Bartok, Ditta Pasztory (1902–1982)
Bartok, Ditta Pasztory (1902–1982)
Hungarian pianist and wife of Béla Bartok who made several recordings of his work. Born Ditta Pasztory in 1902; died in Budapest on November 21, 1982; married Béla Bartok (the composer). Escaped the Nazis (1940).
In 1923, Ditta Pasztory married the great Hungarian composer Béla Bartok; she was his second wife. On many occasions, she performed with him in public in Europe and the United States, where they arrived as exiles from Fascism in October 1940. They made a number of recordings of his compositions, including the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion and selections from Mikrokosmos. Béla Bartok wrote his Concerto for Two Pianos for himself and his wife to perform, and they gave its premiere on January 21, 1943, with the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner conducting. On occasion, Ditta Bartok also performed works other than those of her husband, including Mozart concertos. Her optimism was crucial in maintaining her husband's morale during the years of privation and illness that preceded his death in 1945. After Bartok's passing, she returned to Hungary and died in Budapest on November 21, 1982.
John Haag , Athens, Georgia