Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
War Years (1914–1919)
WAR YEARS (1914-1919) 1918 23 November - He is already taking a walk with his little son. 24 November - He is going to a restaurant with his wife for lunch - which is totally uncharacteristic. In the evening his wife listens to the performance of The Wooden Prince, Bartok stays away. 28 November - But they listen to The Bluebeards Castle and Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana together. Due to bad housing conditions, some of the bigger flats were being claimed for co-tenants, so the Kodálys asked the Bartoks to move in with them temporarily for the exemption of their flat. 30 November - They move in with the Kodálys. 2 December - Mrs Bartok writes a letter to Mrs Emil Tóth. She informs her about the planned changes in the leadership of musical institutions, first of all about Béla Reinitz, referee of musical matters at the Ministry of Education having proposed Dohnányi as director for the Music Academy and Bartok as director for the Opera House. Bartok writes as postscript “the Minister [Zsigmond Kunfi] hasn’t yet decided”. 17 December - Thereafter Jenő Zádor became director of the Opera House. 21 December - Mrs Bartok travels to Rákoskeresztúr, on the 22nd Bartok and his son Béla also follow. 23 December - The House of Representatives of the Hungarian Parliament sends Bartok an invitation (No. 6/18) for the meeting of the literary and artistic consultant board of the National Council, which he doesn’t attend this time either. 24 December - They spend Christmas Eve at their home of Rákoshegy. They can buy only 3 pine twigs which they fasten together, because decent trees cost 60-80 crowns, yet they are happy with the presents. At the end of December Bartok travels in to the Kodálys ’ for one day. 181
