Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)

Settling In Budapest. Systematic Collection of Folk Songs (1907–1913)

SETTLING IN BUDAPEST. SYSTEMATIC

COLLECTION OF FOLK SONGS ( 1 907-1 91 3)

1912

Ture of Ugocsa county and Lénárdfalva

of

Szatmár

county.

1 May

- The Ministry of Defence asks the Music Academy by wire for his booklet of exemption from military service, presumably on behalf of some folk song collecting matter.

17 May

- From Rákoskeresztúr

he

writes joyfully to Busitia: “...today I received the first portion of the proofs of my collection from Bucharest .. 7 (Reference to the collecting in Bihar.)

He is looking for further contacts in connection with his folk song collecting.

22 May

- From Rákoskeresztúr

he

introduces himself in a letter to Berlin music ethnographic researcher Erich Moritz von Hornbostel, inquiring about a possible exchange of phonograph recordings, and suggesting a meeting in Berlin between 19-21 June. (But Bartoks itinerary being eventually modified he was not in Berlin at the appointed time.)

23 May

- He writes a postcard to the Bu§i|ia children in Belényes.

12 June

- The Rózsavölgyi

and

Co. firm sends him their accounts of String Quartet No. 1. Of the printed 300 copies 86 orchestral scores and 16 sets of parts were sold respectively, with author s fees of 32 K (crowns) and 06 fillérs.

14 June

- From Budapest he notifies his mother-in-law, Mrs Károly

Ziegler

on a postcard, that due to the delay of Kiriacs expected visit, their summer trip would also be delayed.

19 June

- Kiriacs visit. Bartok gives him instructions regarding the making of phonograph recordings. They send a joint greeting card from Rákoskeresztúr

to

Bu§i|ia in Belényes.

20 June

- He effects a fire insurance at the First Hungarian Insurance Company.

After that Mr and Mrs Bartok leave for a Scandinavian vacation, which was unique among all of Bartoks foreign travels. This was the only trip where he didn’t have to arrange any official business, was not giving a concert and was not composing, he was simply just enjoying 137