Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
Economic Crisis (1932–1933)
1933 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE two more hours at disposition on Monday (or so they say).... it should be enough if it weren’t a novelty even for me [and if the orchestra were a bit more capable]....” 22 January - At Radio Frankfurt Bartok gives a lecture entitled The Rumanian Folk Songs of Transylvania. 23 January - World premiere of Piano Concerto No. 2 in Frankfurt am Main, at the Great Hall of the Saalbau with the Symphonic Orchestra of Radio Frankfurt, conducted by Hans Rosbaud. Bartok is equally dissatisfied with the orchestra and his own performance which in his opinion is redolent of his one year absence from the stage. This is Bartoks last appearance in Germany. The gradual transformation of their political situation brings about increasing aversion in him, he cuts his connections in every field. - He writes Universal Edition still from Frankfurt. 24 January - He leaves for home via Passau. 25 January - He arrives in Budapest earlier than planned. 26 January - He falls ill, yet on 30 and 31 January he receives his private pupils even in this condition. At around this time he replies to associate editor of Nyugat Oszkár Gellért, that he is pleased to be registered “among the people of complimentary copies”, it was only “in view of the unfavourable times” that he was forced to renounce his subscription. 1 February - He takes a short stroll. 2 February - He gives 4 private lessons, writes letters to AKM and to Universal Edition, visits his mother and aunt, then on the 4th he has lunch again at their home. 14 February - He writes a letter to AKM regarding the Purcell transcriptions, and one to Universal Edition about copyright issues, asking them to send a series of the 44 Duos to János Bu§i|ia. 17 February - He buys 5 books on Southern Slaw folk music from the Rózsavölgyi and Co. firm. 348
