"The
care with which [Tirronen] has assembled these pieces, his sense of timing, and
his devoted advocacy create an intriguing experience for the listener. These are
thoughtful, pensive compositions...communicative and evocative...Tirronen plays
with dedication, precision, and sympathy. His performances are dignified,
detailed, and allow everything to sound with maximum impact. Recommended to
those with a taste for exploration."
Fanfare ~
November / December 2007
"In
this fine debut [Tirronen] doesn't tackle so much as finesse his way around a
disc's worth of contemporary guitar repertoire...[On this album] Tirronen has
assembled an arc that seamlessly flows from one composition to the next in the
quietist swash of notes...Tirronen lets beauty have its natural way while fully
engaged in the language of modern music. What emerges is neither neo-romantic or
New Age but a serious and profound program that asks the listener to contemplate
with almost reverent stillness on the being of sound and the soundness of
being."
American Record Guide ~ September / October 2007
*
* *
For this disc - Anfangs
("beginning") - I selected contemporary pieces that are close to me,
and that are part of my concert repertoire. As a performer, I play this music
not necessarily because it is "art", but rather to stay connected with
what is happening in today’s music world. I cannot ignore the music of our
time just because it may not be "beautiful" or easy to understand.
This new music represents the ideas and values of our time.
These recordings are
a very personal affair, as I believe most recordings are. There is so much more
behind this music than just what the composers intended. Beyond the music, there
is the "where and when was it performed?" and "who performed
it?" For me, this is the "Anfangs" - the beginning of the music.
These works form a
dramatic arc in my mind. For me, they are connected and are presented as such on
this record.