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.)
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Bach: Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903 (Disc 8)
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Bach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-1. Siciliano (Disc 34)
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Bach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-2. Allegro
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Bach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-3. Adagio
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Bach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-4. Allegro
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Bartok: Violin Sonata #2-1. Molto moderato (Disc 21)
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Bartok: Violin Sonata #2-2. Allegretto-Piu vivo
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Beethoven: Cello Sonata #4 in C Major, Op. 102 #1-2. Adagio
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Beethoven: Piano Trio #9 “Kakadu”, Op. 121a (Disc12)
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Beethoven: Romance #1 in G Major, Op. 40 (Disc 23)
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Beethoven: Violin Sonata #3 in E-flat, Op. 12 #3-1. Allegro con spirito (Disc 22)
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Beethoven: Violin Sonata #3 in E-flat, Op. 12 #3-2. Adagio con molt’ espressione
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Beethoven: Violin Sonata #3 in E-flat, Op. 12 #3-3. Rondo (allegro molto)
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Beethoven: Violin Sonata #6 in A, Op. 30 #1-1. Allegro (Disc 22)
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Beethoven: Violin Sonata #6 in A, Op. 30 #1-2. Adagio molto espressivo
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Beethoven: Violin Sonata #6 in A, Op. 30 #1-3. Allegretto con variazioni
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Beethoven: Violin Sonata #9 in A, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”-1. Adagio sostenuto – presto (Disc 22)
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Beethoven: Violin Sonata #9 in A, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”-2. Andante con variazioni
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Beethoven: Violin Sonata #9 in A, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”-3. Finale (presto)
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Brahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-1. Allegro (Disc 18)
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Brahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-2. Intermezzo: Allegro (ma non troppo)
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Brahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-3. Andante con moto
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Brahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-4. Rondo alla Zingarese: Presto
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Brahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-1. Allegro ma non troppo (Disc 30)
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Brahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-2. Scherzo: Allegro
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Brahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-3. Andante
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Brahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-4. Finale: Allegro comodo
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Brahms: Violin Sonata #1 in G, Op. 78 “Rain”-1. Vivace ma non troppo (Disc 28)
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Brahms: Violin Sonata #1 in G, Op. 78 “Rain”-2. Adagio
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Brahms: Violin Sonata #1 in G, Op. 78 “Rain”-3. Allegro molto moderato
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Brahms: Violin Sonata #2 in A, Op. 100-1. Allegro amabile (Disc 6)
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Brahms: Violin Sonata #2 in A, Op. 100-2. Andante tranquillo – Vivace
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Brahms: Violin Sonata #2 in A, Op. 100-3. Allegretto grazioso
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Chausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-1. Pas trop lent – anime (Disc 23)
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Chausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-2. Vite
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Chausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-3. Assez lent
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Chausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-4. Anime
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Chopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 1. Allegro maestoso (Disc 1)
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Chopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 2. Scherzo: Molto vivace
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Chopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 3. Largo
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Chopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 4. Presto ma non tanto
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Debussy: Claire de Lune (Disc 4)
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Debussy: Girl with the Flaxen Hair (Disc 25)
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Debussy: Gollywog’s Cakewalk (Disc 4)
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Debussy: La Cathedrale Engloutie (Disc 4)
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Dohnanyi: Variations on a Nursery Air, Op. 25 (Disc 8)
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Dohnanyi: Violin Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 21-1. Allegro appassionato (Disc 26)
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Dohnanyi: Violin Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 21-2. Allegro ma con tenerezza
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Dohnanyi: Violin Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 21-3. Vivace assai
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Enesco: Violin Sonata #2-1. Assez mouvemente (Disc 11)
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Enesco: Violin Sonata #2-2. Tranquillement
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Enesco: Violin Sonata #2-3. Vif
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Enesco: Violin Sonata #3 in A Minor, Op. 25-1. Moderato malinonico (Disc 34)
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Enesco: Violin Sonata #3 in A Minor, Op. 25-2. Andante sostenuto e misterioso
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Enesco: Violin Sonata #3 in A Minor, Op. 25-3. Allegro con brio, ma non troppo mosso
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Faure: Violin Sonata in A, Op. 13-1. Allegro molto (Disc 6)
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Faure: Violin Sonata in A, Op. 13-2. Andante
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Faure: Violin Sonata in A, Op. 13-3. Allegro vivo
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Franck: Piano Quintet in F Minor-1. Molto moderato quasi lento-Allegro (Disc 24)
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Franck: Piano Quintet in F Minor-2. Lento con molto sentimento
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Franck: Piano Quintet in F Minor-3. Allegro non troppo ma con fuoco
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Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 1. Allegretto moderato (Disc 24)
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Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 2. Allegro
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Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 3. Recitativo – Fantasia. Moderato – Molto lento
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Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 4. Allegretto poco mosso
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Mozart: Piano Quartet #2 in E-flat, K. 493-1. Allegro
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Mozart: Piano Quartet #2 in E-flat, K. 493-2. Larghetto
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Mozart: Piano Quartet #2 in E-flat, K. 493-3. Allegretto
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Prokofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-1. Andante assai (Disc 33)
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Prokofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-2. Allegro brusco
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Prokofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-3. Andante
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Prokofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-4. Allegrissimo
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Saint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28 (Disc 25)
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Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20 #1 (Disc 25)
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Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-1. Andante molto (Disc 20)
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Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-2. Allegretto
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Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-3. Andantino
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Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-4. Allegro vivace; Allegretto; Presto
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Shostakovich Polka from The Golden Age (Disc 2)
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Szymanowski: Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 9-1. Moderato (Disc 20)
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Szymanowski: Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 9-2. Andantino tranquillo e dolce
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Szymanowski: 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.
BachPreludeAndFugueInGMajor
Bach: Prelude & Fugue in G Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I.
ChopinWaltzInCSharpMinor
Chopin: Waltz in C Sharp Minor, Opus 64, No. 2.
DebussyTheSunkenCathedral
Debussy: The Sunken Cathedral, from Preludes, Book I.
DebussyClairDeLune
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.