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

At The Academy of Sciences. Great Compositions (1934–1938)

AT THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

GREAT C

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( 1 934-1 938)

1934

6 February

- He brings 3 reviews of the previous days concert to his mother.

8 February

- He writes a postcard to musicologist Ervin Major.

After many years of struggle, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences {Magyar Tudományos

Akadémia) finally

finds a way to start publishing the Hungarian folk songs. Bartok and Kodály

are

called by the management of MTA

to

discuss the plan of the publication and for taking further steps. The first major discussion in merit was held on 8 or 9 February which would then be followed by many more during the spring.

9 February

- Four singers of the concert planned for 12 February - Mária

Basilides, Erzsi

Mende,

Miklos

Matuska, and Endre Rösler

- hold a rehearsal between 4 and 8:30 p.m. at the Bartoks’ flat on Csalán

Road.

12 February

- Collegium Musicum

of

Budapest give a French soirée,

the four singers performing songs by Debussy with Bartoks piano accompaniment.

15 February

- Bartok leaves for Békéscsaba

with

singer Szidi Elek. He stays at the Ernő

Südys

’. At

the Bartok festival of the Town Theatre Szidi Elek sings 5 Slovakian and 6 Hungarian folk songs from the series Village Scenes and 8 Hungarian Folk Songs respectively and 7 songs from 20 Hungarian Folk Songs with Bartoks piano accompaniment. Bartoks solo programme: two pieces from the series For Children, 3 Rondos, Ballad, and Old Dance Tunes from 15 Hungarian Peasant Songs.

He leaves Békéscsaba

for

Bucharest.

18 February

- At Dalles Hall of Bucharest he gives a lecture entitled Impact of Peasant Music on Recent Art Music in French for the Romanian Composers’ Society.

19 February

- Piano recital at Maison des

Français of

Bucharest. His programme features, beside works by Purcell, Marcello, Rossi, and della Ciaja, 3 pieces of Kodály

’s series

Op. 11, 2 pieces of Op. 3, and of his own works Sonata, 3 Rondos, The Nights Music, Ballad, and Old Dance Tunes.

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