"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

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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.