Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
World War II. Second and Third American Tour (1939–1945)
1939 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE briefly that they would arrive in Basel late in the evening of 7 March, at 7:30 p.m. (in the end they traveled there from Paris only on 8 March). 6 March - He plays Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussions with his wife, and accompanies Lise Daniels who sings 5 pieces of 20 Hungarian Folk Songs. - He would not have any more appearances in France, either. 8 March - They leave Paris. 9 March - From Basel Bartok writes Mrs Zoltán Székely that Székely plays the Violin Concerto splendidly. Disregarding the Sachers’ offered hospitality they leave for home. 10 March - They arrive in Budapest. 12 March - Letter to the Washington Library of Congress. 14 March - He informs Antonia Kossar that he would not undertake any appearances for the summer, he wants to rest and compose. (Yet he had an appearance on 30 June in Scheveningen.) 16 March - He writes Andor Schulhof. 23 March - In Amsterdam Zoltán Székely presents Violin Concerto (of 1937) conducted by Willem Mengelberg. Bartok would have liked to attend the world premiere, but couldn’t find the time for it. 24 March - Mr and Mrs Bartok give an evening of two pianos at the Music Academy, the programme consisting of pieces by Mozart, Stravinsky, Bartok, and Debussy. Their fee is 1,000 pengős. 25 March - On his 58th birthday, Bartok writes Universal Edition. 26 March - He ends his bellicose letter to STAGMA “ mit ungarischem Gruss” (with Hungarian greetings) in reply to their letter signed “Heil Hitler”. - He informs Antonia Kossar that he could play in Scheveningen on 23 June (instead he played on the 30th). 28 March - He writes Director of Boosey & Hawkes, Ralph Hawkes and also PRS regarding various matters of composer’s rights. 29 March - Dated from Budapest he writes Walter Schulthess, Universal Edition, furthermore STAGMA in Berlin about the disordered 438
