Ma Chère Maman – Mon Cher Enfant: The Letters of Lucien and Louise Durosoir, 1914-1919

About the Durosoirs

Lucien Durosoir was born December 5, 1878, to Louise Durosoir and Léon Durosoir. In 1890, Léon died from pneumonia after saving the lives of two children from drowning in an icy lake, leaving Louise and young Lucien dependent on Léon’s wealthy stepfather. After a concert by the famous violinist Sarasate, a young Lucien declared he would be a violinist. He did so, becoming a virtuoso himself, going on to play concerts throughout France and Europe—including appearances in Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, Munich, Leipzig, Budapest, Dresden, Geneva, and Prague. He is best remembered for giving the premier performances to a new audience of a number of great works. These fascinating letters record his complex relationship with his mother Louise, who valued Lucien’s musical brilliance perhaps even more highly than he did himself.

Praise

This highly readable translation of the Durosoir letter collection provides an important first-person perspective of life at the front, the perspective of a mature, well-educated man whose talent placed him in an unusual position.
– Joseph T. Acquisto

Elegantly translated and wonderfully presented, these letters represent a rich tapestry of the grim circumstances in and out of the trenches. Auld has done us a great service by making them available.
– Leonard V. Smith