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

War Years (1914–1919)

WAR YEARS (1914-1919)

1915

The Budapest Philharmonics make their appearance in Vienna for the first time in the 62 years of their existence. On 8 and 9 November they give a representative Hungarian programme consisting of excerpts; part of Bartoks Suite No 1. is also performed.

16 November

- On a postcard Bartok calls Anna Pataky for a piano lesson on the morning of 18 November at 9 a.m., then travels to Besztercebánya,

but not before giving his wife instructions on a postcard written from Budapest to Rákoskeresztúr

concerning

the copying of Slovakian folk songs.

19 November

- The Philharmonics repeat their Vienna programme in Budapest, then at the beginning of December in Dresden, with Suite No. 1 in mutilated form.

In November Bartok is collecting in Pónik

(Zólyom county).

With Italy entering the war, the activity of Tango Egisto, Italian conductor at the Budapest Opera House, had been suspended, with even his internment to be expected. Having asked for and being granted Hungarian citizenship, Tango was sworn in on 4 December. Thus his work is not further hindered, which has a major impact on the subsequent performance of Bartoks stage works.

7 December

- Bartok writes Anna Pataky from Rákoskeresztúr

that

he expects her for a lesson at the Music Academy on 10 December.

10 December

- Being informed in the meantime of the performances of Suite No. 1, he writes the Philharmonics that he protests most definitely against the mutilation, and asks them not to perform his works ever again, and anyway he has already been in withdrawal from the public for 4 years. (Of course later he calmed down and the connection was re-established; in 1934 he helped the orchestra with advice concerning the performance of precisely Suite No. 1.)

12 December

- He writes Etelka

Freund

that he will go to see them on 17 December, bringing along the phonograph and showing a lot of Sekler songs.

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