In the Courts of Memory, 1858-1875; from Contemporary Letters

A collection of intimate letters recounts the writer's life in European courts and musical salons, blending personal anecdotes, travel impressions, and scenes from social and artistic life. The correspondence presents encounters with celebrated musicians and public figures, descriptions of performances and domestic rituals, and eyewitness observations of the upheaval surrounding the war of 1870 and the Paris Commune. Arranged as episodic vignettes, the letters move from youthful schooling to later diplomatic society, pairing warm character sketches with documentary material such as facsimiles and practical details of everyday courtly existence.