Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
War Years (1914–1919)
WAR YEARS (1914-1919) 1915 9 July - From Budapest Bartok travels to Besztercebánya, then on the 10th proceeds to Hédel (Zólyom county) where he stays with teacher Gasparik’s family. 14 July - From Hédel he sends news to his mother that he arrived to this really beautiful land, and that his wife underwent surgery. 17 July - He writes his wife in the Neubauer guesthouse in Vienna: “I thought of you a lot on Wednesday - you endured it bravely, didn’t you”. He gives an account of having difficulties with collecting, he filled only 4 cylinders so far, it’s difficult to get singers due to the war, and meals are also rather poor. “Despite these circumstances I would really like you both to come here for at least 1 week.” 18 and 19 July - He arranges a big and highly successful round of collecting, probably in Padkóc. 20 July - He writes his wife a postcard already to Rákoskeresztúr: “ 14 cylinders and cca 100 notes so far”. 24 July - From Hédel he sends his wife a registered letter, organising in detail their journey to him. Beside listing the food and clothing to be brought, he mentions especially that their 5 year old little son should practise mountain climbing in the abandoned gravel quarry of Rákoshegy, so that he could be taken along to smaller excursions. (This worked, there was no problem.) 26 July - He urges his wife to answer, on the 27th he writes her to bring along binoculars and 100 crowns as well. He is collecting continuously all the while: On 28 July in Feketebalog, in the month of July songs from Pónik, Perhát, Cserpatak, and Erdőbádony; what ’s more, in Padkóc he even notes down a Serbian song of Slavonian origin from a young Tót girl serving as maid in Croato-Slavonia. 2 August - From Hédel he travels to Zólyom to welcome his wife and their son Béla, from where he writes a letter to his mother about conditions in Hédel, then the family travels there. His wife and little son stay with 157
