Suzuki Piano School New International Edition Piano Book and CD, Volume 4: Piano Book & CD

Azuma's newly recorded CD captures the character and pacing that students need to hear as they work through pieces like the Beethoven Sonata and Bach Partita movements. His interpretations model how to shape phrases and manage transitions between tempi, giving students a reliable aural reference that supports independent practice and helps teachers reinforce interpretive choices during lessons.

This volume marks a shift toward more substantial musical architecture. The Beethoven Sonata and Bach movements introduce genuine harmonic development and formal sophistication, while pieces like the Burgmüller selections offer lyrical contrast. The sound ranges from elegant courtliness in the Mozart and Bach to reflective intimacy in the Tcherepnin Bagatelle.

Volume 4 serves pianists who have completed the first three volumes and are ready for multi-movement works and greater interpretive complexity. Students working at this level benefit from studying alongside a professional model, especially as they encounter demanding repertoire like the Beethoven Sonata and larger Bach keyboard works.

• Listen to Azuma's approach to the Mozart Rondo several times before rehearsing, paying particular attention to how he shapes the repeated sections and manages the dialogue between hands.
• Study the tempo relationships in Beethoven's Sonata by following along with the recorded performance, then work gradually toward independence by practicing sections without the CD.
• Use the Bach Gavotte recording as a model for articulation and voicing clarity, noting how sustain pedal is used sparingly to maintain definition.
• Compare your own interpretation of the Burgmüller pieces to Azuma's pacing; these pieces reward expressive rubato, and his recording shows one refined approach to managing flexibility within classical forms.

These pieces work well in student recitals organized by difficulty or historical period; a program might pair the Bach Minuets with the Gavotte, or place the Beethoven Sonata as a substantial centerpiece among shorter character pieces. Individual selections also serve as reliable recital openers or closers depending on the concert's overall arc.

• Reading and performing multi-movement forms with contrasting tempi
• Voicing independence between hands in Baroque keyboard writing
• Interpreting articulation markings and dynamic shaping in Classical sonata style
• Managing pedal technique to support harmonic color without muddying texture
• Building musical phrasing across longer melodic lines
• Technical facility in moderate-tempo Alberti bass patterns and hand position shifts
• Understanding period-appropriate interpretation of minuet and gavotte dance forms