Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
After World War I (1920–1921)
1920 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE Romanians’ propaganda. By then the Bartoks have already packed up their belongings in Rákoskeresztúr. 21 May - They set out for Budapest, but the removal van getting stuck in the sand, they reach their new flat at 2 Gyopár Street on the Gellért Hill only the next day, on 22 May. In the meantime, on the 21 st “a music college teacher” defends Bartok against Sereghy’s accusations in the Üj Nemzedék (New Generation), after which the Szózat (Appeal) gives voice to Hubay. 26 May - The Szózat publishes Bartoks response, in which he refuses Hubays comment, and protests against the accusation of being unpatriotic. The Bartoks are well satisfied with their new flat at first. Having had neither electricity nor water-conduit/plumbing in Rákoskeresztúr, the Budapest comfort and the Lukács family ’s hospitality are very favourable. At the beginning of June he visits the Dohnányis who are hosting the Danish composer Carl Nielsen (Emil Telmányis father-in-law). They make a presentation of new Hungarian music for him: the Waldbauers play Bartok’s String Quartet No. 1, Kodálys Trio, Dohnányis Serenade for Strings, finally Dohnányi and Telmányi perform Nielsen’s Violin Sonata for the 35 invited guests. 4 June - The Trianon peace treaty is signed in Paris, which touches Bartok sensitively also on a personal level. He is separated permanently from his mother, who remains in an uncertain state of citizenship and pension; on the other hand the continuation of folk song collecting becomes totally impossible; he is greatly worried about the fate of Hungarians remaining on the disannexed territories, about the hopelessness of understanding among neighbouring peoples. 18 June - He writes a long article about Slovakian folk music. 22 June - His son Béla completes elementary grade 4 in Rákoshegy, even Bartok travels down to attend the year-end exam. 194
