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

Settling In Budapest. Systematic Collection of Folk Songs (1907–1913)

1907

CHRONICLES OF BÉLA

BARTOK'S

LIFE

his mail every 4 days as a rule, but also indicates other communities (Csíkrákos, Csíkmadaras) for

poste

restante purposes.

30 July

- He writes Etelka

Freund

from Csikkarcfalva.

In his collection of folk songs Csíkrákos

and

Csíkjenőfalva

are dated July, Csíkszentmihály,

Csíkszenttamás, Gyergyóújfalu, Csikkarcfalva, Kilyénfalva,

and

Csíkvacsárcsi

year

1907 in general, Gyergyótekerőpatak and

Gyergyócsomafalva

August.

7 August

- He writes from Gyergyótekerőpatak

to

piano manufacturer Sándor Keresztély regarding

his sons entrance to the Music Academy.

9 August

- From Gyergyóújfalu

he

writes his mother that they need to rent a 4-room flat.

16 August

- He writes Stefi

Geyer

still from Gyergyó,

elaborating

at length the difficulties of folk song collecting in way of a funny dialogue.

17 August

- He writes Etelka

Freund:

“I found the Sekler melody types, which I had thought nonexistent”. - The orchestration of the 4th movement of Suite No. 2 is also in progress.

20 August - He dates a photo of his from Gyergyószentmiklós.

He travels home from Gyergyó,

then

soon to Szilad

to

see his sister.

6 September - From there he replies to Stefi

Geyer

in a long letter about philosophical and theological matters.

7 September - He sets out for Budapest at 6 in the morning.

From 10 September he is sitting in at entrance examinations of the Music Academy for several days.

During this period he receives Stefi

Geyers

recent letter, which he replies to on 11 September in a pessimistic mood, in yet another longish letter.

12 September - He visits Stefi

Geyer.

9 October - He sends 23 Sekler ballads to Gyula

Sebestyén, President

of the Hungarian Ethnographic Society.

From 1 November he rents flat No. 23 on floor 4 of 17 Teréz

Boulevard (District 6) together with his mother. To take advantage of

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