602:
310:
334:
has forgiven her. A ten-minute orchestral interlude leads to the final scene back at
Shemeikka’s fishing cabin. Juha and Marja find the merchant as he comes from the sauna, mocking Juha. Goaded by Shemeikka Juha attacks him, smashing his arm and leg before Anja shouts out what everyone apart from Juha has known: Marja was not abducted by Shemeikka but followed him willingly. In horror, Juha runs out and throws himself in the nearby rapids.
326:
how he finds a new girl each summer and when he is tired of her passes her on to his family as a servant. The other girls seem to have accepted this. When
Shemeikka returns, drunk, Marja asks the old fisherman to take her away, but he is afraid. She reveals to Shemeikka that she is pregnant and he tells her to return to her husband – another child is nothing to him. Marja strikes him.
322:
his boat to fetch his mother for a visit, Shemeikka passes by again, mocking Marja’s older husband and urging her to come away with him. Unmoved at first, when her mother-in-law arrives and insults her she is spurred into joining the merchant. Kaisa, the maid, says that Marja has been taken by force.
209:
The music is most powerful when embodying the raw emotions of the characters: Juha's passive suffering, and his forgiveness for his wife contrasted with his wild rage when he attacks and cripples
Shemeikka; Marja's love for Shemeikka and pain when he turns from her; Anja’s moving lyricism, whose love
333:
Back at Juha’s farm, Marja enters alone in rags, only to be abused again by her mother-in-law. Juha welcomes his wife back, warmly, believing she was taken by force. She tells him of
Shemeikka’s new son, and Juha insists they leave to collect the child. Marja berates herself for lying to the man who
325:
The first scene of Act 2 is set in one of
Shemeikka’s fishing cabins where Marja is excitedly awaiting his return after an absence of three weeks. Eventually Marja is told of Shemeikka’s methods – an old fisherman tells her of his robbery and extortion, and another girl at the house, Anja, explains
321:
Act 1 opens with Juha reflecting on how his marriage has soured; his wife Marja no longer takes any notice of him. Shemeikka, a wealthy merchant, arrives at the village and flirts with Marja, giving her a gold buckle and silk shawl, which Juha insists on paying for. Next day, while Juha has gone in
329:
The next scene is at
Shemeikka’s large farmstead, where Marja is rocking her baby’s cradle. She is bitter, but during a conversation with Anja sees Juha (who has come searching for Marja) outside in the yard. Marja at first wants to hide from him, but then decides to leave, but Shemeikka’s mother
138:
on 28 October 1963. The story is a drama of a love triangle: the older husband Juha, his young wife Marja, and her seducer the merchant
Shemeikka. Set in the 1880s in Kainuu in northern Finland, the human tragedy is based around the harsh realities of a farming community and the clash of their
43:
151:, who, after two years, declined to set it, explaining in a letter to Ackté that he believed the text should be subservient to the “absolute music” of the score, and he felt unable to achieve that with what he called Aho’s “masterpiece”.
165:
from 1919 to 1922, Merikanto submitted it to the board of the national opera in
Helsinki who were worried by its modernity. As he had no response from them, Merikanto withdrew the work and did not compose any further operas.
233:, there is also a “high-Romantic, rhapsodic” use of the orchestra. Instrumental characterization of the cast is also used: Juha with brass and low woodwind, while Shemeikka’s sound world is bright and at times
174:
and premiered at the
Finnish National Opera in 1935. The third act of Merikanto's version was broadcast on 4 December 1957, the year before the composer’s death, and the entire opera on 3 December 1958.
237:; Marja is often accompanied by solo violin or flute. In the long third act interlude, the themes and instrumental colours of the three main protagonists are worked through sonata-form development.
538:
218:’s richness are points of reference, although the composer has a unique voice his own. One reviewer has even described the piece as “one of the great operas of the century”.
534:
330:
stops her – the child must stay. Shemeikka comes in with a new summer girl from Russia, and dances ensue. Marja confronts
Shemeikka then rushes out.
662:
692:
702:
573:
457:
519:
672:
414:
682:
687:
535:
Häyrynen, Antti. Aarre Merikanto's Juha: The cornerstone of Finnish modern opera (Performance history)
187:
556:
496:
569:
382:
183:
22:
229:
697:
677:
8:
410:
271:
199:
191:
640:
515:
215:
378:
667:
542:
458:
Salmenhaara, Erkki. Jean Sibelius and The Tempest, 1993 (originally published in
167:
134:. Although completed by 1922, it was only finally staged at the music college in
112:
405:
398:
368:
203:
195:
171:
656:
491:
294:
139:
lifestyle with the more worldly nomadic Karelians, represented by Shemeikka.
123:
211:
127:
72:
190:
in 1971, revived the following year. A later production was toured to the
206:. A new production was mounted at Helsinki Opera House in December 2011.
309:
131:
77:
639:] (Ph.D. thesis.) (in Finnish). Helsinki: University of Helsinki.
278:
223:
247:
186:
in 1967, leading to a recording for Finlandia, and a production at
148:
119:
42:
254:
234:
116:
644:
261:
135:
221:
However, although there are parallels with the Janáček of
618:
Booklet accompanying Finlandia recording FACD105, page 3.
512:
Aarre Merikanto: Säveltäjänkohtalo itsenäisessä Suomessa
313:
Aarre Merikanto in early 1920s when he was composing
290:
Two of Shemeikka’s summer sweethearts (soprano, alto)
509:
418:and Tapiola Chamber Choir, Finnish Chamber Singers
514:(in Finnish). Helsinki: WSOY. pp. 531, 538.
654:
630:
178:After the Lahti première on 28 October 1963,
570:CD review of recording conducted by Saraste
603:Rickards G. CD review of Madetoja’s Juha.
41:
589:Allison J. Finland – Savonlinna; review.
194:in 1987. The opera has also been seen in
487:
485:
483:
308:
157:was Merikanto's second opera, following
477:. Macmillan, London and New York, 1997.
448:. Macmillan, London and New York, 1997.
440:
438:
655:
480:
473:Salmenhaara, E. Aarre Merikanto. In:
649:English summary on pp. 232–246.
435:
147:Ackté first offered the libretto to
13:
624:
14:
714:
475:The New Grove Dictionary of Opera
446:The New Grove Dictionary of Opera
415:Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
663:Compositions by Aarre Merikanto
612:
596:
693:Operas set in the 19th century
637:Aarre Merikanto’s Opera “Juha”
583:
563:
548:
528:
503:
467:
451:
337:
287:Kalamatti (a fisherman) (bass)
1:
633:Aarre Merikannon ooppera Juha
429:
210:for Shemeikka is unrequited.
142:
7:
703:Works based on Juha (novel)
510:Heikinheimo, Seppo (1985).
304:
10:
719:
357:Opera House and Orchestra
270:Two tar-makers (baritone,
20:
347:
161:in 1912. Having composed
88:28 October 1963
83:
68:
60:
52:
40:
35:
30:
500:, Festivals 2002, 32-35.
240:
111:is a three-act opera by
47:First page of the score.
16:Opera by Aarre Merikanto
673:Finnish-language operas
631:Teerisuo, Timo (1970).
609:Accessed 13 April 2011.
593:, October 2003, 1224-6.
560:, December 2011, p1540.
545:Accessed 13 April 2011.
541:August 7, 2011, at the
464:Accessed 13 April 2011.
460:Finnish Music Quarterly
683:Operas based on novels
383:Finnish National Opera
318:
184:Finnish National Opera
128:novel of the same name
688:Operas set in Finland
312:
23:Juha (disambiguation)
554:December Spotlight.
403:Eeva-Liisa Saarinen,
385:Orchestra and Chorus
293:Shemeikka’s mother (
182:was accepted at the
21:For other uses, see
411:Jukka-Pekka Saraste
388:Audio CD: Finlandia
300:Men, women (chorus)
494:. 'Juha' renewed.
444:Arni E. Juha. In:
319:
192:Edinburgh Festival
126:based on the 1911
36:by Aarre Merikanto
427:
426:
214:'s terseness and
168:A “safer“ version
104:
103:
710:
648:
619:
616:
610:
607:, November 1992.
600:
594:
587:
581:
567:
561:
552:
546:
532:
526:
525:
507:
501:
489:
478:
471:
465:
455:
449:
442:
421:Audio CD: Ondine
342:
341:
95:
93:
45:
28:
27:
718:
717:
713:
712:
711:
709:
708:
707:
653:
652:
627:
625:Further reading
622:
617:
613:
601:
597:
588:
584:
568:
564:
553:
549:
543:Wayback Machine
533:
529:
522:
508:
504:
490:
481:
472:
468:
456:
452:
443:
436:
432:
422:
417:
413:
404:
402:
389:
381:
374:
372:
356:
351:
349:
340:
307:
284:Kaisa (soprano)
277:Mother-in-law (
243:
170:was written by
145:
113:Aarre Merikanto
100:
99:
96:
91:
89:
75:
48:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
716:
706:
705:
700:
695:
690:
685:
680:
675:
670:
665:
651:
650:
626:
623:
621:
620:
611:
595:
582:
580:, August 1996.
562:
547:
527:
520:
502:
479:
466:
450:
433:
431:
428:
425:
424:
419:
408:
399:Jorma Hynninen
396:
392:
391:
386:
376:
369:Matti Lehtinen
366:
362:
361:
358:
353:
346:
339:
336:
306:
303:
302:
301:
298:
291:
288:
285:
282:
275:
268:
267:Anja (soprano)
265:
258:
251:
242:
239:
172:Leevi Madetoja
144:
141:
102:
101:
98:Lahti, Finland
97:
87:
85:
81:
80:
70:
66:
65:
62:
58:
57:
54:
50:
49:
46:
38:
37:
33:
32:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
715:
704:
701:
699:
696:
694:
691:
689:
686:
684:
681:
679:
676:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
660:
658:
646:
642:
638:
634:
629:
628:
615:
608:
606:
599:
592:
586:
579:
575:
571:
566:
559:
558:
551:
544:
540:
536:
531:
523:
521:951-0-13319-1
517:
513:
506:
499:
498:
493:
488:
486:
484:
476:
470:
463:
461:
454:
447:
441:
439:
434:
420:
416:
412:
409:
407:
400:
397:
394:
393:
390:Cat: FACD105
387:
384:
380:
379:Ulf Söderblom
377:
375:Hendrik Krumm
373:Raili Kostia,
370:
367:
364:
363:
359:
354:
344:
343:
335:
331:
327:
323:
316:
311:
299:
296:
295:mezzo-soprano
292:
289:
286:
283:
280:
276:
273:
269:
266:
263:
259:
256:
252:
249:
245:
244:
238:
236:
232:
231:
230:Káťa Kabanová
226:
225:
219:
217:
213:
207:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
176:
173:
169:
164:
160:
156:
152:
150:
140:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
118:
114:
110:
109:
86:
82:
79:
74:
71:
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
44:
39:
34:
29:
24:
19:
636:
632:
614:
604:
598:
590:
585:
577:
565:
555:
550:
530:
511:
505:
495:
474:
469:
459:
453:
445:
423:Cat: ODE872
406:Raimo Sirkiä
332:
328:
324:
320:
314:
228:
222:
220:
208:
179:
177:
162:
158:
154:
153:
146:
107:
106:
105:
18:
698:1963 operas
678:1922 operas
462:, 4, 1993.)
348:Cast: Juha,
338:Discography
260:Shemeikka (
216:Szymanowski
657:Categories
605:Gramophone
578:Gramophone
430:References
355:Conductor,
352:Shemeikka
188:Savonlinna
143:Background
132:Juhani Aho
124:Aino Ackté
92:1963-10-28
78:Juhani Aho
56:Aino Ackté
53:Librettist
574:Oliver ME
279:contralto
115:, with a
645:74320408
539:Archived
492:Milnes R
305:Synopsis
248:baritone
235:veristic
200:Evanston
149:Sibelius
120:libretto
84:Premiere
69:Based on
61:Language
255:soprano
253:Marja (
212:Janáček
117:Finnish
90: (
64:Finnish
668:Operas
643:
518:
360:Label
350:Marja,
246:Juha (
224:JenĹŻfa
159:Helena
635:[
591:Opera
557:Opera
497:Opera
345:Year
262:tenor
241:Roles
204:Essen
196:Hagen
136:Lahti
641:LCCN
516:ISBN
395:1995
365:1972
315:Juha
272:bass
202:and
180:Juha
163:Juha
155:Juha
108:Juha
73:Juha
31:Juha
227:or
130:by
122:by
76:by
659::
576:.
572:.
537:.
482:^
437:^
198:,
647:.
524:.
401:,
371:,
317:.
297:)
281:)
274:)
264:)
257:)
250:)
94:)
25:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.