Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
World War II. Second and Third American Tour (1939–1945)
1 941 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE towards the West. 24 November - Travelling by the Big Salt Lake in the State of Utah, aboard the train he writes his wife, mentioning among other things: “I heard sad news: Babits has died”. 25 November - From Palo Alto (California) he informs Carl P. Wood that he would arrive in Seattle on the 28th and would like to meet him the following day. 26 November - At Stanford University of Palo Alto he gives a lecture entitled Folk Music of Eastern Europe, and repeats the programme of the 28 October Aurora concert. Darius Milhaud also attended the concert. “I played exceptionally well, but obviously nobody would notice anyway” - writes Bartok. 28 November - He leaves Portland (Oregon) for Seattle. Aboard the train he writes his wife, and begins to draft the preface for the Southern Slaw collection. (Previously he had already written two articles on the topic.) 29 November - In Seattle he discusses the Native American material with C. P. Wood, does not meet Wilhelmine Creel. 1 December - He returns to Portland. At Reed College Chapel he gives a lecture entitled Folk Music of Eastern Europe. 2 December - He gives a concert at the same location. His programme is: 2 preludes by Purcell, Michelangelo Rossi s 3 Corrente, Frescobaldi s Fugue in G minor, Kodály ’s Transylvanian Lament and Epitaph, Bartoks Variations (Ballad), Petite Suite, The Nights Music, 10 pieces from Microcosmos, Rondo No. 1, Suite Op. 14, and Allegro barbaro. - Meanwhile in Helsinki he gets elected outside member of the Finno- Ugrian Society. 3 December - In Eugene (Oregon) at the Music School of the University of Oregon he gives a lecture entitled Problems of Eastern Europe Folk Music, and gives a concert with the following programme: Petite Suite, The Nights Music, Variations (Ballad) and Old Dance Tunes from 15 474
