I Learn The Organ. (Organ).

I Learn The Organ, by Jerome Faucheur, Editions Chantraine/Theodore Presser Co. (588 N. Gulph Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406), 2000. 67pp., $27.95. Easy.

Although recent years have seen a welcome increase in the number of beginning organ method books, few may be as concise and succinct as I Learn The Organ. With its multi-language translation (French, English and German) and sparse, yet solid, content, the tiny volume manages to cover all the essentials of manual and pedal technique through a series of twenty-five lessons designed for a single year's study.

The chief asset of Faucheur's writing lies in its avoidance of an overtly detailed, tedious approach, which, all too often, threatens beginning organ methods. Each lesson is neatly presented in one or two pages, giving equal focus to a single area of first manual, then pedal, technique. Lessons ten through twenty-five include a representative selection from literature, although the extraction of several examples from larger works and the partial inclusion of voices in others seem regrettable. Registration is provided, albeit with neither explanation of terms involved nor reference to different manuals and functions. Biographical information, on the other hand, is well placed and offers solid perspective of major composers. No illustrations are given, except for representations of several historic instruments on the inside front and back covers; accompanying figures throughout, showing proper hand position, foot position and so forth, would be helpful for the beginning organist.

While clearly designed for students with prior keyboard study, I Learn The Organ appears best suited as a broad introduction to the organ or perhaps for those pursuing the instrument as a secondary focus. Depth and detail are not the book's forte, although the basics of the instrument are presented in miniature. In the words of famed French organist Louis Vierne, found in the volume's preface, "Work on the organ, and you will love it." Clearly, every opportunity for the former is introduced, and every possibility for the latter is offered in these brief pages. Reviewed by Karrin Ford, Waco, Texas.