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

War Years (1914–1919)

WAR YEARS (1914-1919)

1918

21 February - The Willem de Boer Quartet performs String Quartet No. 1 in Zurich.

24 February - Bartok gets ill, he stays in bed for a week.

3 March - He is already present at the Budapest world premiere of String Quartet No. 2, performed by the Waldbauer-Kerpely

String Quartet. According to Mrs Bartoks account “It was an absolutely harmonious day. The rehearsal was beautiful, it didn’t go that perfectly at the performance”.

4 March - From Rákoskeresztúr

he

thanks János

Busitia

for replying to his 28 January letter, he asks for further text checks, and sends him the Bartok issue of the periodical Ma (Today), displaying on its cover Bartoks portrait painted by Robert Berény.

29 March - István

Thomán writes

to Rákoskeresztúr:

“Menyhért Lengyel

would be terribly happy if you put music to the Mandarin. Write me when you come for lunch, I would also invite him to make you two meet”.

1 April - Bartok sends a report to the Joint Ministry of War again.

Universal Edition of Vienna is showing an increased interest in Bartoks works.

26 April

- Mrs Bartok writes her mother-in-law: “U.E. is negotiating with Béla, the

contract is for 6-10 years, they would publish 4 pieces each year. - Rehearsals for the Bluebeard start on 5 May, the performance can be expected for around the 20th”.

4 May

- Bartok is rehearsing in the Zieglers’ Szilágyi

Square

flat with Oszkár Kálmán, the

singer of the Bluebeard’s title role.

5 May

- He goes to the Waldbauer

String

Quartet’s rehearsal, then in the evening he takes his son Béla

to

the Opera House to the performance of Miklos Radnai’s piece, The Infantas Birthday and Poldini’s The Tramp and the Princess.

7 May

- He returns Antal Bánik

his

manuscript collection to Garamolaszka. - In the evening he accompanies Oszkár

Kálmán at

Kodálys

composer’s evening. The rest of the programme with the participation 175