Secrets revealed with new book on Maurice Durufle

Maurice Durufle
"Maurice Durufle: The Man and His Music," by James E. Frazier.
Book cover

By all accounts a gloomy and brooding personality, Maurice Durufle lived virtually next door to the most notorious anti-establishment composers in early 20th century Paris. But he remained conservative, provincial and secretive to the end, his private papers never allowed out of the library for public consumption.

Just how Durufle managed to write some of the most sublime and spiritual music is a question explored in a new book by James Frazier, organist and choir master at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in St. Paul.

Frazier spoke with MPR classical host Alison Young about his discoveries writing the book, and why he refers to it not as a biography, but a scrapbook.

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