At the age of nine, Takako Nishizaki became the first student to complete the (then new) Suzuki method, which her father Shinji Nishizaki helped to...

At the age of nine, Takako Nishizaki became the first student to complete the (then new) Suzuki method, which her father Shinji Nishizaki helped to develop and subsequently taught. This seven-disc series of "Suzuki Evergreens" is thus a touching tribute both to her father and to her famous teacher, and it would be difficult to imagine a project like this realized with more obvious affection or lavished with more care. Given the fact that most of the material on these discs consists of short works, transcriptions, and arrangements of both familiar favorites and unfamiliar pieces, it will appeal first and foremost to young violin students, who surely will find much to emulate. Nishizaki demonstrates that there is no piece so simple or technically unchallenging that does not benefit from being played beautifully.

This third volume, however, sustains a level of interest well beyond the didactic. The two "learning" concertos by Friedrich Seitz (for violin and piano) are delightful, and certainly reward repeated listening. It's easy to imagine young violinists playing them with pride, and Nishizaki's singing tone and unaffected phrasing ensures that the music's melodic charm really shines. Terence Dennis accompanies with all the necessary sensitivity and discretion.

Next come two lullabies, Schubert's D. 498 and Brahms' famous Op. 49 No. 4. In each case the vocal original is immediately followed by Nishizaki playing a transcription for violin and piano. The opportunity to compare the two versions offers students (and ordinary listeners) the chance to hear how the violin realizes an aesthetic ideal: approximating the expressive qualities of the human singing voice. Sopranos Birgid Steinberger and Mitsuko Shirai make fine soloists in the two songs.

The program ends with the outer movements of Vivaldi's Violin Concerto in A minor Op. 3 No. 6, followed by the first movement of Bach's Concerto for Two Violins (twice--initially just Violin II plus piano, and then with both solo parts plus orchestra; Violin I plus piano appears on the next volume in this series). Once again Nishizaki turns what easily could have sounded like a thankless chore into a remarkably absorbing listening experience. It's fun hearing Bach's solo parts disentangled and then reunited.

Given the highly varied provenance of these recordings and the very different forces required, the engineering is consistently good. Violin students, whether Suzuki trained or not, certainly should collect this series. Regular listeners with an interest in this repertoire should start with this third volume, and move on to the other discs at will.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com