View source for Paavo the Great. Great Race. Great Dream.

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'''''Paavo the Great. Great Race. Great Dream.''''' ({{langx|fi|Paavo Suuri. Suuri juoksu. Suuri uni.}}) is an [[opera]] in three acts by [[Finland|Finnish]] composer [[Tuomas Kantelinen]] to a libretto by the poet [[Paavo Haavikko]].<ref name=composer>[http://composers.musicfinland.fi/musicfinland/fimic.nsf/WWOR/9B008C6DD4CECC41C22575370027B352?opendocument Composer Profiles: Tuomas Kantelinen] Music Finland. Retrieved 1 January 2015.</ref> The opera deals with the life of the Finnish middle- and long-distance runner [[Paavo Nurmi]] who won a total of nine [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] gold medals in the 1920s. It was premiered in the [[Helsinki Olympic Stadium]] in 2000 as [[Helsinki]] was one of the [[European Capitals of Culture]]. The title refers to Nurmi's great ambition to win the [[marathon]] race at the [[1940 Summer Olympics#Helsinki and other competitions|1940 Helsinki Olympics]], which were not held because of the outbreak of [[World War II]].<ref name=hurriyet>{{cite web|title=Finland stages pre-Olympics opera on Paavo Nurmi|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=finland-stages-pre-olympics-opera-on-paavo-nurmi-2000-08-15|publisher=Hurriyet Daily News|date=15 August 2000|accessdate=1 January 2015|language=}}</ref>
== Performances ==
''Paavo the Great. Great Race. Great Dream.'' was performed twice in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in 11–12 August 2000. The original premier date was 10 August, but the first performance was cancelled in April due to the simultaneous [[Tina Turner]] concert in the nearby [[Finnair Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Nurmi-ooppera väistää Tina Turneria|url=http://www.mtv.fi/uutiset/kulttuuri/artikkeli/nurmi-ooppera-vaistaa-tina-turneria/2017184|publisher=MTV3|date=12 April 2000|accessdate=1 January 2015|language=fi}}</ref> The opera was produced by [[Helsinki City Theatre]] under the direction of [[Kalle Holmberg]]. Music was performed by [[Sinfonia Finlandia]] and the official representative band of the Finnish Army, [[Kaartin Soittokunta]].<ref name=hs>{{cite web|title=Sport and song combine in Paavo Nurmi Opera spectacle|url=http://www2.hs.fi/english/archive/news.asp?id=20000807xx5|publisher=Helsingin Sanomat International Edition|date=7 August 2000|accessdate=1 January 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913130157/http://www2.hs.fi/english/archive/news.asp?id=20000807xx5|archivedate=13 September 2014}}</ref>
The spectacular open-air show included special effects like burning haystacks, a real army helicopter and armored vehicles. The opera was praised by the critics, but was not a box-office success as only 20 000 spectators appeared in two shows. The latter performance was filmed and broadcast live by the [[Finnish Broadcasting Company]]. In September it was sent throughout Europe by the Franco-German TV network [[Arte]], preceding the opening of the [[2000 Summer Olympics]].<ref name=hurriyet/>
In the late 2003 the Paavo Nurmi Opera was performed in [[Turku]] by the Turku Opera Association and [[Turku Philharmonic Orchestra]]. The production turned out to be a financial disaster causing great losses for the opera association.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paavo Nurmi juoksi Turun Oopperayhdistyksen kuralle|url=https://www.ts.fi/kulttuuri/1073943035|publisher=Turun Sanomat|date=29 January 2004|access-date=1 January 2015|language=fi}}</ref>
== Roles ==
The opera has four main characters; Paavo Nurmi, his spouse Sylvi Nurmi, the later president of Finland [[Urho Kekkonen]] and the mysterious "Dark Lady".
{| class="wikitable"
!Role
!Voice type
!Premiere cast, <br> 11 August 2000
!The Turku production, <br> 2003
|-
|[[Paavo Nurmi]]
|[[baritone]]
|[[Gabriel Suovanen]]
|[[Hannu Niemelä]]
|-
|Sylvi Nurmi
|[[soprano]]
|[[Johanna Rusanen]]
|[[Johanna Rusanen]]
|-
|[[Urho Kekkonen]]
|[[tenor]]
|[[Seppo Ruohonen]]
|[[Seppo Ruohonen]]
|-
|The Dark Lady
|[[mezzo-soprano]]
|[[Eeva-Liisa Saarinen]]
|[[Tamara Lund]]
|}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
*[http://www.hkt.fi/ohjelmisto/play.php?name=paav Paavo Nurmi Opera] Helsinki City Theatre (in Finnish)
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Compositions by Tuomas Kantelinen]]
[[Category:Finnish-language operas]]
[[Category:Operas]]
[[Category:2000 operas]]
[[Category:Operas set in Finland]]
[[Category:Operas based on real people]]
[[Category:Operas set in the 20th century]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Finnish people]]
[[Category:Paavo Nurmi]]