Béla Bartók. Slovak folksong-text transcriptions apparently by Klára Gombossy, CORRECTED AND ANNOTATED BY BARTÓK, 1915-1916, UNPUBLISHED IN THIS FORM

Béla Bartók 

Remarkable manuscript of Slovak folksong-text transcriptions apparently in Klára Gombossy's hand, CORRECTED AND ANNOTATED BY BARTÓK, UNPUBLISHED IN THIS FORM

comprising 24 Slovak folksong-text transcriptions in pencil by Gombossy, extensively corrected in red crayon and black ink by Bartók, INCLUDING ONE BAR OF MUSIC, THE FIRST PHRASE OF A FOLKSONG, NOTATED ON A SINGLE HAND-DRAWN STAVE, and another bar containing a single note cancelled, with autograph title by Gombossy on the upper wrapper ("Tót népdalszövegek" [Slovak folksong texts]) and at the head and on p.[13] of the manuscript ("Tót népdalszövegek I. [...II.] füzet" [...first [...second] notebook]), the three attempts in pencil on the upper wrapper at writing a monogram possibly in Bartók's hand, some entries in the manuscript in black ink also possibly by Gombossy

15 pages, plus blanks, 4to (20.6 x 16.7cm), the leaves loose in a paper wrapper, no place or date [1915-1916]

Bartók's collection of Slovak folksongs formed a notable part of his ethnomusicological activities. Between 1906 and 1918 the composer collected over 3,400 melodies and around 4,000 folksong texts from Slovak villages, the result of which was a seminal multi-volume work entitled Slovenské ľudové piesne [Slovak Folksongs], published long after Bartók's death. The present remarkable document provides evidence for the close working relationship of Bartók and his teenage Slovak-speaking muse Klára Gombossy. Bartók had met and fallen under the spell of the fourteen-year-old Klára in the summer of 1915 in the course of his Slovak folksong studies. Their one-year relationship had a profound effect on the composer, inspiring him with a renewed interest in composition, which had flagged since 1911 following the negative reception of his compositions.

PROVENANCE:

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