Suzuki Organ School, Vol. 7: Organ Book & CD

Volume 7 marks a significant milestone in the Suzuki organ curriculum, introducing repertoire of real structural and interpretive depth. The programming choices here reflect Suzuki's commitment to pairing technical development with musical substance; students encounter Bach's Toccata in D Minor, Mendelssohn's Allegro maestoso, and works by Franck and Vierne that demand both secure pedal work and genuine musicianship. The inclusion of Lars Hagström and Jeremy Chesman's recordings models professional organ sound and gives students an auditory blueprint they can internalize through repeated listening, the cornerstone of Suzuki learning.

Volume 7 opens onto a broader musical landscape. The pieces shimmer with architectural clarity (Bach's toccata) and soar with lyrical grandeur (Franck's Sortie). There is drama here, and dignity, alongside the continued joy of discovering what the organ can express through careful technique and thoughtful listening.

This volume is for young organists who have progressed through Suzuki Organ School Volumes 1-6 and are ready to engage with standard organ repertoire of the Baroque and Romantic periods. It serves students working one-on-one with a trained Suzuki organ teacher and parents committed to the practice structures that make the method effective.

• Listen to the included recordings daily before practice. This auditory foundation allows your hands and feet to internalize phrasing and articulation patterns without the distraction of decoding notes.
• Work the pedal studies between manual pieces with the same focus you give the main repertoire. These short technical passages build the independent leg dexterity required for the larger works.
• Pay close attention to the phonetic articulation marks above the notes, especially in passages marked for non legato playing. These indicate Suzuki's specific touch instruction and are essential to authentic interpretation.
• Record yourself periodically and compare your interpretation with the performance CD. This trains your ear to notice details in tempo, registration choice, and color that you may not hear in real time.

This volume is designed for sustained private study over many months, not for quick concert programming. However, pieces like the Franck and the Bach toccata are appropriate for student recitals once they have been thoroughly prepared. The pedal studies function as warm-up and technique reinforcement throughout the learning cycle and can be performed independently in studio settings.

• Secure pedal technique with rhythmic independence from the manual parts
• Interpretation of Baroque articulation and ornamentation
• Registration choice and tonal balance across the organ's divisions
• Reading and executing non legato articulation as notated by the composer
• Listening skills and intonation sensitivity through repeated CD engagement
• Sustained concentration on longer, more complex musical structures