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

School Years (1890–1903)

SCHOOL YEARS (1 890-1 903)

1903

their violin lesson as much as nobody ever before.

10 January

- Letter to Adila Arányi.

17 January

- He presents Heldenleben

to

Koessler at the Great Hall of the Music Academy. On his way there he meets Aurél

Kern,

who noticing the Heldenleben

exclaims:

“I heard that you play this like a little god”. Koessler doesn’t like the piece, but he admires Bartok for knowing it by heart.

He is ready with the 4th movement of the Symphony, which he showed previously to Mrs Gruber, then also to Koessler; the latter has several objections but says he doesn’t want to influence him. - In his letter to his mother Bartok details his plans for the trip to Vienna, and sends his belated birthday wishes.

20 January - A boring visit with the Hatvany-Deutsch’s.

22 January

- János

Albrecht

from Pozsony

asks

Bartok to recommend his son Sanyi

(Sándor Albrecht

with whom he would develop a very good relation later on) to István

Thomán for

a hearing, which happened indeed on 8 February.

24 January

- He writes more details concerning the Vienna trip.

25 January

- Visit with the Arányis.

26 January

- From Budapest he travels to Vienna, and plays Richard Strauss’ Heldenleben in

the ceremonial hall of the Traders’ Society at the concert of the Tonkünstlerverein.

This

is his first public appearance abroad.

27 January

- From Vienna he sends a picture postcard to his sister. Then during his return trip from Vienna to Budapest he wishes to spend a few hours in Pozsony

as

time permits.

29 January

- Big soirée

at

the Thománs

’ with

the participation of the Poppers, Hubays, Herzfeld, and others, where Leopold Godowski presents his transcriptions which Bartok finds funny and interesting.

30 January

- Godowski invites him to play Hddenleben at his hotel in the morning. He likes Bartok’s playing, and encourages him to come see him in Berlin.

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