Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
Great Concert Tours on Two Continents (1922–1931)
GREAT CONCERT TOURS ON TWO CONTINENTS (1 922-1 931 ) 1928 22 January - He writes his mother from Denver before leaving at 2:30 p.m. for Kansas City (Missouri) where he arrives on 23 January at 8:15 a.m. In the evening he gives his lecture and recital in Hotel Muehlebach with an unrevised programme. He leaves at 11:40 p.m. for Saint Paul (Minnesota) where he stays at Hotel Saint Paul. 24 January - From Saint Paul he writes a postcard respectively to both of his sons. He emphasises that the Kansas City which was the location of his appearance the previous day, is in the state of Missouri, and is not the same as Kansas City in the state of Kansas. He translates the little poem on the card for his son Péter (Lajos Bárdos put music to it in 1978). 25 January - He writes his sister. In the evening lecture and recital at the University Club, with the usual programme. 26 January - At 8:20 a.m. he leaves Saint Paul for Chicago. He arrives at 8:10 p.m., proceeds at 11:35 p.m., and arrives in Cincinnati (Ohio) on 27 January at 8:35 a.m. He stays at Hotel Gibson. Bartok spends 5 days in Cincinnati. He rehearses Piano Concerto No. 1 with Frigyes Reiner, it goes excellently “without any disturbances or stumbles”. 1 February - He writes his mother and aunt in Szöllős Puszta still from Cincinnati. 2 February - He leaves Cincinnati at 1:40 p.m. 3 February - He arrives in Washington at 7:55 a.m. 4 February - Concert at the Hungarian Embassy of Washington. With József Szigeti he plays Mozarts Sonata in B flat major and Zoltán Székely ’ s transcription of Rumanian Folk Dances. His solo programme: a nocturne by Chopin, some of his own works (Burlesque No. 2, Dirge No. 1, Bear Dance, Evening in Transylvania, Allegro barbaro), and two pieces from Kodály ’s Piano Music. 5 February - He leaves Washington for New York. In the evening he gives an evening of violin and piano with József Szigeti in Theatre 275
