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

War Years (1914–1919)

1915

CHRONICLES OF BÉLA

BARTOK'S

LIFE

situation at home, and warns her about letters being censored, so “We better take care! And leave revealing our true thoughts until after the war”. In the evening he arrives in Besztercebánya.

4 April

(Easter Sunday) - He starts his collecting tour; he notes down folk songs originating from the Zólyom

communities

Hédel,

Perhát, Erdőköz, Szelese, Nagyrét, Benesháza, Erdőbádony, and

from Barsbaracska.

9 April

- He

travels from Besztercebánya

to

Benesháza

via

Zólyombrézó.

13 April

- In

the afternoon he arrives home in Rákoskeresztúr.

During this period he also finds time for composing, he keeps on working on The Wooden Prince, but this year even Sonatina is in progress and the results of his Romanian collecting: Rumanian Folk Dances and Rumanian Christmas Carols as well. - He gives private lessons.

9 May - He writes Anna Pataky to come to her lesson on the 10th.

His wife got a severe eye infection which she intended to get examined in Vienna. On the way there she visits her mother-in-law in Pozsony.

14 May - Bartok writes her there, asking her to bring appliances and instruction manuals for insect collecting from Vienna.

20 May - He writes János

Bu§i|ia

how much he is worried about the effects the coming events of the war might have on Transylvania, and gives an account of his success in collecting folk songs again, just like in the most peaceful of times. “As if the peasants weren’t bothered by the war at all, they are so merry, so carefree.”

In the evening he goes to Budapest to welcome his wife and little son arriving from Pozsony.

28 May - He buys 3 boxes for insect collecting, 1 softening board and 1 insecticidal jar from Budapest Calderoni Ltd. for 29.40 K (crowns).

As the school year ends, his wife and her mother go to Vienna where Mrs Bartok has eye surgery.

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