Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
Connecting to the Music Life of Europe (1904–1906)
1904 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE Bartók plays Liszts Spanish Rhapsody. 25 January - At the concert of the Hubay-Popper Quartet at the Royal Hall he plays one of his Fancies and presents the whole Sonata for Violin with Jenő Hubay. He has huge success, he is called back 11 times and receives 2 wreaths. He writes of all this at once on a postcard to his mother. 27 January - He travels to Pozsony, then to Vienna. 28 January - From Pozsony he writes a letter to Her Excellency, the Mistress Aglája Lábán and Miss Lilly, thanking them for having attended his Pozsony concert. 3 February - At the evening of the Fitzner Quartet at the Bösendorfer Hall he plays Sonata for Violin with Rudolf Fitzner. 7 February - Back in Budapest. At the the Grünfeld Quartets chamber concert at the Royal Hall he plays Dvoraks Piano Quartet Op. 87. Around 10 February - He sets out for his first trip to England on a Vienna- Cologne-Boxtel (Netherlands) route. Passing through London he goes on to Manchester, from there to nearby Bowdon (Cheshire) as János Richter s guest. 12 February - He writes a letter to his mother about his trip. He is complaining with indignation about the state of the English railways, and notes that the country is not very expensive. 18 February - Manchester. At the Free Trade Hall, Symphonic Poem Kossuth is performed, János Richter conducting; Bartok plays Liszts Spanish Rhapsody and Volkmanns Händel Variations. He has massive success as a pianist, the Kossuth meets less liking. Richter is sending a telegram about “triumph”. Right after the concert Bartok sends Thomán a picture postcard dated from Altrincham, on 23 February another one dated from Bowdon (the two places belong to the same administrative unit) with a short report. 24 February - Manchester. According to Bartoks notes an “orchestral piano” participation. 72
