Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
School Years (1890–1903)
1898 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE In 1897 he gets acquainted with school-inspector József P. Roth, and would become his chamber music partner. “He came to know a great many pieces there” - writes his mother. True, even such pieces turned up among them as Battachons The grandmothers tale performed on the cello by P. Roth whom he accompanied in an evening programme. He indicates the titles of yet 52 pieces in his catalogue by the end of the year. 1898 19 January - He plays the 1st movement of Schumanns Sonata in F sharp minor at the Zichy palace in Pozsony. 20 February - He accompanies the cello performance of József P. Roth at the concert of the Pozsony Teachers ’ Institute. 6 March - He accompanies the violin performance of Miklos Sóhár at an afternoon childrens gathering of the Pozsony Toldy Society. This is the beginning of his decades-long close connection with the society. 15 March - The 11th number in the programme of the grammar-school ceremony, held in the great hall of the County House on occasion of the 50th anniversary of the 1848 events, is Hungarian Folk Songs, played on the piano by Béla Bartok, year 7 pupil. (Not genuine folk songs, of course.) 26 March - He plays Chopins Ballad in G minor and his own, presumably newly composed Sonata at the Pozsony Evangelical Theology. 25 April - He reaches No. 221 in his music catalogue. 20-24 June - Class exams. 29 June - Distribution of school reports: 5 excellent and 3 good (Latin and German language, political geography). He receives the Győr and Prachner Foundations’ sums again. Up to 22 July 300 pieces figure in the catalogue, by 31 August further 27 30
