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 R ( 1 9 3 9 - 1 9 4 5 ) 1 941 Hungarian Peasant Songs, and six pieces from Microcosmos. 4 December - Aboard the train between Eugene and Los Angeles he writes his wife: “This day was the most difficult, lots of idiotic interviews and silliness”. - In the evening he goes on to Los Angeles. 5 December - He gives a concert at Wilshire Ebell Theatre of Los Angeles with the 2 December Portland programme. 7 December - Japan attacks the United States. 8 December - On board the train crossing the territory of the State of Kansas towards the East, Bartok writes Wilhelmine Creel about their failed meeting of 29 November, his further itinerary, and suggests another meeting. Around 10 December he arrives back to New York. 13 December - Hungary declares war on the United States. 15 December - Bartok writes letters from New York to Consul General Baranyai in New York and Ambassador György Ghyka in Washington with the same content: “You already know of my discomfort here from my verbal communication. My situation would become even more difficult under the changed circumstances. Therefore I should return home if possible at all. After all I would have wanted to do this anyway after finishing my scientific work here in one or two years. But as things stand now, by then - and who knows for how long - it will not be possible anymore. The last chance would be if we returned home with the personnel of the Consulate. ... I am afraid if we had to stay here for who knows how many years, it might prove catastrophic for us”. With the speeding up of events this plan didn’t get realised. 22 December - Péter Bartok crosses the Hungarian border and goes to Zagreb, as he could not travel anymore after 31 December because of becoming liable to military service. He waits in Zagreb until his visas arrive, and arrives in New York on 20 April 1942. Sweden takes over diplomatic representation of Hungary and 475
