Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)

At The Academy of Sciences. Great Compositions (1934–1938)

AT THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

GREAT C

O M

P

O S I

T

I

O

N S

( 1 934-1 938)

1938

a very great thing.

12 June

- He presses Antonia Kossar from Luxembourg for the clarification of the ever more chaotic autumn dates.

13 June

- They write the widowed Mrs Béla

Bartok

already from Brussels.

14 June

- They arrive in Ostende.

15 June

- They leave Ostende for London by ship. They stay with the Meighar-Lovetts at 71 Cadogan Square.

16 June

- Bartok writes his mother and aunt about their distinguished accommodations, the great number of invitations and about rehearsal time being too brief.

17 June

- The Daily Telegraph and the Morning Post give a reception on occasion of the Festival of the International Society for New Music.

18 June

- They are rehearsing with the percussionists.

In the meanwhile Bartok is negotiating the possibilities of entering the English composers’ association (PRS); he asks its representative for his support at the Stockholm conference.

19 June

- In his letter to Amsterdam he asks Géza

Frid

to

solicit the same from the delegate of the Dutch association (BUMA).

20 June

- Bartoks last appearance in England, in London. After a morning rehearsal of one hour and a half, and another one of two hours and a half in the afternoon, he and his wife perform the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussions in the evening.

22 June - He writes Mrs Müller-Widmann

the dates of their arrival and stay in Basel.

24 June

- He informs Antonia Kossar of the latest situation regarding the autumn concerts.

25 June

- Upon finishing his negotiations, they leave London. Bartok leaves the country - where, after Hungary and the USA, he made the most appearances: 50 times in all - for the last time. - They get in a big storm over the Channel.

26 June

- They arrive in Basel in the morning. They stay with the Müller-425