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 ) 1 945 addition 25% more here, that is 75% in total! But lets say I would have an income of $18,000 here [which I will never have ‘thank god’] then on the 800 in England I would have to pay 50% there, about 53% here, so 103% in total. Well then this is a completely absurd thing.”. 21 February - In his letter to Péter he writes of news appearing in local papers about the siege of Budapest: Well, the buildings are one matter. But our mens fate worries me greatly. Who was there, who remained there, who went bankrupt? And as to when we can get news from there, it is known only to the Good Lord, I mean Father Stalin.” - It is in this letter that he writes for the first time about the plan of writing Piano Concerto No. 3: On the other hand I would like to write a piano concerto for Mum; this plan has already been in the air for a long time. If she could play this at 3-4 places then it would already mean approx, as much money as that one of the averted orders....” 6 March - He writes about news from Hungary: Anyway, bad news is leaking out about conditions at home, on the one hand from Radio Moscow, on the other hand from neutral countries: about the organising of anti-fascist militia [although the name sounds well, these are actually gangs of terror]; about deportation of ‘democratic’ Hungarians to Russia [English or American sympathisers are unwanted by the Russians], etc. - So the situation - not counting the destruction and misery - seems a bit like getting out of the frying pan, into the fire....” 8 March - He falls ill with the flu. Regarding his treatment on 19 March he writes Péter as follows: “Rappaport was experimenting with sulfa again: the fever got higher by more than one centigrade at once. Then he switched to penicillin. Two nurses were needed for its dosage ... pouring the expensive substance into me every 3 hours. ... Now I am supposed to stay in bed for 4 more days.”. 2 April - In Budapest they set up a Temporary National Assembly, into which - in absentia - Bartok is elected representative. 497
