LUCIEN DUROSOIR (1878-1955): Violin Sonata in A Minor, 5 Aquarelles, Oisillon bleu, Rêve, Chant élégiaque, Prière à Marie, For Solo Piano: Nocturne, Légende.

Description: You won't find Durosoir in any English-language musical encyclopedias. Prior to World War I, he was a successful and well-known violinist who performed all over Europe, introducing new French works elsewhere and new European works in France. But serving in the French Army for 55 months during and after World War I essentially broke his spirit and he was unable to continue his performing career afterwards. Moving to the desolate Landes in southwestern France (where the Germans commandeered his home during the Second World War), he began composing and did so for the rest of his life although, apparently intentionally, he published nothing. These violin/piano works date from the 1920 Aquarelles to the 1950 Chant élégiaque (in memory of Ginette Neveu). Durosoir had studied counterpoint with Tournemire and, in early 1918, struck up a friendship with Sgt. André Caplet, who encouraged his compositional activities until Caplet's own early death in 1925. Sometimes a hint of the ecstatic, visionary quality of Szymanowski (via Debussy, presumably) brightens up the 1921 sonata and the 1927 Oisillon bleu (perhaps a hint of very early Messiaen here too) but, generally speaking, Durosoir's voice is in the conservative line of Fauré. Although the music shows no overt signs of the crushing emotional effect the war had on ending his performing career, it's also fair to say that there is often a shadow over this beautiful, often evocative music. This 2006 release was not previously offered in the U.S. Geneviève Laurenceau (violin), Lorène de Ratuld (piano).