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)

Bach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-1. Siciliano  (Disc 34)

Bach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-2. Allegro

Bach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-3. Adagio

Bach: Violin Sonata #4 in C Minor, BWV 1017-4. Allegro

Bartok: Violin Sonata #2-1. Molto moderato  (Disc 21)

Bartok: Violin Sonata #2-2. Allegretto-Piu vivo

Beethoven: Cello Sonata #4 in C Major, Op. 102 #1-2. Adagio

Beethoven: Piano Trio #9 “Kakadu”, Op. 121a  (Disc12)

Beethoven: Romance #1 in G Major, Op. 40  (Disc 23)

Beethoven: Violin Sonata #3 in E-flat, Op. 12 #3-1. Allegro con spirito  (Disc 22)

Beethoven: Violin Sonata #3 in E-flat, Op. 12 #3-2. Adagio con molt’ espressione

Beethoven: Violin Sonata #3 in E-flat, Op. 12 #3-3. Rondo (allegro molto)

Beethoven: Violin Sonata #6 in A, Op. 30 #1-1. Allegro  (Disc 22)

Beethoven: Violin Sonata #6 in A, Op. 30 #1-2. Adagio molto espressivo

Beethoven: Violin Sonata #6 in A, Op. 30 #1-3. Allegretto con variazioni

Beethoven: Violin Sonata #9 in A, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”-1. Adagio sostenuto – presto  (Disc 22)

Beethoven: Violin Sonata #9 in A, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”-2. Andante con variazioni

Beethoven: Violin Sonata #9 in A, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”-3. Finale (presto)

Brahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-1. Allegro  (Disc 18)

Brahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-2. Intermezzo: Allegro (ma non troppo)

Brahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-3. Andante con moto

Brahms: Piano Quartet #1 in G Minor, Op. 25-4. Rondo alla Zingarese: Presto

Brahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-1. Allegro ma non troppo  (Disc 30)

Brahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-2. Scherzo: Allegro

Brahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-3. Andante

Brahms: Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, Op. 60-4. Finale: Allegro comodo

Brahms: Violin Sonata #1 in G, Op. 78 “Rain”-1. Vivace ma non troppo  (Disc 28)

Brahms: Violin Sonata #1 in G, Op. 78 “Rain”-2. Adagio

Brahms: Violin Sonata #1 in G, Op. 78 “Rain”-3. Allegro molto moderato

Brahms: Violin Sonata #2 in A, Op. 100-1. Allegro amabile  (Disc 6)

Brahms: Violin Sonata #2 in A, Op. 100-2. Andante tranquillo – Vivace

Brahms: Violin Sonata #2 in A, Op. 100-3. Allegretto grazioso

Chausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-1. Pas trop lent – anime  (Disc 23)

Chausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-2. Vite

Chausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-3. Assez lent

Chausson: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 3-4. Anime

Chopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 1. Allegro maestoso (Disc 1)

Chopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 2. Scherzo: Molto vivace

Chopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 3. Largo

Chopin: Piano Sonata #3 in B Minor, Op. 58 – 4. Presto ma non tanto

Debussy: Claire de Lune  (Disc 4)

Debussy: Girl with the Flaxen Hair  (Disc 25)

Debussy: Gollywog’s Cakewalk  (Disc 4)

Debussy: La Cathedrale Engloutie  (Disc 4)

Dohnanyi: Variations on a Nursery Air, Op. 25  (Disc 8)

Dohnanyi: Violin Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 21-1. Allegro appassionato  (Disc 26)

Dohnanyi: Violin Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 21-2. Allegro ma con tenerezza

Dohnanyi: Violin Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 21-3. Vivace assai

Enesco: Violin Sonata #2-1. Assez mouvemente  (Disc 11)

Enesco: Violin Sonata #2-2. Tranquillement

Enesco: Violin Sonata #2-3. Vif

Enesco: Violin Sonata #3 in A Minor, Op. 25-1. Moderato malinonico (Disc 34)

Enesco: Violin Sonata #3 in A Minor, Op. 25-2. Andante sostenuto e misterioso

Enesco: Violin Sonata #3 in A Minor, Op. 25-3. Allegro con brio, ma non troppo mosso

Faure: Violin Sonata in A, Op. 13-1. Allegro molto  (Disc 6)

Faure: Violin Sonata in A, Op. 13-2. Andante

Faure: Violin Sonata in A, Op. 13-3. Allegro vivo

Franck: Piano Quintet in F Minor-1. Molto moderato quasi lento-Allegro  (Disc 24)

Franck: Piano Quintet in F Minor-2. Lento con molto sentimento

Franck: Piano Quintet in F Minor-3. Allegro non troppo ma con fuoco

Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 1. Allegretto moderato  (Disc 24)

Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 2. Allegro

Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 3. Recitativo – Fantasia. Moderato – Molto lento

Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major – 4. Allegretto poco mosso

Mozart: Piano Quartet #2 in E-flat, K. 493-1. Allegro

Mozart: Piano Quartet #2 in E-flat, K. 493-2. Larghetto

Mozart: Piano Quartet #2 in E-flat, K. 493-3. Allegretto

Prokofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-1. Andante assai  (Disc 33)

Prokofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-2. Allegro brusco

Prokofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-3. Andante

Prokofiev: Violin Sonata #1 in F Minor, Op. 80-4. Allegrissimo

Saint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28  (Disc 25)

Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20 #1  (Disc 25)

Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-1. Andante molto  (Disc 20)

Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-2. Allegretto

Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-3. Andantino

Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934-4. Allegro vivace; Allegretto; Presto

Shostakovich Polka from The Golden Age  (Disc 2)

Szymanowski: Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 9-1. Moderato  (Disc 20)

Szymanowski: Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 9-2. Andantino tranquillo e dolce

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.