My Recollections

A uniquely candid memoir unfolds the life of a celebrated French composer through the daily entries he kept from childhood onward. Guided by a mother who placed conscience at the heart of his upbringing, he was handed a diary on his tenth birthday and taught to record every triumph and slip, a habit that shaped his reflective voice.

The recollections are vivid yet modest, revealing moments like the secret chocolate indulgence that sparked a quiet confession and his mother's forgiving embrace. He recalls the cold February morning of 1848 when, at just six years old, he first stepped toward a musical future, torn between the lure of exact sciences and the pull of melody.

Spanning youthful lessons, the intense competition for the Prix de Rome, and early performances across Europe, the narrative offers listeners an intimate portrait of artistic formation without venturing beyond the first act of his storied career.