Beschreibung:

BARTÓK, Béla (1881-1945). Autograph letter signed to 'Herr Windisch', Budapest, 28 November 1922, in German , concerning the forthcoming publication of Eight Hungarian Folksongs (Nyolc magyar népdal) , plans for their inclusion in a concert and his requirements for singers to perform them and inquiring about plans for two further concerts, 1 page, 4to, (357 x 172mm.) Bartók writes that he received Herr Windisch's letter late as he has been on a concert tour but that he sees with delight that there is interest in plans for a new concert, of which he would like to know the date. He asks whether there will be three concerts, the first for the two string quartets, the second with the two sonatas for violin and piano and a third with piano and voice. He writes that the Eight Hungarian Folksongs will be published by Christmas with a German translation and of these the first five could be included in the third concert. For this Bartók writes that he will need a mezzo soprano or a baritone as it would not be advantageous to the songs to transpose them to another voice. He ends by saying that the length of the first and second concerts are relatively short which is right for this type of music, giving the exact timing in a note at the foot of the page. The Eight Hungarian Folksongs were composed between 1907 and 1917 and based primarily on melodies from the Csik region of Transylvania. In 1922, as the composer writes, they were published by Universal, which had begun publishing his works in 1918. By the period of this letter, as Bartók himself implies, the composer was established as an international figure.