The soldier Lucien Durosoir

november 1903 concert program @ berlin sing-akademie.

when world war broke out, durosoir 36. after year fighting in trenches, became stretcher-bearer , awaited nightfall before venturing out collect wounded. durosoir came attention of general mangin, great music lover, recruited him, along composer andré caplet , young cellist maurice maréchal, form chamber music ensemble. trio played funeral services, guests (such visiting english officers and, more rarely, civilians) in general s quarters, , in barracks soldiers’ entertainment. concerts featured kinds of arrangements of orchestral works piano , solo instruments. during time duties of durosoir , caplet included caring carrier pigeons.

the 3 spent these terrible years together, , friendship sealed in trenches in music-making. inspiration compose increasingly seized durosoir s imagination. acquired scores , studied style of brahms, beethoven, haydn, , others. in 1915 emma debussy sent him claude debussy s Études. durosoir , caplet examining these when 6 bombs fell around building. thinking ahead end of war, durosoir wrote on 12 september 1916, begin compose become accustomed managing freer forms, , efforts, convinced, fruitful. during periods of repose duties in trenches, continued study of counterpoint , fugue exercises corrected andré caplet.

[reference: deux musiciens dans la grande guerre (paris, tallandier-radio france, 2005; mangin (général), lettres de guerre, 1914-1918 (paris, fayard, 1950)]