Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
School Years (1890–1903)
1902 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE 29 March (Holy Saturday) - He sends a greeting card to his sister who remained in Budapest for the Easter holidays (c/o Mrs Lajos Voit, who by then was already living at 78 Szondy Street). Around 1 April - Ervin Voit begins sculpting Bartoks bust; Bartok sits for him six times. 4 April - He gets a visit from his old schoolmate Rudolf Otócska. 6 April - He writes his mother about his board and lodging with satisfaction, these being better than at the previous place. He is living with the family Hay at this time, at 84 Andrássy Avenue. 12 April - In his letter he asks his mother to forward to Budapest the works of Shakespeare, Lessing, Goethe, and Schiller from among his books left in Pozsony. - His bust is completed. It cost him 47 forints according to his calculations: 10 to Ervin Voit (+15 paid by his mother), 7 for the casting in plaster, and 6 hours of sitting, a loss of 5 forints per hour. 23 April - Visit with the Grubers, where lots of music is being played. 25 April - He goes to the Opera House to watch the already twice postponed performance of the Meistersinger. 26 April - Quartet playing at the Dr. Neumanns’. “We played a beautiful Rubinstein and Dvoak” - he writes. 27 April - Lunch at Mrs Lajos Voit ’s. 28 April - In his letter to his mother he inquires about the date of the military enlisting. At the same time he is asking for his four-hands scores (quartets by Beethoven, etc.), which he intends to sell. 30 April - Letter to his mother. 5 May - He watches the performance of A Midsummer Nights Dream at the National Theatre. 8 May - In his letter he is urging her mother for the requested scores for sale (this time Beethoven’s symphonies), then writes that he wants to give up his room for the summer, because he needs every penny for English lessons, a trip to Vienna, the note-worthy sights of Budapest, 48
