summers in 2000–2003 from where the production was transferred to new outdoor arena in Nilsiä to be performed in summer 2007.
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and the overriding importance of spreading the Gospel. He thinks that what he has done was in vain. He calls out for Riitta, but cannot find her.
174:
859:
818:
Viimeiset
Kiusaukset (Joonas Kokkonen). 1990. Recording cover booklet. Finlandia Records. 1576-51104-2. In Finnish, German and English
776:"Jyväskylän Ooppera esittää seuraavaksi Viimeiset kiusaukset – kansanooppera kertoo maallikkosaarnaaja Paavo Ruotsalaisen elämästä"
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performed the opera for several years, 1977–1980. In
Helsinki and Savonlinna the most famous singers in the role of Paavo were
854:
169:
The opera consists of two acts divided in 14 scenes. The combining element of the work is the hymn number 382 in the current
555:
Paavo to recite a thanksgiving hymn. He sings and Juhana joins in. Riitta rises and goes toward her son to Heaven's door.
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adds that the gate of Heaven is open to those who suffer and toil. Paavo mutters that he is too weak to open the gate.
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189:) (382) which is a reoccurring theme throughout the opera. A chorus containing the whole hymn concludes the opera.
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address the academics. Paavo tries to follow the Bishop of the North, but is rejected. He calls out a prayer.
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In 2022 the opera was revived in
Aholansaari - the original homestead of Paavo Ruotsalainen - with
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In 2015 production by
Pohjois-Kymi music school. Esa Ruuttunen sang the role of Paavo Ruotsalainen.
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Opera Jyväskylä (Jyväskylän ooppera) prepared performances of the opera for 2022, conducted by
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his life God has been scourging and punishing him with an iron whip, and he has deserved it.
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158:. Kokkonen worked on the opera for 16 years before finishing the work. It was premiered in
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754:"Kiistelty kouvolalaispyhäkkö saa kehuja lavastajalta — Viimeiset kiusaukset kirkossa"
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encourages him, but he refuses and says that he must go the barrier of Heaven alone.
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After the premiere, the opera has already had almost three hundred performances.
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A renewed full-scale production of the opera saw light in summer 2009 in
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677:| Viimeiset Kiusaukset. 1959. Lauri Kokkonen. Naytelmat.fi In Finnish
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toured with the work in seven cities abroad – including at New York's
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http://www.naytelmat.fi/index.php?view=writer&id=187&pid=2853
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collapses in despair, but the chorus sings a hymn of encouragement.
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In 2007 the opera was performed as a half-staged production in the
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1990 (Original release 1978). Martti
Talvela, Ritva Auvinen,
296:. The work was performed with piano and organ accompaniment.
244:on the original homestead of Paavo Ruotsalainen in
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313:, Finnish farmer, leader of religious revival –
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875:Cultural depictions of religious leaders
688:"Viimeiset kiusaukset soi sinfonisesti"
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259:, Finland. In the roles were baritone
175:Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
870:Cultural depictions of Finnish people
710:"Viimeiset kiusaukset palaa Nilsiään"
411:, Paavo's second wife – speaking role
7:
346:, smith who converted Paavo – bass
14:
732:"Viimeiset kiusaukset Nivalassa"
536:Scene 7: Juhana's Death Revealed
457:Heaven's gate he must go alone.
835:Compositions by Joonas Kokkonen
606:Scene 4: The Call to the Island
179:My Lord, my God in all distress
865:Operas set in the 19th century
335:, Paavo's and Riitta's son –
1:
466:Scene 2: Riitta at the Dance
860:Operas based on real people
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690:. Helsingin Sanomat. 2007
452:Scene 1: Paavo's Deathbed
419:, servant – speaking role
210:Savonlinna Opera Festival
44:The composer in the 1950s
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756:. Kouvolan sanomat. 2015
233:in Helsinki four times.
840:Finnish-language operas
592:Scene 3: The Graduation
550:Scene 8: Riitta's Death
324:, Paavo's first wife –
294:Varvara Merras-Häyrynen
265:Johanna Rusanen-Kartano
800:. KuopioTahko.fi. 2022
798:"Viimeiset kiusaukset"
633:Scene 6: Paavo's Death
578:Scene 2: The Fisherman
522:Scene 6: The Last Loaf
236:Finnish film director
199:Finnish National Opera
187:Sinuhun turvaan Jumala
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164:Finnish National Opera
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99:Finnish National Opera
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855:Operas set in Finland
564:Scene 1: The Assizes
242:The Last Temptations
231:Temppeliaukio church
120:Viimeiset kiusaukset
111:The Last Temptations
57:Viimeiset kiusaukset
22:The Last Temptations
494:Scene 4: The Frost
480:Scene 3: The Smith
416:Albertiina Nenonen
309:Paavo Ruotsalainen
263:as Paavo, soprano
224:Later performances
203:Metropolitan Opera
156:Paavo Ruotsalainen
880:Finnish Awakening
656:Finlandia Records
619:Scene 5: The Dead
130:to a libretto by
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126:in two acts by
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134:. Along with
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50:Native title
850:1975 operas
782:10 December
778:. YLE. 2021
734:. YLE. 2008
712:. YLE. 2008
628:Interlude V
573:Interlude I
517:Interlude V
461:Interlude I
397:Third woman
378:First woman
267:as Riitta,
246:Aholansaari
238:Åke Lindman
141:Pohjalaisia
829:Categories
804:25 October
738:8 November
716:8 November
694:8 November
662:References
359:Second man
101:, Helsinki
66:Librettist
16:1975 opera
642:Recording
381:– soprano
370:Third man
351:First man
240:directed
166:in 1975.
440:Synopsis
435:– chorus
427:– Dancer
364:baritone
160:Helsinki
122:) is an
84:Premiere
76:Language
760:25 July
354:– tenor
326:soprano
183:Finnish
173:of the
162:by the
116:Finnish
90: (
79:Finnish
845:Operas
559:Act II
432:people
424:Shadow
373:– bass
332:Juhana
321:Riitta
257:Nivala
250:Nilsiä
447:Act I
337:tenor
301:Roles
124:opera
28:Opera
806:2022
784:2021
762:2015
740:2023
718:2023
696:2023
402:alto
315:bass
292:and
216:and
208:The
151:Juha
144:and
92:1975
88:1975
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