Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
War Years (1914–1919)
1919 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE 4 March - He goes to Budapest, meets the Kodálys. 9 March - He is practising at home; he plays Rhapsody several times. 10 March - Performance of Rhapsody at the concert of the Philharmonics, conducted by Dohnányi, in his wife’s words “in the midst of the habitual raving enthusiasm”. He plays by heart, a rare occasion, for encore the Allegro barbaro. 11 March - He stays in Budapest. 12 March - He visits the Adolf Kohners, then the Ernő Dohnányis with his wife. 16 March - Mrs Bartok writes Bartoks sister that “ Bêlas appointment is being delayed because it will be discussed only this Thursday [20 March]”. He is duly invited to the conference organised (by decree No. 1011/1919-III-B of the Ministry of Public Education), but whether it was held is uncertain, as the next day, on 21 March the proletarian dictatorship is declared. 23 March - Bartok was supposed to have a composer’s evening, but it was postponed to 21 April. On account of the curfew and constant identity checks Bartok asks for a certification, and on 25 March (his 38th birthday) peoples commissar of public education Kunfi issues a certificate “ Béla Bartok is civil servant of above peoples commissariat”. (This did not conform to the facts.) 1 April - The National Hungarian Musicians’ Union issues an operating license for him. 5 April - Mr and Mrs Bartok write a long joint letter to Bartok’s sister and do their best to calm her regarding the alarming rumours in circulation. - Bartok writes among other things: “not even my future state is clear as yet; only one thing is certain that arts and sciences get the greatest possible support from the communist governments. ... there are talks of forming a music directory (Dohnányi + Zoltán + me), invested with full powers concerning musical matters”. 184
