Bartók, Béla

four bars, found in this form at figure 15 of the full score, notated in brown ink on a single hand-drawn stave, with an autograph elucidation of the quotation above the music ("The theme of the Hungarian heroes from my "Kossuth" Symphony [translation]") and an autograph inscription below ("To my dear schoolmate Jenö Kvapil in kind remembrance [translation] Béla Bartók Pozsony, 1904. jan. 22")

1 page, 16.2 x 13.8cm, dated Pozsony [now Bratislava], 22 January 1904, browning, traces of mount to verso 

"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This quotation by Bartók is from one of Bartók's early works, the Symphonic Poem Kossuth, a ten-section work glorifying Lajos Kossuth, the leader of the failed Hungarian War of Independence from Austria in 1848-1849.

The theme quoted here - one of the most important in the work - is played by the woodwind at fig.15 of the full score; the first appearance of the theme is at fig.14. The Kossuth Symphony, written between April and August 1903, was premiered in Budapest on 13 January 1904; the manuscript is dated a week later. On 22 January 1904, Bartók had gone to Pozsony to give a solo recital. The composer's former classmate, Jenö Kvapil, is apparently unknown to Bartók scholarship. We gratefully acknowledge the kind assistance of Professor Lászlo Vikárius in our cataloguing of this lot. See also: TNG, ii, p.789