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

Great Concert Tours on Two Continents (1922–1931)

GREAT CONCERT TOURS ON TWO CONTINENTS (1 922-1 931 )

1929

Bremen in the evening.

2 December

- In Bremen he performs Piano Concerto No. 1 at the Great Glockensaal with

the city orchestra conducted by Ernst Wendel. “The conductor knows the orchestral score excellently” - he writes his wife.

3 December

- The concert gets repeated.

4 December

- Bartok leaves Bremen.

5 December

- In Königsberg

(today

Kaliningrad) he plays his own works at a radio concert. Programme: Ballad of 15 Hungarian Peasant Songs, Preludio-AirUngherese, Sonatina, Suite op. 14, Bear Dance, Evening in Transylvania, 3 Burlesques, Kolindas, Allegro barbaro,

Rumanian

Dance No. 1.

8 December

- He listens to Don Juan. (Probably already in Danzig.)

9 December

- From Danzig (today Gdansk) he writes his sister: “I am already anticipating my return home”.

10 December

- In Danzig he plays Piano Concerto No. 1 at Friedrich Wilhelm Schützenhaus

with

the reinforced city orchestra conducted by Cornelius Kun. “...the conductor, though quite good and benevolent, is not that attentive” - he writes his wife.

11 December

- Already in Berlin he writes Michael D. Calvocoressi

in

London with instructions regarding the English publication of The Hungarian Folk Song.

12 December

- Radio concert in Berlin. Programme: Kolindas, 3 Rondos, numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 of 8 Hungarian Folk Songs with Fred Drissens contribution, No. 1 of the series Out of Doors, Nos. 5, 6 and 8 of 9 Small Piano Pieces, Allegro barbaro,

and

Rumanian Folk Dances. - Afterwards he leaves for home.

13 December

- He arrives in Budapest.

24 December - Letter to AKM (Gesellschaft der

Autoren, Komponisten und Musikverleger) in Vienna, of

which he is already a member by then. - For the lighting of the Christmas candles he brings his mother home, then asks his son Béla

to

accompany her back.

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