BARTÓK, Béla (1881-1945) - photo 1
BARTÓK, Béla (1881-1945) - photo 2
BARTÓK, Béla (1881-1945) - photo 3
BARTÓK, Béla (1881-1945) - photo 4

BARTÓK, Béla (1881-1945)

Lot 98
14.12.2022 10:30UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 1 500
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 870815
Lot 98 | BARTÓK, Béla (1881-1945)
Estimate value
£ 1 500 – 2 200
BARTÓK, Béla (1881-1945)

Autograph letter signed ('Bartók Béla') to János Busitia, Rákoskeresztúr, 14 September 1918.

In Hungarian. Four pages, 181 x 141mm, bifolium. Envelope. Annotations in red pencil to letter and envelope. Provenance: Stargardt, 29 June 2005, lot 684.



Collecting folk songs from the washerwomen of a grand country house. Bartók has delayed writing as he was waiting for the printed copies of his Romanian Dances (of which Busitia was the dedicatee), but in vain; in addition to which he has been busy, and is 'inordinately lazy in writing letters (a fault confessed is half redressed)'. He recounts his journey back from a visit in company with a Frenchwoman, which was pleasant 'inasmuch as I could converse in French, until it tired me out. To hear French spoken well is a pleasure in itself, whatever the subject of conversation. As for the woman herself, she was a treacherous snake: she knew my wife and family well and had even seen my son on several occasions, but – for who knows what reason – kept all this a secret until the end of our journey. Don't trust women!'. Shortly after his return, he spent two weeks staying with his patron, Baron Kohner, where everything was organised in the highest style: 'The way these people enjoy their affluence almost makes you forget to be enraged by the inequity of wealth. Guests came and went as if it was a hotel ... We talked about all kinds of things: music, literature, the Jewish question, religion, the Bolshevik movement, agriculture, trade, etc etc ... The Baron went hunting every afternoon, and came home with a bag of 25-30 partridges every day ... I of course spent most of the time in the laundry: I collected many songs from the washerwomen and in the meantime observed the ironing of various lace petticoats, shirts and trousers. I established that even their underwear is of the first quality. One evening, barefoot harvester girls came to the front of the house, by ancient custom, to say farewell and dance ...'.



Bartók's Romanian friend János Busitia (1876-1953) helped him in collecting Romanian folk songs, and was the dedicatee of the Romanian Folkdances (1915). Baron Adolf Kohner Szaszberek (1866-1937) was a wealthy Hungarian Jewish businessman, landowner and collector: he offered Bartók significant financial support, including an annual stipend. Published in Letters ed. J. Demeny, no. 139.





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This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.
Place of origin:Eastern Europe, Hungary, Europe
Auction house category:Letters, documents and manuscripts
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
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10.12.2022 – 13.12.2022
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