Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
Settling In Budapest. Systematic Collection of Folk Songs (1907–1913)
SETTLING IN BUDAPEST. SYSTEMATIC COLLECTION OF FOLK SONGS ( 1 907-1 91 3) 1908 16 November - He goes to a concert at the Music Academy, where he receives the requested songs from the Zieglers. David Popper is conducting, Árpád Szendy plays Beethovens Piano Concerto in G major, besides works by Cherubini, Glinka, and Goldmark in the programme. 22 November - A visit at the Schlesingers’, where he intended to meet Kálmán Harsányi. 2 and 7 December - He notifies Etelka Freund of his ensuing visits (3 December and 13 December). The planned Budapest performance of Suite No. 2 is cancelled. On the other hand Busoni offers to perform the Scherzo movement in Berlin, and asks Bartok to conduct. Bartok is reluctant, having never conducted; but in the meantime Busoni already announces the concert with the composer conducting, so Bartok accepts. - For Christmas holidays he travels to his sister’s in Szilad Puszta. 24 December - He writes about the Berlin plans to Etelka Freund and to the Ziegler girls, adding “A splendid occasion, although a rather daring outset for starters”. Signed: “...an ultra-hyper-neo-impressionistsecessionist, musician of Tomorrow, who is opponent of todays public, but whom to listen to is demanded not only by Roman law, but also by the laws of Art’, (according to the B[udapest] N[ews])”. 28 December - From Vésztő he returns to Budapest in the morning, meets the Zieglers before noon, then picks up the barely finished orchestral parts of Suite No. 2, and travels to Berlin at 7 p.m. 29 December - They have the first rehearsal which Bartok is scared of. It starts hesitantly, but then goes on rather decently. ill
