The Ádám Bősze Music Antiquarian Bookstore has discovered a previously unknown composition by Béla Bartók, written in 1907.
The document surfaced at an auction in Spain, though it was mislabeled as a simple sheet of music, which the Hungarian antiquarian purchased in 2024.
When the manuscript arrived in Hungary, the music antiquarian sent it to the director of the Bartók Archive, who initiated the preservation process. It was then that they realized this was not a sheet music album, but a missing link in the correspondence between Béla Bartók and Stefi Geyer—a composition based on a melody submitted by Stefi Geyer—said Ádám Bősze, the founder and owner of the music antiquarian bookstore.
The antiquarian shop has not yet made the composition available to the general public, but according to László Vikárius, director of the Bartók Archive in Budapest, there is no doubt about the authenticity of the unsigned manuscript, which—in his opinion—is an irreplaceable part of Hungary’s cultural heritage.
Béla Bartók wrote this occasional piece on October 1, 1907, in response to a question posed in a letter by his lover, violinist Stefi Geyer. On September 29, Geyer sent a melody to the composer with the question, “How would you harmonize this?”, which essentially means how he would enrich the standalone melody with additional notes.
Bartók wrote succinctly at the top of the manuscript, “Here you go!”, followed by the piece, whose tempo marking is adagio molto—that is, very slowly.
Beneath the first line, however, comes the continuation: con molto espressione, amoroso—that is, with deep expression, lovingly. There is no doubt that the young composer sent not merely a reply, but a musical love letter to Stefi Geyer.
This is evidenced by the four sections specifically marked by Bartók in which the so-called “Stefi Geyer motif” appears, just as it does in the early violin concerto dedicated to the artist; this is a leitmotif that also conveys a message of love.
Bősze explained that when the Bartók Archive—a branch of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences—became aware of the manuscript, it expressed its intention to purchase it, but the plan was ultimately rejected, so the manuscript is currently awaiting a buyer.
However, there are plans to present the work to the general public with the participation of a pianist, he added.
Via MTI; Featured image: Wikipedia
