Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
School Years (1890–1903)
SCHOOL YEARS (1 890-1 903) 1902 concert, because of the indisposition of her accompanist “Wolff from Német-Ó vár”. 26 November - At 1 o’clock midday at the Dohnányis ’ he has a rehearsal with Ella Kunwald (who is related to Mrs Dohnányi), in the evening he accompanies her programme of pieces by Scarlatti, Salvator Rosa, and Hugo Wolf, performed with modest abilities, at the Hubay-Popper concert. - He writes a letter to Adila Arányi. 27 November - At the Thománs ’ they play the quintets of Dohnányi and Schumann, then he performs the Scherzo of his Symphony, which is to the liking of even Viktor Herzfeld there present. 30 November - Lunch at Mrs Lajos Voit’s. 3 December - At the 4th concert of the Philharmonics Eugène Ysaÿe plays Bach’s Violin Concerto in E major, accompanied by Adolf Szikla on organ, and one of the violin concertos of Saint-Saëns. The subsequent program was Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1 conducted by István Kerner. - After the concert Bartok writes his mother that Ysaÿe is the first artist who brought him into ecstasy, and he is already happy about next day’s concert. 4 December - Ysaÿe ’s recital with Felicie Fábiáns participation, who, according to the critics, “played the piano prettily and with taste”. Bartok sends a visiting card to his mother with the news that his concert will be held on the 16th (this latter got moved to the 18th). 7 December - Another home party at the Arányis ’. “ We celebrated ‘Victor of Kecskemét ’.” (Reference to Adila Arányis 5 December appearance in Kecskemét, having been praised by the local press exceedingly, even lacking in good taste.) 9 December - At the soirée of István Thománs mother-in-law Bartok plays Schumann’s Sonata in F sharp minor, Paganini Variations by Brahms, and the Scherzo movement of his own Symphony, “in the midst of noisy acclamation”. In a letter he notifies his mother about the postponement of the concert of the 16th. 55
