Buttykay (real name, Gálszécsy és Buty kai), Ákos

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Buttykay (real name, Gálszécsy és Buty kai), Ákos

Buttykay (real name, Gálszécsy és Buty kai), Ákos, Hungarian pianist, teacher, and composer; b. Halmi, July 22, 1871; d. Debrecen, Oct. 26, 1935. He studied in Budapest, where he took courses in law and also attended the Academy of Music; he pursued training in piano and composition in Weimar. After touring as a pianist, he taught piano at the Budapest Academy of Music (1907–22). He won success as a theater composer with his operetta A bolygó góròg (The Wandering Greek; Budapest, Oct. 19, 1905). After composing the theater scores A harang (Budapest, Feb. 1, 1907), Csibészkirály (Budapest, Feb. 21, 1907), and Ha-mupipoke (Budapest, Oct. 26, 1912), he composed his most successful operetta, Az ezüst sirály (The Silver Seagull; Budapest, Feb. 6, 1920). His Olivia hercegnô was chosen to open the new Fóváriosi Operettszinház in Budapest on Dec. 23, 1922. Among his other works were 2 syms. (1900, 1902); Magyar Suite for Orch. (1900); Magyar Rhapsody for Orch. (1931); chamber music; piano pieces; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire