ALS in German, one page both sides, 5.75 x 8.75, personal stamped letterhead, July 14, 1936. Letter to "Frau Schiffer-Oelsner," in full (translated): "My warmest gratitude for the excellent and thorough work you sent me. I regret only one omission, and that is that the sung texts are not written down. Was that really impossible to do? I have to admit that my small collection from the Biskra region suffers from the same flaw (as do many publications of Hornbostel and others). Knowing absolutely no Arabic, I was totally unable back then to take down even one line of song text but was determined not to let that mistake happen again the next time but that opportunity never arose. I do believe that it is vitally important for the creation of the structure of the sung melodies to have knowledge of the form of the lyrics. Wishing you all the best for your continued studies." In fine condition, with two repaired punch holes to the left edge. In this scarce handwritten letter, Bartok refers to his notable 1913 jaunt to the Algerian inland town of Biskra, during which time he busied himself assembling Arabic folk music; increasingly disenchanted with the musical hierarchy in Budapest, Bartok had begun to devote himself more and more to the study of folk music around this period.
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