Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
World War II. Second and Third American Tour (1939–1945)
1 945 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE 1945 1 January - He writes from New York to his son in Panama: “Our new Prime Minister, Béla Miklos is a very decent person in Bátor s opinion. The new government’ also includes 3 communist Hungarians; these have been relaxing in Moscow waiting for the password to ‘travel home’! Then there are also 3-4 members of the Smallholder Party and some unknown blokes, then even a Count [son of the late Teleki]. Well, we’ll see.” 10 January - First New York performance of Concerto conducted by Koussevitzky at Carnegie Hall. Bartok presumably also attended the performance, at any rate he had been preparing to. 11 January - He writes his son Péter of the criticisms about the concert of the previous day: “Both are favourable. But look what you find in one [N.Y. Times] : ‘It had a very cordial reception — ‘the audience showed that it enjoyed the music’. And the other [Herald Tribune] ‘It was disheartening that the audience received this fine composition with a coolness which mounted to merely polite applause’. Unfortunately this last one is right: the audience at these concerts consists almost exclusively of the usual moss-brained season ticket holders; a nonholder can hardly receive a ticket”. 13 and 28 January - He writes Ágnes Butcher in Toronto. 21 January - In a letter to his son Péter he writes about the radio performance of Suite No. 2: “On 17 Jan. Doráti conducted my ‘2nd suite’ [originating from 1905-07] in the Golumb. Broadcasting, too lively and fast. I had said at the rehearsal, couldn’t it be a bit more tranquil. ‘No’ - he said - ‘because otherwise it would not fit into the imposed 25 minutes’! Such are radio performances!...” 8 February - He writes his son Péter about the absurdity of taxation: “... This system of double taxation is a shameful injustice. ... On a $800 income in England one has to pay there 50%, that is 400, and in 496
