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

World War II. Second and Third American Tour (1939–1945)

WORLD WAR II.

SECOND AND THIRD AMERICAN TO U

R

( 1 9 3 9 - 1 9 4 5 )

1939

broadcast by the BBC. Fee is 300 pengős.

1 May

- He writes Antonia Kossar regarding the concerts of Scheveningen and Hilversum (this latter cancelled in the end).

3 May

- He writes Boosey & Hawkes.

4 May

- He informs Associated Music Publisher of leaving AKM for PRS.

8 May

- His participation is requested for end of the year exams at the Music Institute of Higher Education (Music Academy). - He writes a letter to Andor Schulhof.

15 May

- At an orchestral concert at the City Theatre he plays Mozarts Concert Rondo and Bach’s Piano Concerto in F

minor,

conducted by Viktor Vaszy instead of the originally invited Issay Dobrowen.

17 May

- He informs Antonia Kossar of his doubts regarding the forwarded Scheveningen contract.

18 May

- He repeats the contents of his 27 April letter (left unanswered) to the Budapest Opera House.

19 May

- He thanks Antwerp musicologist Denijs Dille

for

having sent over his Bartok book, and in return forwards a copy of Contrasts for study purposes. - In his letter to ethnographer Gyula

Ortutay

he protests against the publication of folk music recordings without an attachment of music scores; he calls off the operation and requests the return of his notations.

20 and

29 May - He writes Boosey & Hawkes, and on the 27th the Organisation Artistique

Internationale

of Paris.

22 May

- He sends a letter to Dezső

Szabó on

the occasion of his 60th birthday. In this he writes as follows: On the 20th anniversary of Village Swept Away it feels good to see that at one of the great turning points of your life you are surrounded by signs of your admirers’ love and respect. I believe that the indifference - having become proverbial by now - of the so-called official circles towards those who fight for the universal interests of the Hungarians, proved once again that it knows no exception to this rule. Those burdened by their fate with the 441