Although Albert Hirsh (my father) made very few commercial recordings, over the years I collected copies of reel-to-reel and cassette tapes made by other artists or presenters during some of his live performances. As a memorial I produced a professionally edited set of 36 CDs in 2004, distributed privately in limited quantity. With the centennial launch of the Albert Hirsh – Pianist website, it’s my pleasure to make many of these recordings available to anyone with a good Internet connection. They display his consummate musicianship as well as the powerful intimacy and passion of chamber music. Depending on the age and circumstance of the recording, audio quality ranges from so-so to fabulous. Most are darned good. Enjoy! And if you find the music inspiring, consider clicking the SCHOLARSHIP tab to make a donation. — Ethan Hirsh (Special thanks to violinist Fredell Lack and the University of Houston for providing many of these recordings over several decades.)
Use the players below to listen online, or right-click the green links to download mp3 files. (For a guide to the recordings, see pages 18-39 of the downloadable booklet shown on the CAREER page. The booklet also has a cross-referenced index by composer on pages 42-43.)
Bach: Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903 (Disc 8)
Audio PlayerBach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-1. Siciliano (Disc 34)
Audio PlayerBach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-2. Allegro
Audio PlayerBach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-3. Adagio
Audio PlayerBach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-4. Allegro
Audio PlayerBartok: Violin Sonata #2-1. Molto moderato (Disc 21)
Audio PlayerBartok: Violin Sonata #2-2. Allegretto-Piu vivo
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Cello Sonata #4 in C Major, Op. 102 #1-2. Adagio
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Piano Trio #9 “Kakadu”, Op. 121a (Disc12)
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Romance #1 in G Major, Op. 40 (Disc 23)
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Violin Sonata #3 in E-flat, Op. 12 #3-1. Allegro con spirito (Disc 22)
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Violin Sonata #3 in E-flat, Op. 12 #3-2. Adagio con molt’ espressione
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Violin Sonata #3 in E-flat, Op. 12 #3-3. Rondo (allegro molto)
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Violin Sonata #6 in A, Op. 30 #1-1. Allegro (Disc 22)
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Violin Sonata #6 in A, Op. 30 #1-2. Adagio molto espressivo
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Violin Sonata #6 in A, Op. 30 #1-3. Allegretto con variazioni
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Violin Sonata #9 in A, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”-1. Adagio sostenuto – presto (Disc 22)
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Violin Sonata #9 in A, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”-2. Andante con variazioni
Audio PlayerBeethoven: Violin Sonata #9 in A, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”-3. Finale (presto)
Audio PlayerBrahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-1. Allegro (Disc 18)
Audio PlayerBrahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-2. Intermezzo: Allegro (ma non troppo)
Audio PlayerBrahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-3. Andante con moto
Audio PlayerBrahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-4. Rondo alla Zingarese: Presto
Audio PlayerBrahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-1. Allegro ma non troppo (Disc 30)
Audio PlayerBrahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-2. Scherzo: Allegro
Brahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-3. Andante
Audio PlayerBrahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-4. Finale: Allegro comodo
Audio PlayerBrahms: Violin Sonata #1 in G, Op. 78 “Rain”-1. Vivace ma non troppo (Disc 28)
Audio PlayerBrahms: Violin Sonata #1 in G, Op. 78 “Rain”-2. Adagio
Audio PlayerBrahms: Violin Sonata #1 in G, Op. 78 “Rain”-3. Allegro molto moderato
Audio PlayerBrahms: Violin Sonata #2 in A, Op. 100-1. Allegro amabile (Disc 6)
Audio PlayerBrahms: Violin Sonata #2 in A, Op. 100-2. Andante tranquillo – Vivace
Audio PlayerBrahms: Violin Sonata #2 in A, Op. 100-3. Allegretto grazioso
Audio PlayerChausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-1. Pas trop lent – anime (Disc 23)
Audio PlayerChausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-2. Vite
Audio PlayerChausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-3. Assez lent
Audio PlayerChausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-4. Anime
Audio PlayerChopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 1. Allegro maestoso (Disc 1)
Audio PlayerChopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 2. Scherzo: Molto vivace
Audio PlayerChopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 3. Largo
Audio PlayerChopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 4. Presto ma non tanto
Audio PlayerDebussy: Claire de Lune (Disc 4)
Audio PlayerDebussy: Girl with the Flaxen Hair (Disc 25)
Audio PlayerDebussy: Gollywog’s Cakewalk (Disc 4)
Audio PlayerDebussy: La Cathedrale Engloutie (Disc 4)
Audio PlayerDohnanyi: Variations on a Nursery Air, Op. 25 (Disc 8)
Audio PlayerDohnanyi: Violin Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 21-1. Allegro appassionato (Disc 26)
Audio PlayerDohnanyi: Violin Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 21-2. Allegro ma con tenerezza
Audio PlayerDohnanyi: Violin Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 21-3. Vivace assai
Audio PlayerEnesco: Violin Sonata #2-1. Assez mouvemente (Disc 11)
Audio PlayerEnesco: Violin Sonata #2-2. Tranquillement
Audio PlayerEnesco: Violin Sonata #2-3. Vif
Audio PlayerEnesco: Violin Sonata #3 in A Minor, Op. 25-1. Moderato malinonico (Disc 34)
Audio PlayerEnesco: Violin Sonata #3 in A Minor, Op. 25-2. Andante sostenuto e misterioso
Audio PlayerEnesco: Violin Sonata #3 in A Minor, Op. 25-3. Allegro con brio, ma non troppo mosso
Audio PlayerFaure: Violin Sonata in A, Op. 13-1. Allegro molto (Disc 6)
Audio PlayerFaure: Violin Sonata in A, Op. 13-2. Andante
Audio PlayerFaure: Violin Sonata in A, Op. 13-3. Allegro vivo
Audio PlayerFranck: Piano Quintet in F Minor-1. Molto moderato quasi lento-Allegro (Disc 24)
Audio PlayerFranck: Piano Quintet in F Minor-2. Lento con molto sentimento
Audio PlayerFranck: Piano Quintet in F Minor-3. Allegro non troppo ma con fuoco
Audio PlayerFranck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 1. Allegretto moderato (Disc 24)
Audio PlayerFranck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 2. Allegro
Audio PlayerFranck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 3. Recitativo – Fantasia. Moderato – Molto lento
Audio PlayerFranck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 4. Allegretto poco mosso
Audio PlayerMozart: Piano Quartet #2 in E-flat, K. 493-1. Allegro
Audio PlayerMozart: Piano Quartet #2 in E-flat, K. 493-2. Larghetto
Audio PlayerMozart: Piano Quartet #2 in E-flat, K. 493-3. Allegretto
Audio PlayerProkofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-1. Andante assai (Disc 33)
Audio PlayerProkofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-2. Allegro brusco
Audio PlayerProkofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-3. Andante
Audio PlayerProkofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-4. Allegrissimo
Audio PlayerSaint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28 (Disc 25)
Audio PlayerSarasate: Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20 #1 (Disc 25)
Audio PlayerSchubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-1. Andante molto (Disc 20)
Audio PlayerSchubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-2. Allegretto
Audio PlayerSchubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-3. Andantino
Audio PlayerSchubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-4. Allegro vivace; Allegretto; Presto
Audio PlayerShostakovich Polka from The Golden Age (Disc 2)
Audio PlayerSzymanowski: Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 9-1. Moderato (Disc 20)
Audio PlayerSzymanowski: Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 9-2. Andantino tranquillo e dolce
Audio PlayerSzymanowski: Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 9-3. Finale: Allegro molto, quasi presto
For the following video files, click the green link to play in QuickTime or right-click to download. Filmed in 1995 six weeks before his 80th birthday, the first three clips are from a recital at Jenkins Music Company in Kansas City, Missouri. The fourth clip is from a 1999 concert at Brazosport College in Lake Jackson, Texas.
Bach: Prelude & Fugue in G Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I.
Chopin: Waltz in C Sharp Minor, Opus 64, No. 2.
Debussy: The Sunken Cathedral, from Preludes, Book I.
Debussy: Clair de Lune, from Suite Bergamasque.
Are any copies of the 36-CD set still available? I would love to buy one. – John
I’m sorry– I just now noticed your inquiry from 6 months ago! I may have a few spares of some of the CDs, but no full albums. However, all or most of the music is here on the website alberthirsh-pianist.com. If there are certain discs you want, let me know. It was a very limited edition.
Ethan Hirsh
I had the pleasure of studying piano with Mr. Hirsh for more than six years at the University of Houston. I met Mr. Hirsh in the summer of 1970. I was a piano major at the University of Southern California at the time and was visiting my parents who had relocated to Houston from LA. I stayed in Houston to work with Mr. Hirsh and have never left. I’m now pianist and organist at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, where I’ve completed 35 years of service. Mr. Hirsh performed several times in our sanctuary including the “farewell concert” of the Virtuoso Quartet when he was 77, given under our Channing Concerts Series. Mr. Hirsh was a consummate musician and a great teacher. That memorable concert produced a standing room only audience at the First Unitarian Universalist Church. It is one of the most memorable events of my life in music. The program of that event is included in the “programs” portion of this website. Ethan, thank you so much for doing this. I just discovered it today.