Béla Bartók. Four autograph letters to Klára Gombossy, 1916, substantially unpublished

Béla Bartók

Four autograph letters, three signed ("B"; "Βαρτωκ Βηλα"; "Αληβ Κωτραβ"), to Klára Gombossy, SUBSTANTIALLY UNPUBLISHED

discussing the ballet The Wooden Prince, op.13, stating that by working as hard as he could he has got past the first jubilee number, though he will hardly be able to complete it before the end of September, referring enigmatically to the author of the ballet's libretto Béla Balázs, mentioning that he will be able to collect beautiful Romanian melodies, lamenting that there are hardly any Hungarian equivalents as the marching soldiers only sing the ones he wrote down at Beszterce, instructing her in the pronunciation and transliteration of the Greek alphabet, and also of various diphthongs, some passages with the transliteration of Slovak and Hungarian text using Greek letters, also signing his name using Greek letters, drawing attention to the postcard illustrations, including those of 'the most beautiful churches in France' (letter of 26 August 1916), informing her that he has managed to get through a significant amount of work in July and that he hopes his strength will persist through September, making plans for her visit to Keresztur, which his wife, who is keen to meet the industrious collaborator from Garamvidék, is looking forward to, asking for a copy of one of the pictures of her and Vanda, and raising other matters

...6 napja, hogy itt vesztegelek és csak ma sikerült a pótzászlóalj-parancsnok úrral értekeznem. Lesz gyűjtés, már örülök a szép román dallamoknak. Magyarból aligha akad uj. a marsoló katonák csak azokat éneklik, amelyeket Besztercén már lejegyeztem.

A hat napi várakozás nem mult el minden szorgalom nélkül, - sőt! Félig-meddig belégebbedve a munkába sikerült az első jubileumi számon (50 lap) átjutnom. Még ha minden erőmet megfeszítem is, aligha készülök el szept. vége előtt...

10 pages in all, on postcards (each c.14 x 9cm), with one postcard bearing Klára Gombossy's name in Cyrillic, one letter franked, two letters undated (probably from July 1916), unpublished and numbered '11' and '12' in pencil, the letters of 4 and 26 August numbered '14' and '16', respectively, in pencil, one letter (4 August 1916) also signed and inscribed by Márta Ziegler, Marosvásárhely [Târgu Mureș], where indicated, probably July-August 1916

See previous lot.

LITERATURE:

László Vikárius, 'Intimations through Words and Music. Unique Sources to Béla Bartók's Life and Thought in the Fonds Denijs Dille (B-Br)', Revue Belge de Musicologie, vol.lxvii (2013), p.179-217 [the letters of 4 and 26 August 1916 partially published: Appendix II nos.10 and 12]

PROVENANCE:

Formerly in the collection of the composer's son, Peter Bartók (1924-2020)