Takako Nishizaki Plays Suzuki Evergreens, Vol. 1 8.572378
Takako Nishizaki Plays Suzuki Evergreens, Vol. 2 8.572379
Takako Nishizaki Plays Suzuki Evergreens, Vol. 3 8.572380
Takako Nishizaki Plays Suzuki Evergreens, Vol. 4 8.572381
Takako Nishizaki Plays Suzuki Evergreens, Vol. 5 8.572382
Takako Nishizaki Plays Suzuki Evergreens, Vol. 6 8.572383
Takako Nishizaki Plays Suzuki Evergreens, Vol. 7 8.572494

One of the many misconceptions about Shinichi Suzuki is that he was primarily interested in developing a new way of training young musicians. Another is that his sole focus was the violin. Yet another is that following the Suzuki Method is a sure path to virtuosity. And still another is that the “Suzuki school of performance” exists at all.

In fact, Suzuki (1898-1998—he died nine months before what would have been his 100th birthday) saw music as a means to something far more important: the development of what he called “a beautiful heart” through the “sensitivity, discipline and endurance” associated with hearing music from birth and learning to play it. Suzuki wanted to make wonderful people; if they were wonderful musicians, that was a bonus.

Thus, the Suzuki approach—which includes, among other things, learning mostly by ear, starting to play at a very young age, playing in groups as well as on one’s own, and having a parent present supervise every practice session and attend every lesson—can theoretically apply to any instrument. And indeed it has been adapted for viola, cello, bass, guitar, flute, recorder, piano, organ and harp—and even voice—in addition to being used for the violin, which was Suzuki’s own instrument. But Suzuki was trying to develop good people, not great virtuosi, and in fact discouraged competition among players. Instead, he insisted on collaboration and mutual encouragement for players of every ability, at every label—no doubt in part because his approach was created in part as a way to help raise and bring beauty to the Japanese generation that would be forever scarred by World War II.

But there is no “Suzuki school of performance” along the lines of, say, the French or Russian school. Students of those approaches can be easily identified through the specific techniques they use in performance. Not so with the Suzuki approach. The one element of Suzuki’s ideas that tends to be cited as imore....

Review By rbbadger,The News From Wabu-eup (Korea),July 2010

The distinguished Japanese violinist Takako Nishizaki is one of the most-recorded violinists in the world…Nishizaki also bears another distinction. She was one of the very first students of the late Dr Shinichi Suzuki, founder of the Suzuki Method of music education. Her father, Shinji Nishizaki worked very closely with Dr Suzuki as the method was being created. At the age of 9, Dr Suzuki gave Takako Nishizaki her diploma as a Suzuki method teacher. My siblings who played string instruments all studied from the Suzuki method books. So, if you have a special affinity for the music in the Suzuki books, but would prefer not to hear it played by children still working on their intonation, Naxos has the release for you! In eight volumes, Takako Nishizaki has recorded the entire Suzuki violin canon, if you will, including Suzuki’s “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” variations.