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 ) 1 943 drafted after all. 1943 5 January - He enters into a general publication agreement with regards Boosey & Hawkes. 16 January - According to his letter to A. T. Merritt, he intends to start his job at Harvard University only on 1 February. 21 January - In New York he performs the transcription of Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussions entitled Concerto for Two pianos and Orchestra with his wife, conducted by Frigyes Reiner. This is Bartoks last public appearance as a pianist. 2 February - In his letter from New York to Cleveland he thanks violinist Tossy Spivakovsky for his good opinion of Violin Concerto. During the month of February his health is deteriorating rapidly. Although he still manages to give 3 lectures at Harvard University, this month he gets exhausted completely by this activity and his travels to and fro. Repeated hospital examinations suggest first polycithemy then TB, but the real cause is not found. Even Harvard University tries to give medical assistance. In March National Institute of Arts and Letters gives him a bonus award on Douglas Moores suggestion. 5 March - He thanks Moore for this proposal. He acknowledges with pleasure that difficulties in publishing the Southern Slaw volume got averted, and hopes that he will be able to check the proofs. 24 March - He gets notified by Columbia University that the so-called Ditson Committee gave 1,000 dollars as subsequent contribution to the publication of the Southern Slaw collection by Columbia University Press. He is persuaded by Americans around him, especially Dr. Viktor Bátor, to prepare a new will, even drafted for him by Dr. Bátor, to 481
