1914
4 January – Not long at home he is already busy with the Slovakian collecting.
23 January – He travels from Budapest to Teszér and Egyházmarót via Ipolyság; he is collecting there and in Lissó, also in Berencsfalu and Bakabánya or from singers coming from these places.
27 January – He returns home to Rákoskeresztúr via Ipolyság. He spends February in Rákoskeresztúr (on the 10th he goes to Budapest), he is working on the edition and publication of his Romanian folk song collection.
13 February – He writes János Buşiţia in Belényes that he is in preparation for another collecting in Bihar starting on the 21st, but in the meantime he wants to present to the Hungarian Ethnographic Society some of the results of his collecting in Hunyad county. For this purpose he intends to bring 2 musicians (bagpipe player and flutist) and 2 female singers to Budapest from Cserbel, one of the most secluded communities, so that they show their folk songs in person. He organises the program together with the Secretary-General of the Ethnographic Society; he states his proposal already on the 13th, complete with an estimation of the expenses, on the 14th he writes about the details of the trip, and on the 20th he fixes the date of the presentation.
21 February – He travels to Bihar, where he collects songs originating from the communities of Biharkaba, Havasdombró, Sólyom, Belényesörvényes, Pócsafalva, Cigányfalva, and Tenkeszéplak.
10 March – From Rákoskeresztúr he keeps on organising the performance of the Cserbel people, on the 14th he invites Etelka Freund to attend.
18 March – He gives his presentation entitled The Music Dialect of the Romanian People in Hunyad. The participants are given a feast at the Bartóks’ flat in Rákoskeresztúr, and Bartók shows them the sights of Budapest.
24 March – He writes an account of his presentation to János Buşiţia in Belényes.
25 March – His mother visits him in Rákoshegy on the occasion of his 33rd birthday; she travels home on the 26th, Bartók accompanies her up to Budapest.
Afterwards he is making preparations for another folk song collecting tour.
3 April – He travels to Marosvásárhely together with his wife, where they stay at Dr. Károly Ziegler’s (his wife’s cousin), and set out from there, both on their separate collecting tours.
4 April – Bartók fills 14 cylinders with melodies in Disznajó (Maros-Torda county), from where on the 5th he writes his wife in Marosvásárhely that the collecting is progressing nicely, and describes in detail the melody types collected. He collects on the 6th in Marosliget then in Marosvécs, on the 7th in Felsőrépa from where he writes a postcard to János Buşiţia (posting it in Görgényszentimre), then he proceeds along Idecspataka–Libánfalva–Görgényhodák.
9 April – He goes from Görgényorsova to Kincses in heavy rain, in the evening of the 11th he arrives in Nyárádremete where he spends several days.
12 April (Easter Sunday) – He writes first a postcard then a long letter to his wife in Marosvásárhely about the difficulties and results of the
collecting.
13 April – He continues the letter still in Nyárádremete, then on the 14th collects in Nyárádköszvényes, on the 15th in Jobbágytelke and on the 16th along the route of Görgényorsova–Kincsesfő–Felsőoroszi–
Nyárádremete.
In the meantime his wife is collecting on her own (the folk songs from the communities of Nyárádtő, Nógrádtő, Marosliget, and Mezőszabadi are presumably her collection).
17 April – Bartók collects in the community of Bala, on the 18th in Körtekapu.
20 April – He sets out for home.
21 April – At dawn he arrives in Rákoskeresztúr.
22 April – He already teaches at the Music Academy.
23 April – He pays a passport charge of 8 K (crowns) at the council of Rákoskeresztúr for his summer journey.
24 April – He sends a letter to Klára Chitz in Vienna with thanks for her text revisions (it’s probably concerning the pieces of the Bartók–
Reschofsky Piano School Book).
30 April – In Budapest his passport (No. 039899, valid for Europe) is issued for the purpose of “study tour”.
Bartók’s folk song collecting and transcriptions are not received everywhere with comprehension. Some circles watch his activities with jealousy even in Romania. In Moldavia the periodical ezatoare issued at Flticeni attacked his Bihar collection, questioning its authenticity.
Bartók was defending himself against the attack. At this time his point of view is still a willingness to fight for a cause when he is certain of being right, at least here he can defend himself with unambiguous facts, unlike against those criticising his activity as a composer. He writes his refutation with scientific thoroughness.
20 May – He sends his writing to Jon Bianu in Bucharest asking to get it published in the Convorbiri Literare. At this time he even has hopes
as yet of raising scientific interest with his article. At the same time he asks for a letter of recommendation for his planned collecting tour in Moldavia.
22 May – He also writes Buşiţia about the refutation, and is inquiring about developments.
He is thinking about another Arabian collecting tour parallel to the plan of the Moldavia trip.
27 May – As a first step he writes music writer Michael D. Calvocoressi in Paris, inquiring about chances for a Paris publication of his Arabian collection.
28 May – In another letter he writes the exact time of his trip to Moldavia to Jon Bianu, who promised to help him and informed him that the refutation would be published in the Convorbiri.
This is the period of the private exams at the Music Academy which means a lot of work. Of the 226 people taking the exam 167 are successful.
2 June – From Rákoskeresztúr he writes his mother that he is preparing to go to Paris on the 18th (this got delayed later on); he is very busy because “the ballet is being prepared”.
5 June – He writes Buşiţia that the “Convorbiri” article will be published.
7 June – He writes detailed instructions to his nephew Ervin Voit for the drawing of the cover for the 3 Folk Songs from Csík, putting a strong emphasis on Hungarian characteristics.
15 June – He asks Imre Waldbauer in Paris to procure him a place to stay and organise his meeting with Calvocoressi, about which he also writes Calvocoressi the same day.
19 June – He buys his train ticket, leaves for Paris on the 20th (together with Mrs Zoltán Kodály), and arrives there in the morning of 21 June.
He presents his Arabian collection. His intentions for collaboration are met favourably, and headed by Professor J. Brunot from the Sorbonne they agree to continue negotiations during the wintertime.
28 June – Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand and his wife are murdered in Sarajevo; Bartók – normally very sensitive to political events – disregards this so completely that he doesn’t even hint at it in his letters.
14 July – He spends the national holiday still in Paris, then travels to Normandy.
16 July – He is in Caen, on the 17th in St. Lô.
18 July – From Coutances (Manche: St. Lô) he writes his subsequent travel plans to his wife in Budapest; he is gushing to János Buşiţia about the beauties of France, beside confirming his Moldavia travel plans for August. In the evening he travels on to Granville, where he spends several days.
21 July – His weight (checked on street scales) is 52.3 kilograms.
Around 25 July – He returns to Paris where he intended to remain until the 27th, yet leaves France at almost the last second before war breaks out, thus escaping being interned, and travels to St. Ruprecht, to his mother vacationing there.
28 July – He returns home.
Bartók’s response is published in the July-August (VII–VIII) issue of the Convorbiri Literare, about which he is very glad.
Bartók is hit extremely by the breaking out of the world war. He predicts that one day we would pay severely for being pro-German.
The African journey becomes impossible, the Moldavia one is uncertain. It takes Bartók two months to organise his thoughts, and as folk song collecting is out of the question for the moment even in the homeland, he would like to secure the already existing material.
27 September – From Rákoskeresztúr he writes Jon Bianu about his hope that peace will be maintained at least between Hungary and Romania, and maybe the Máramaros collection can be published.
At the beginning of October in a letter he asks Sámuel Bobál to return him his manuscript having remained in Egyházmarót.
In the meantime the Russian army crosses the Carpathian Mountains, invades Máramaros, and further advance is to be expected.
5 October – Mrs Bartók writes the widowed Mrs Béla Bartók in Pozsony thus: “Béla sees everything in the darkest way …, what will happen to his cylinders when the Russians come, and then the cholera. Now he brought 12 pieces of colour pencils to Sonny from Pest”. (This was remarkable because Bartók hardly ever bought presents.) Bartók begins to pack his cylinders, manuscripts, although he doesn’t really know where he could save them. (At this time improvised defensive trenches are being dug already around Budapest and even around Pozsony.)
12 October – Bartók’s brother-in-law, his wife’s brother, First Lieutenant Károly Ziegler dies a heroic death in Majdánka (Máramaros county).
21 October – Mrs Zoltán Kodály pays her condolences in Rákoskeresztúr – Mrs Bartók writes her mother-in-law: “Béla is very kind and good to me”.
4 November – Another letter from Mrs Bartók to Pozsony: “There is a lot to write now, i.e. Béla would like to note down his cylinders still at home, we make copies, he would like to find a safe place from an accidental Russian invasion. – I only wish we were already done with enlisting”.
7 November – Bartók writes Jon Bianu again concerning the Máramaros publication; he offers to raise an advance of the expenses for the Röder firm in Leipzig, at least something should happen.
11 November – In Szilad Bartók’s little sister, Mrs Emil Tóth gives birth to her third child (Éva). At the end of November Mrs Bartók travels there with her little son to help.
Upon reaching the regular age of military obligation Bartók had been qualified unsuitable for military service in 3 consecutive years.
28 November – All the same, due to the outbreak of war he had to go again to a conscription in Gödöllő. The conscription excites him
exceedingly; he doesn’t sleep that night, goes in to Budapest already at dawn and from there back to Gödöllő. After being found unsuitable, he sends a telegram to his mother: “I was thrown out even the fourth time”. He goes up to Budapest to the Kodálys’.
29 November – From here he describes the circumstances of the conscription in really long letters to his wife in Szilad and to his mother in Pozsony:
“… And at 13:30 I was already standing in a naked row in front of the supréme tribunal … As far as I could judge, in that row of twenty I was the weakest”. Mrs Kodály adds a postscript to both letters, writing that Kodály would go to the conscription on 12 December.
3 December – From Rákoskeresztúr Bartók writes his wife in Szilad, that if it is necessary and good, she should stay on.
With the passing of time he thinks again that he could continue his work of collecting, but his mother writes on 9 December: “I hardly believe you could go collecting this year, they would take it badly if anyone wanted to make people left home sing”.
27 December – Bartók writes again to Jon Bianu in Bucharest about the difficulties regarding the publication of the Máramaros volume.
1915
19 February – He writes Bianu again, alluding to his December letter left unanswered. He informs Bianu that he is planning to go to Leipzig during the cutting of the Máramaros volume, and hopes to find the means to publish the opus after the war.
He is still restless about the unfinished folk song collecting. He notes down a few Slovakian songs in Rákoskeresztúr, then travels to Zólyom county during the Easter holidays.
3 April – On the train from Fülek (Nógrád county) to Besztercebánya he writes his wife in Szilad. He gives a detailed account of the household
situation at home, and warns her about letters being censored, so “We better take care! And leave revealing our true thoughts until after the war”. In the evening he arrives in Besztercebánya.
4 April (Easter Sunday) – He starts his collecting tour; he notes down folk songs originating from the Zólyom communities Hédel, Perhát, Erdőköz, Szelcse, Nagyrét, Benesháza, Erdőbádony, and from Barsbaracska.
9 April – He travels from Besztercebánya to Benesháza via Zólyombrézó.
13 April – In the afternoon he arrives home in Rákoskeresztúr.
During this period he also finds time for composing, he keeps on working on The Wooden Prince, but this year even Sonatina is in progress and the results of his Romanian collecting: Rumanian Folk Dances and Rumanian Christmas Carols as well. – He gives private lessons.
9 May – He writes Anna Pataky to come to her lesson on the 10th.
His wife got a severe eye infection which she intended to get examined in Vienna. On the way there she visits her mother-in-law in Pozsony.
14 May – Bartók writes her there, asking her to bring appliances and instruction manuals for insect collecting from Vienna.
20 May – He writes János Buşiţia how much he is worried about the effects the coming events of the war might have on Transylvania, and gives an account of his success in collecting folk songs again, just like in the most peaceful of times. “As if the peasants weren’t bothered by the war at all, they are so merry, so carefree.”
In the evening he goes to Budapest to welcome his wife and little son arriving from Pozsony.
28 May – He buys 3 boxes for insect collecting, 1 softening board and 1 insecticidal jar from Budapest Calderoni Ltd. for 29.40 K (crowns).
As the school year ends, his wife and her mother go to Vienna where Mrs Bartók has eye surgery.
9 July – From Budapest Bartók travels to Besztercebánya, then on the 10th proceeds to Hédel (Zólyom county) where he stays with teacher Gasparik’s family.
14 July – From Hédel he sends news to his mother that he arrived to this really beautiful land, and that his wife underwent surgery.
17 July – He writes his wife in the Neubauer guesthouse in Vienna: “I thought of you a lot on Wednesday – you endured it bravely, didn’t you”. He gives an account of having difficulties with collecting, he filled only 4 cylinders so far, it’s difficult to get singers due to the war, and meals are also rather poor. “Despite these circumstances I would really like you both to come here for at least 1 week.”
18 and 19 July – He arranges a big and highly successful round of collecting, probably in Padkóc.
20 July – He writes his wife a postcard already to Rákoskeresztúr: “14 cylinders and cca 100 notes so far”.
24 July – From Hédel he sends his wife a registered letter, organising in detail their journey to him. Beside listing the food and clothing to be brought, he mentions especially that their 5 year old little son should practise mountain climbing in the abandoned gravel quarry of Rákoshegy, so that he could be taken along to smaller excursions.
(This worked, there was no problem.)
26 July – He urges his wife to answer, on the 27th he writes her to bring along binoculars and 100 crowns as well.
He is collecting continuously all the while:
On 28 July in Feketebalog, in the month of July songs from Pónik, Perhát, Cserpatak, and Erdőbádony; what’s more, in Padkóc he even notes down a Serbian song of Slavonian origin from a young Tót girl serving as maid in Croato-Slavonia.
2 August – From Hédel he travels to Zólyom to welcome his wife and their son Béla, from where he writes a letter to his mother about conditions in Hédel, then the family travels there. His wife and little son stay with
him for 4 days, they take many excursions.
6 August – Bartók walks up again to the scene of one of their excursions:
“but I didn’t feel like it much … I felt abandoned” – he writes his wife the next day.
7 August – From Besztercebánya he writes his wife in Rákoskeresztúr. He calls her attention to the reporting obligation and the decree of flour supply. (A maximum of 8 kilograms was permitted per head!)
At this time he begins to take photographs with a Kodak 8×14 camera. He deals with the snapshots and their development with great care.
11 August – From Besztercebánya he sends one of his first photographs in form of a postcard to his sister in Szilad: “These are my eminent old people from Padkócz, who sang many beautiful ones for me”.
For a few days he stays in a wooden hut on one of the Besztercebánya islands of the river Garam.
19 August – From Pónik he writes his mother that he noted down 400 melodies so far, and will go to another village for three more days.
23 August – He is in Garamsálfalva, then on the 24th he leaves for home.
25 August – He arrives in Rákoskeresztúr.
During August he is collecting songs originating from the communities Pónik, Mezőköz, Hédel, Perhát, and Cserpatak.
17 October – At the opening of József Rippl-Rónai’s exhibition in the Ernst Museum of Budapest, where Zsigmond Móricz reads out one of his short stories, Bartók plays Rhapsody Op. 1. The widowed Mrs Béla Bartók writes her daughter in Szilad: “I can imagine Béla’s great joy at playing in public today”. Rippl-Rónai made a pencilled sketch of him, writing on it: “I give you this scribble, my dear Béla, till I can give you something better”. (Unfortunately “better” was never made.)
22 October – According to his train tickets he probably went to Pozsony and Vienna.
8 November – He went to Gödöllő for a military inspection.
The Budapest Philharmonics make their appearance in Vienna for the first time in the 62 years of their existence. On 8 and 9 November they give a representative Hungarian programme consisting of excerpts; part of Bartók’s Suite No 1. is also performed.
16 November – On a postcard Bartók calls Anna Pataky for a piano lesson on the morning of 18 November at 9 a.m., then travels to Besztercebánya, but not before giving his wife instructions on a postcard written from Budapest to Rákoskeresztúr concerning the copying of Slovakian folk songs.
19 November – The Philharmonics repeat their Vienna programme in Budapest, then at the beginning of December in Dresden, with Suite No. 1 in mutilated form.
In November Bartók is collecting in Pónik (Zólyom county).
With Italy entering the war, the activity of Tango Egisto, Italian conductor at the Budapest Opera House, had been suspended, with even his internment to be expected. Having asked for and being granted Hungarian citizenship, Tango was sworn in on 4 December.
Thus his work is not further hindered, which has a major impact on the subsequent performance of Bartók’s stage works.
7 December – Bartók writes Anna Pataky from Rákoskeresztúr that he expects her for a lesson at the Music Academy on 10 December.
10 December – Being informed in the meantime of the performances of
10 December – Being informed in the meantime of the performances of