The Last Temptations

The Last Temptations (Finnish: Viimeiset kiusaukset) is an opera in two acts by Joonas Kokkonen to a libretto by Lauri Kokkonen. Along with Leevi Madetoja's Pohjalaisia and Aarre Merikanto's Juha, 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 Paavo Ruotsalainen. Kokkonen worked on the opera for 16 years before finishing the work. It was premiered in Helsinki by the Finnish National Opera in 1975.

The opera consists of two acts divided in 14 scenes. The combining element of the work is the hymn number 382 in the current Finnish hymnal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, My Lord, my God in all distress Finnish: Sinuhun turvaan Jumala (382) which is a reoccurring theme throughout the opera. A chorus containing the whole hymn concludes the opera.

After the premiere, the opera has already had almost three hundred performances. Finnish National Opera toured with the work in seven cities abroad – including at New York's Metropolitan Opera. 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).

The Savonlinna Opera Festival performed the opera for several years, 1977–1980. In Helsinki and Savonlinna the most famous singers in the role of Paavo were Martti Talvela and Jaakko Ryhänen.

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