Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
Settling In Budapest. Systematic Collection of Folk Songs (1907–1913)
1909 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE Around 16 August - He travels to Budapest. 23 August - He visits his mother vacationing in St. Ruprecht a/d Raab. Together they write a postcard to Mrs Emil Tóth in Szilad from St. Ruprecht, on the 24th one from Arzberg. (They take an excursion to Weiz, and from there they walk to Arzberg via the Raabklamm.) At the end of August - He travels to the middle region of Transylvania, called Mezőség. 31 August - From Mezőkók (Torda-Aranyos county) he writes a postcard to Etelka Freund in Budapest and to István Thomán István in Ungvár. Beside his account, he shares freshly collected folk songs with both of them, writing one to each. - In this period he is collecting folk songs of Mezőkók and Alsódetrehem origins (Torda-Aranyos county). In September - His recurrent hay fever is bothering him a lot; he sees several doctors, neither of whom attains any considerable result. Finally he undergoes a minor nose surgery. 25 September - He writes a postcard to Etelka Freund; he excuses himself for the missed visit with reference to his illness. 16 October - He writes “the cure is concluded more or less”, and on 18 October he visits the Freunds. 27 October - He writes anew and on the 29th he visits them again. 2 November - He is taking care of the custom clearance of textiles from Denmark (probably ethnographic objects) in Post Office No. 70. 13 November - He writes Etelka Freund that he is full of tasks. 14 November - At the Music Academy a public stage rehearsal is held for next day s programme. 15 November - In the afternoon he visits Etelka Freund, then in the evening at the Music Academy he performs Rhapsody at the concert of the Academic Orchestra conducted by Jenő Hubay. (Critics of the time write: “the Hungarian Richard Strauss (or Debussy or Vincent dTndy?), Béla Bartókpresentedhis Rhapsody for piano and orchestra”) 16 November - He marries Márta Ziegler at the magistracy of District 116
