Albert Hirsh, born July 1, 1915, has a new website.
Albert shared the stage with Nathan Milstein, Yehudi Menuhin and Itzhak Perlman. He was Emanuel Feuermann’s regular partner. He died, aged 88, in December 2003.
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Norman: Thank you so much for posting this! I hope that many of your readers will take the opportunity to get acquainted with the art of Albert Hirsh.
One of my favorite things (to be found under the “PRINT” link on the website) is a letter that he received from Emanuel Feuermann in mid-April (written on April 11), 1941, organizing a tour of Mexico which was to take place in early May of the same year … less than a month later than the letter was written! Feuermann goes to great length to impress his then 26-year-old accompanist (“recordings with Heifetz”, etc.), whom he addresses as “Dear Hirsh Esq.” although he is certainly an adult by then, only to ask him to agree to a pittance for a fee at the end of the letter. Fortunately, things have greatly improved for accompanists in the meantime (or have they?)
Here is a link to the scanned image of the letter followed by a verbatim transcription (additions in square brackets are mine):
http://alberthirsh-pianist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/FeuermannLtr-04-11-41.jpg
Transcription:
[Letterhead:] Hotel Presidente, Havana (Cuba)
April 11th, 1941
Dear Hirsh Esqu.[ire],
The concerts in Mexico are going to
take shape. The plans are as follows:
in the beginning of May I have to
make recordings, with Heifetz and some
other very bad [sic!] artist [most likely Arthur Rubinstein]. From 9th to 22nd
of May 6 recitals shall take place in
Mexico City and perhaps one or two in
the province. My wife with Monica and
Mrs. Reifenberg will go by train to Calif.[ornia]
on the 12th. We go by car to Mexico
because I want to continue from there
to Calif. I think we shall have great
time.
I do not know how long it will take to
Mexico and where we will have to part
on the way back. I think we can
leave on the 5th in the morning.
—
We shall have all [!] the Beethoven and
Brahms Sonatas on the program. Besides
will you please “get in contact” with the
concertos by Boccherini and Saint-Saëns.
My concerts there are on a percentage
basis and I must be careful in my
calculations. Would you agree to $250
for the _6_ concerts? That leaves you $150
net.
So long. Greetings at home.
Cordially yours,
E. Feuermann
[PS – ] I am here until Tuesday morning and
shall be back (home) on Thursday afternoon.
[PPS – Franz] Rupp had 50 Dol.[lars] a concert, sometimes
less.
“…the “PRINT” link on the website…”
Looks like this was changed to “PROGRAMS” in the meantime. However, the direct link to Feuermann’s letter should still work.
Mr Hirsh was a wonderful teacher and warm, funny man. When he was coaching me on a rather esoteric contemporary piece once, he remarked ruefully ” some of these contemporary composers should be called contemptuous composers instead; they seem to go out of the way to put up unnecessary obstacles for the performer, killing musicality.”