Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
Great Concert Tours on Two Continents (1922–1931)
GREAT CONCERT TOURS ON TWO CONTINENTS (1 922-1 931 ) 1926 Sonata, Bear Dance, and 3 Burlesques. 21 November - At the Great Hall of the Pozsony Vigadó a Bartok-Kodály matinee is organised by the Pozsony Toldy Circle. Numbers of the male choir: Kodály s Drinking Song, Bartoks Four Old Hungarian Folk Songs, Kodály s Mulató gajd (Rollicking). Then Bartok plays Kodály s Epitaph and three pieces of Op. 3, of his own compositions 1st series of Kolindas, Dirge No. 1, and 3 Burlesques. - He is celebrated greatly at the concert, he receives two wreaths with red and white bands, and these are placed on the floor in a configuration of red-white-green. - Instead of the previously agreed 1,200 Czech crowns he gets 1,500 crowns considering the higher revenue. 22 November - Changing trains at 5 a.m. in Marchegg, he travels to Vienna to arrange official matters, then at 11 p.m. he leaves for Germany. - Preceding his trip he entrusted his son Béla to attend the Budapest performance of Dance Suite on this day, and give an account of the audiences attitude. 23 November - He arrives in Cologne where he is to assist the rehearsals of The Miraculous Mandarin for several days. 27 November - World premiere of The Miraculous Mandarin, conducted by Jenő Szenkár. The Girl: Wilma Aug, the Mandarin: Gustav Zeiller. After the performance the audience breaks into two parties and begins a great demonstration. Authorities disapprove of the words of the piece, and Chief Burgomaster Conrad Adenauer bans further performances. Dance Suite is performed at the end of November in Kopenhagen, on 4 December in Lausanne conducted by Ernest Ansermet, on 6 December in Geneva. 2 December - Bartok is in Budapest, giving a brief account of the Cologne events to his mother and aunt, and waiting for developments. 3 December - Concert at Radio Budapest, he plays his own piano pieces and accompanies Mária Basilides. 257
