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

School Years (1890–1903)

SCHOOL YEARS (1 890-1 903)

1901

12 April

- He pays a visit to Viktor Herzfeld, then in the afternoon presents himself at the secretariat of the Music Academy, where he gets approval for frequenting the Academy without the obligation of exams.

13 April

- He visits the Fábiáns

in

the morning. In the afternoon he has his first piano and composition lesson since his return home. His schedule of lessons from then on: piano on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 3 to 4 p.m., composition on Wednesday and Saturday 4 to 5 p.m.. In the evening he gives an account of the events of the first week in a longish letter to his mother.

In the afternoon of 14 April and in the morning of the 18th he visits the Fábiáns, and

spends the evening of the 18th at a music gathering of the Kunwalds. He plays Schumanns Quintet in the company of Kunwald (viola), Margit Kunwald (Dohnányis

sister-in-law),

an American violinist called Artmann,

and

violoncellist Adler.

19 April

- He is rehearsing a Beethoven sonata with Adolf Schiffer. In his letter to his mother he complains about the state of his clothing and the necessity of a visit at the dentist, so he would need money. (Incidentally the dentist Hollósy

didn

’t accept money from him.)

20 April

- He goes to the Fábiáns

’, then

sees Fidelio at the Opera House in the evening.

21 April

- They play violin sonatas at the Kunwalds’.

23 April

- Again at the Fábiáns

’.

25 April

- At the Opera House he listens to the Walkyrie, “magnificent music” - he writes.

26 April

- He goes to the dentist.

27 April

- In his letter to his mother, started the previous day, he writes: “I patched up a cadenza for Beethoven’s concert in G

major,

which Koessler found good”.

28 April

- He is guest of the Zsigmond Gárdonys

(Neumann).

Entering his 21st year he became of military age, and begins to consider the tasks in regard.

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