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)

1913

“I spend 24+14+30 hours collecting, 16+7+6+12 hours on trains. Abominable connections.”

16 February

- He is collecting in Mezőzsadány

(Ternes

county).

(Instead of the official name he mentions the place as Temeszsadány.)

17 February

- He travels from Temesvár

to

Fény

(Torontál county)

to collect, via Módos.

18 February

- He continues in Öscsanád,

or

rather in Nagycsanád

(Torontál county).

19 February

- He begins his journey home on the route Apátfalva-Arad.

20 February

- He arrives in Rákoskeresztúr

at

daybreak.

26 February

- The Philharmonics perform Two Pictures in Budapest.

At the end of February there are considerable political demonstrations in Budapest, workers are preparing a strike.

1 March

- Bartok writes from Rákoskeresztúr

to

Boriska Kormos

in

Gyöngyös: “

If the great strike breaks out on Monday or Tuesday, I have to put off the lesson until the 11th”. - The strike is cancelled.

4 March

- Thus Bartok gives the lesson.

He utilises Easter vacation going on his already carefully prearranged collecting tour in Máramaros.

14 March

- He sets out for Máramarossziget

where

he arrives on the 15th. Pastor Jon Birlea comes to meet him by car, and takes him to their home in Jód

(Máramaros county).

19 March

- The widowed Mrs Béla

Bartok

sends him a newspaper article from Pozsony

to

Bartoks Szurdok

(Máramaros county)

address, according to which “The Opera House accepted a new ballet entitled The Wooden Prince. Its premiere will be held next season”. (This was eventually left for 1917.)

23 March (Easter Sunday) - Bartok retrieves his forwarded letters at the post office of Szurdok.

25 March - He spends his 32nd birthday in Dragomérfalva

(Máramaros county), from where he writes a joint postcard with Birlea to János

143