- 196
Bartók, Béla
Estimate
40,000 - 50,000 GBP
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Description
- Bartók, Béla
- Autograph manuscript of part of the String Quartet No.1, Op.7
- paper and ink
an early version, comprising the first 30 bars, diverging from the printed edition, notated in black ink on systems of varying size, with autograph tempo marking and performance indication ("Adagio molto"; "molto espressivo"), and autograph annotation in Hungarian ("my death song" [translation]), with some autograph additional musical entries in pencil, and containing some erasures and a few corrections
4 pages on 2 leaves, cut down from larger ones, 17.1 x 26.4cm, each leaf containing 12 staves, no place or date, [1908-1909], fine modern green morocco folder gilt, central vertical fold, some light creasing
4 pages on 2 leaves, cut down from larger ones, 17.1 x 26.4cm, each leaf containing 12 staves, no place or date, [1908-1909], fine modern green morocco folder gilt, central vertical fold, some light creasing
Provenance
Formerly in the possession of Bartók's lover, the violinist Stefi Geyer (1888-1956), who married the Swiss composer Walter Schulthess in 1920
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Autograph music manuscripts by Béla Bartók are of the greatest rarity at auction. Bartók's series of six string quartets comprises one of the greatest contributions to the repertory since Beethoven.
The String Quartet No.1 is one the most significant of Bartók's early maturity, one of the first to synthesize the influence of peasant song and art music. The first movement, of which the present manuscript contains the first 30 bars, with some divergences from the printed 1909 edition, is conceived as a funeral dirge (here marked "Adagio molto", not "Lento", as in the edition). The anguished contrapuntal writing of the first movement has recalled to many the (slow fugal) opening of Beethoven's quartet Op.131 (other art music influences on the work were the music of Reger and Strauss). It seems that the work was at least in part inspired by Bartók's unrequited love for the violinist Stefi Geyer (a former owner of the present manuscript), the quartet's opening notes outlining a motive which had first appeared in the Violin Concerto No. 1, a work which Bartók had dedicated to Geyer and suppressed for many years.
The work was first performed in Budapest on 19 March 1910 by the Waldbauer-Kerpely Quartet.
The String Quartet No.1 is one the most significant of Bartók's early maturity, one of the first to synthesize the influence of peasant song and art music. The first movement, of which the present manuscript contains the first 30 bars, with some divergences from the printed 1909 edition, is conceived as a funeral dirge (here marked "Adagio molto", not "Lento", as in the edition). The anguished contrapuntal writing of the first movement has recalled to many the (slow fugal) opening of Beethoven's quartet Op.131 (other art music influences on the work were the music of Reger and Strauss). It seems that the work was at least in part inspired by Bartók's unrequited love for the violinist Stefi Geyer (a former owner of the present manuscript), the quartet's opening notes outlining a motive which had first appeared in the Violin Concerto No. 1, a work which Bartók had dedicated to Geyer and suppressed for many years.
The work was first performed in Budapest on 19 March 1910 by the Waldbauer-Kerpely Quartet.