Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
Economic Crisis (1932–1933)
1933 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE 13 April - National Hungarian Musicians’ Association elects him honorary member. 16 April - The Hungarian News of Prague publishes an article by Béla Bartok entitled “It is an unforgivable crime that the universal publication of Hungarian folk songs is still being delayed”. This time the Matica replied to his letter of 8 April, and sent 4 counter-proofs which Bartok checked at once. 18 April - He returns the proofs to Ivan Balló with further remarks. At the same time he gives a new extension to Matica Slovenská. He gets an invitation to an international music congress in Florence organised for the end of April. 25 April - He buys Italian and Yugoslav currencies for the trip. 28 April - He travels together with Zoltán Kodály, taking a 1st class wagonlit to Florence where they are welcomed in excellent accommodations. Bartok stays at the same hotel as Richard Strauss, and they share a car at their disposition. 30 April - The congress is opened with great ceremonies. 1 May - He gives an account to his mother: “Strauss, Alban Berg, Wellesz, Roussel attend the congress, on the other hand Ravel, Stravinsky, Schonberg are not here, neither is Hindemith”. 6 May - He leaves for home via Jugoslavia. - Once in Budapest he writes Universal Edition, also Sándor Albrecht whom he asks to forward the duplicate of Cantana prof ana, sent in March, to the Music Department of the English Radio (BBC). 14 May - He writes again to Sándor Albrecht who would have liked to keep the copy, to send it to London all the same, he would let him have another one. 19 May - At Radio Budapest he reads out a lecture entitled The Hungarian Folk Song for a fee of 180 pengős (this was probably the postponement of the lecture featuring in the 7 May programme). - He has lunch at his mother and aunt’s, and mentions resentfully that Lajos Kentner 350
