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

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( 1 9 3 9 - 1 9 4 5 )

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the acquisition of the non-quota immigrant visa. (He was forcing this so much in order to let his son Péter

get

a visa, but in the end it was not needed.) Reiner and his friend Edward Wallerstein

take

the guarantee upon themselves readily.

8 August - Bartok sends them the necessary forms to Westport.

6 and 9 August - He writes Boosey & Hawkes, and on the 10th he writes Vamasescu.

19 August - From Riverton he replies to his son Bêlas

letter

about the passing of Irma Voit

that

cast him down deeply. “Alas neither one of them lives anymore!” He doesn’t much feel like writing about anything else, but he commemorates his sons birthday all the same, and in his letter sends a small flower for Irma

Voit ’s grave.

24 August - He writes Mrs Herzog in regard to the translation of texts.

26 August - He writes Carl Paige Wood in Seattle the financial conditions of him moving there, and asks them to make the date dependent on his work at Columbia University.

4 September

- From Riverton he returns to New York.

5 September

- He writes his wife who remained in Riverton that Viktor Bátor (belonging

to Dr. Gyula

Hollo

’s - the Bartoks’ medical attendant in Budapest, later in New York - circle of friends, first giving Bartok pieces of advice, then doing his best to influence him in every way) wanted to make him join some risky political affair, but he declined. - The Hungarian Consulate General of New York issues a verification (No. 4008/1941) of Bartok being alive and of his Hungarian citizenship.

6 September

- Bartok sends the verification to his son Béla

in

Budapest. In his letter he writes that he had a bad case of bursitis in his left shoulder in the second part of August, he was unable to move it at all for 10 days, then it got better owing to a cure of aspirin. He closes his letter thus: “The general situation is not very reassuring, I am really afraid that next summer - and who knows for how much longer yet - it will not be possible to return!”

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