Béla Bartók, Ferruccio Busoni et la querelle autour de la Gesamtausgabe de Liszt

The artistic and human relationship between Ferruccio Busoni (1866–1924)and Béla Bartók (1881–1945) is fascinating and, at the same time, controversial.
Following their first meeting during a piano recital of the Hungarian musician in Berlin in 1903, Bartók and Busoni began a correspondence based on a strong mutual esteem. In a few years, the Italian musician became the mentor of the young
Hungarian composer: he wrote several letters of recommendation in his favour, supporting the performances and publications of his music. The peak of this relationship was reached in 1908, when Busoni organised the world premiere of
Bartók’s Fourteen Bagatelles as part of one of his masterclasses in Vienna. In the early 1910s, however, a series of disagreements brought their friendship to an end. This article reconstructs the genesis and development of the short and intense rapport between Bartók and Busoni, and it seeks to clarify the disagreements that slowly damaged it, especially in relation to their 1912 dispute over the Gesamtausgabe of Franz Liszt’s works. To substantiate the nar ration, detailed information about the correspondence between Bartók and Busoni is provided in a lengthy appendix (ca. fifty letters).

Keywords: Ferruccio Busoni, Béla Bartók, Fourteen Bagatelles, Liszt’s Gesamtasugabe