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

Connecting to the Music Life of Europe (1904–1906)

CONNECTING TO THE MUSIC LIFE OF EUROPE (1 904-1 906)

1905

Bartók is

worried about his sister moving to a culturally isolated area, so on the occasion of the first Christmas

on 26 december

he

writes her a long letter about his artistic views and Gorky’s works, adding general advice. In this letter he also mentions that Rhapsody will soon be complete, then he continues: “Now I have a new plan: to collect the most beautiful of the Hungarian folk songs, and by adding the best possible piano accompaniment, elevate them, so to say, to the level of the artistic song. This would serve to make foreign peoples learn about Hungarian folk music from such a collection.” He even asks for advice concerning the words of some of the songs.

31 December - He writes Thomán

that

he would go to Vienna for a longer period, and would not give concerts in Budapest for the time being, because he sees no advantage in it either financially or morally.

1905

At the beginning of the year both István

Thomán and

Mrs Henrik Gruber write really nice appraising letters, in the guise of New Year greetings, to the widowed Mrs Béla

Bartok

in Pozsony.

3 January - Bartok leaves Pozsony

for

Vienna, and rents a room at 9 Heumühlgasse (IV).

From the Bösendorfer

firm

he receives a piano for use. He plans to have his meals at a restaurant and travel home to Pozsony for

2 days every other week.

16 January - In Vienna he writes a postcard to Anikó

Fischer

in Gerlice Puszta, but

he doesn’t send it.

26 January - His mother comes to visit; in the morning they go to the Museum of Natural Sciences, in the evening to the Danczer Orfeum,

on 27 January to the Museum of History of Arts, in the evening to the concert of the Czech String Quartet.

77