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 )

1930

5 May

- In the Opera House Hungarian writers and artists give a gala performance for the benefit of French flood victims. Intermezzo from János Háry is

conducted by Kodály,

Ruralia

Hungarica

by Dohnányi,

and, according to reports, “

Béla Bartok

performed Hungarian folk dances on the piano”. But the programme includes the creme of all branches of Hungarian artistic life from Mária

Basilides

to Hanna Honthy and from Dezső

Kosztolányi to

Gizi

Bajor. (After

this Bartok refrained from public appearances in Budapest for more than 3 and a half years, he only gave radio concerts and lectures on folk music.)

6 May

- In his letter to Edward Clark Bartok accepts the 26 November date for the London concert, and inquires about the fate of his previous letters. - He also writes musicologist Edwin von

der Nüll whose

book about Bartok was published this year.

12 May

- He brings his mother some of the reviews published lately.

14 May

- Letter to Concerts Catalonia (to Clément

Lozano)

in Barcelona regarding his concert planned for January.

Sculptor Géza

Csorba agreed

with Bartok to sculpt his statue. Bartok sat for him on several occasions during this period. Following Ervin Voit’s sculpture, this is the second and last sculpture that he modelled.

17 and 20 May - He writes Ernő

Südy in

Békéscsaba

on

behalf of Robert Schmitz.

19 May - In their letter No. 1136/1930, the Budapest Opera House acknowledges the contents of Bartoks April letter, Director Miklos Radnai writes that he has hopes of finding appropriate ways and means to perform the Bluebeard.

22 May - He writes Universal Edition that he emancipates Piano Concerto No. 1 kept for himself up to now: from the following season any pianist is free to play it.

30 May - He writes Universal Edition, on 6 June ITHMA, on the 9th Concerts Catalonia, on the 12th Universal Edition again.

10 June

- In preparation for the summer he pays down the insurance 309