Retratos

Guitarist Otto Tolonen started his solo record career with French atmosphere and continued it with Henze's nocturnal modernism, the music of his heart. Tolonen's latest album, Retratos, published by Alba, presents Italian-Argentinian guitar composers, i.e. it seems to finally dive into the popular core of guitar music. But all is not as it seems - but better.
Tolonen has chosen extremely guitar-based music for the album, the quality of which, however, prevents it from being cheapened as the music of 'guitar composers'. Piazzolla's series The Seasons of Buenos Aires is heard as a multi-layered arrangement by Sergio Assad; Giulio Regondi's Reverie is an exceptional guitar gem of early Romanticism; Alvaro Company's Las Seis Cuerdas defined the identity of the modern guitar in its time; and Nuccio D'Angelo's Due Canzoni Lidie represents chordal postmodernism.
The Piazzollas placed between the works weave the fragmented whole together exactly as Tolonen has thought about it. Regondi's breezy romanticism takes on a timeless, tango nuevo-like look, and Company's sonorous experiments feel natural yet effective, even popular expression. The idea of the album carries well even Piazzolla's Invierno, whose vague structure Tolonen implements so smoothly that the soft end of the song feels just right for once.
This speaks to the strength of the musical vision, and Tolonen's technique is just as strong. In Piazzolla, he manages to be a whole tango ensemble on his own: He drives the bass line unwaveringly, strums furiously rhythmic chords and sets the mood for a lovely melody, and separates these layers with timbres and phrasing exceptionally skillfully. Tolonen's intonation is also amazing. In general, it is difficult to play 20th century harmonies cleanly on the guitar, but Tolonen twists the notes exactly to the centimeter, and is able to feast on the chords.
The album would naturally end with Piazzolla's Winter, but Tolonen dares to play extra like in a concert, and the gamble pays off. Ariel Ramirez's song Alfonsina y el Mar is heard arranged by Jorge Cardoso. Tolonen puts all his poetry into the song, but throws light hints of Latino comp in the middle of the free atmosphere. The arrangement and its interpretation approach genius, and complete the full hit album. "Retratos", composed by Astor Pizzolla, Giulio Regondi, Alvaro Company, Nuccio D'Angelo and Ariel Ramirez. - Otto Tolonen, guitar. (Alba, ABCD 419) Kare Eskola
Retratos. Astor Piazzolla: Seasons of Buenos Aires, Giulio Regondi: Nocturne - Réverie, Alvaro Company: Las Seius Curedas, Nuccio D'Angelo: Due Canzoni, Lidie, Ariel Ramirez: Alfonsina e el Mar. Otto Tolonen, guitar. Alba 419.
The main work of guitarist Otto Tolonen's previous album was Henzen's Royal Winter Music, which is based on characters from Shakespeare's plays. He also has the same portrait idea in the new Italian-Argentinian recital.

He has compiled the whole into five portraits of a guitar composer or arranger, and he also interprets that the parts of the seasons of Piazzolla's Buenos Aires are descriptions of different human natures. If the personification has helped him to such great interpretations, so be it. In Piazzolla (Sergio Assad's arrangement), he is able to bring out the sound-transporting multi-level and rough passion of the original quintet version. The journey from spring love through passion and farewell to winter loneliness comes to the fore, even though parts are scattered around the record.
Other works also represent the Latin tradition of writing for the guitar. In Regondi's Nocturne - Réverie Tolonen manages to keep the line in endless tremolo sequences, and Ramirez's Alfonsina e el Mar sounds extraordinarily beautiful. D'Angelo's Due Canzoni Lidie begins with a halting, nostalgic reminiscence until the threats of the present come crashing down. The Italian Alvaro Company's Las Seius Curedas goes farthest from romance with its harsh studies and knocking on the cover, but Tolonen pours expressive density into that as well.
Harri Kuusisaari
Otto Tolonen's novelty is a complete hit, with which the master of the classical guitar plays larger than life. The Retratos record gets a full five stars from critic Jukka Isopuro. Has Otto Tolonen [https://www.hs.fi/haku/?query=otto+tolonen] resorted to overdubbing to make Astor Piazzolla's [https://www.hs.fi/haku/?query=astor+piazzolla] Primavera porteña sound like it was played with two guitars?
There isn't. Sérgio Assad's [https://www.hs.fi/haku/?query=sergio+assadin] skillful arrangement plays a part in the impression, but it wouldn't work without Tolonen's magician-like cross-weaving of melodies. Between the parts of the series Las estaciones porteñas, which describes the seasons of Buenos Aires, Tolonen has placed songs from the romantic period to the 1980s. Giulio Regondin [https://www.hs.fi/haku/?query=giulio+regondin] Rêverie – Nocturne seduces with its dreaminess wrapped in tremolo vibration.
The centerpiece of modern guitar music Alvaro Company's [https://www.hs.fi/haku/?query=alvaro+companyn] Las seis cuerdas wears a harsh tonal language with countless timbres. Nuccio D'Angelo's [https://www.hs.fi/haku/?query=nuccio+d%E2%80%99angelon]Due canzoni lidie and Ariel Ramirez's [https://www.hs.fi/haku/?query=ariel+ramirez] Alfonsina y el Mar's guitar arrangement restore tonality and floating sadness.
The looseness, tactile sensitivity and color addiction of Tolonen's playing have been witnessed by a larger-than-life multi-channel sound.
Jukka Isopuro [https://www.hs.fi/haku/?query=Jukka%20Isopuro] HS, 13.2. 13:48
Portraits of a guitarist-curator
by Juha Torvinen
"This release is a must for any guitar aficionado and probably Tolonen's best recording. As of yet. "