Finale from Aarre Merikanto's opera "Juha"

Aarre Merikanto's opera "Juha" from the Savonlinna Opera Festival (2002) with Jorma Hynninen (Juha), Lilli Paasikivi (Marja), Jyrki Anttila (Shemeikka), Johanna Rusanen (Anja) et al. Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducts the Savonlinna Festival Orchestra. The storyline: Juha is a plain, ageing farmer living in Northern Karelia in the border of Finland and Russia. One day a traveling salesman, Shemeikka from Uhtua, arrives at Juha's farm and takes an interest in his young orphan wife Marja. Unhappy in her marriage she returns his feelings. Shemeikka persuades Marja to follow him to Karelia. Marja leaves and bears a child to Shemeikka, but soon finds out that the local Don Juan has several other women, summer girls from past years. Desperate, Marja escapes without her baby and returns home to Juha. Together they set off to fetch Marja's child. Juha assaults Shemeikka and cripples him, but when he eventually learns that Marja had left him voluntarily, he sets out for the river and drowns himself in the rapids.