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 )

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Allegro barbaro),

with

his wife he plays Debussy’s En

blanc et noir.

21 February

- They

take a longer walk in the surrounding mountains, Bartok finishes his 19th letter, then in the evening they leave for San Francisco.

22 February

- They arrive in San Francisco, and take a rest there until 25 February.

26 February - At Mills College of Oakland (California) Bartok plays 45 of his small pieces (16 from the series For Children, 23 from Microcosmos, Rondo No. 1, Ballad, Petite Suite, and Old Dance Tunes).

28 February

- They arrive in Seattle (State of Washington).

3 March

- In Seattle Bartok plays the Oakland programme of 26 February, minus fives pieces of Microcosmos at the Anderson Hall of Washington State University.

4 March

- Still in Seattle, at the Meany Hall of the University his programme is: Kodálys

Transylvanian

Lament and Epitaph, of his own pieces 1st series of Kolindas, Preludio-AlVUngherese, Bear Dance, Burlesques Nos. 2 and 3, Rondo No. 2, The Nights Music, Suite, Allegro barbaro,

and 10 pieces of Microcosmos.

5 March

- They set out on their trip back from Seattle.

7 March

- Still aboard the train between Seattle and Kansas City, in a long, diary-like letter Mrs Bartok gives an account to Béla

Bartok

Jnr and his wife of their journey and her impressions, how much Bartok is honoured and respected everywhere.

10 March

- In the course of the Spring Art Festival of the University in Kansas City (Missouri) Bartok plays the same programme as on 3 March in Seattle. (He especially emphasises that the city is in the State of Missouri, not to be mistaken for Kansas City of Kansas on the opposite shore.)

12 March

- They arrive back to Forest Hills, where Bartok finishes his wife’s letter of 7 March.

13 March

- He takes up work at Columbia University.

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