alone (2007) 

guitar
Duration: 9′
Commissioned by Otto Tolonen
Fp: Otto Tolonen, The International Christopher Summer Festival, Vilnius, Lithuania, August 7, 2007, fp in Finland: Otto Tolonen, Helsinki (Ears Open 30 years), December 1, 2007

The work is recorded by Otto Tolonen for SibA Records:

The guitarist often works in solitude and even more so does the composer. After a long relationship has ended in comes the loneliness, likewise when visiting abroad. In 2007, I composed a solo piece for guitar – my first instrument – without the typical guidance from a composition teacher (if a playful guitar-on-my-lap conversation with Magnus Lindberg doesn’t count) in Kyoto, Salzburg, Porvoo and Helsinki. From the familiar I felt I could better reach out into the unknown.
The work alone (2007) was commissioned by the successful young Finnish guitarist Otto Tolonen with funds provided by the Madetoja Foundation. First performance took place at the International Christopher Summer Festival in Vilnius, August 2007.

© 2007 Jarkko Hartikainen

Kitaristi soittaa usein yksin, säveltäjä työskentelee yksin, pitkän ihmissuhteen päätyttyä tuntee olevansa yksin, samoin matkoilla. Sävelsin omalle soittimelleni kitaralle sooloteoksen alone (2007) ilman opettajaa (jollei kitara sylissä käytyä keskustelua Magnus Lindbergin kanssa lasketa) Helsingissä, Kiotossa, Salzburgissa ja Porvoossa. Tutusta soittimesta käsin tunsin pystyväni kurkottamaan paremmin kohti uutta.

Teoksen tilasi kitaristi Otto Tolonen Madetoja-säätiön tuella, ja kantaesitys kuultiin International Christopher Summer Festivalilla Vilnassa elokuussa 2007.

© 2007 Jarkko Hartikainen

Video from the Finnish premiere (1 December 2007, during Ears Open 30 Years festival at Ateneum, Helsinki):

Performance history of alone:

Sat 7 July 2012
Time of Music, Viitasaari
Jyrki Myllärinen, guitar

Sun 26 October 2008
Suomenlinna, Helsinki (Finland)
Solmund Nystabakk, guitar

Mon 20 October 2008
City hall, Kuopio (Finland)
Solmund Nystabakk, guitar

Mon 1 September 2008
Atriet, Ung Nordisk Musik 2008, Oslo (Norway)
Solmund Nystabakk, guitar

Sun 17 August 2008
Runokuu festival at Helsinki Festival, Ateneum hall, Helsinki (Finland)
Otto Tolonen, guitar

Sat 19 July 2008
Studiokonzert at the 44. Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, Darmstadt (Germany)
Solmund Nystabakk, guitar

Sat 3 May 2008
Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art, Vaasa
Otto Tolonen, guitar

Thu 10 April 2008
Marian kappeli, Levi (Finland)
Otto Tolonen, guitar

Wed 9 April 2008
Pyhän Laurin kappeli, Ylläs (Finland)
Otto Tolonen, guitar

Sun 6 April 2008
Tulinberg hall, Oulu (Finland)
Otto Tolonen, guitar

Sat 1 December 2007
Korvat auki 30 years, Ateneum hall, Helsinki (Finland)
Finnish premiere
Otto Tolonen, guitar

Tue 6 August 2007
The International Christopher Summer Festival, Vilnius (Lithuania)
world premiere
Otto Tolonen, guitar