Lajtai, Lajos

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Lajtai, Lajos

Lajtai, Lajos, Hungarian composer; b. Budapest, April 13, 1900; d. there, Jan. 12, 1966. After training in Budapest and Vienna, he began his career writing various light theater works for the Budapest stage. His first major success came with A régi nyár (Once Upon a Time in Summer; June 15, 1928). Among his finest subsequent scores were Sisters (March 2, 1929), Az okos mama (The Clever Mama; Nov. 26, 1930), Őfelsége frakkja (His Majesty’s Overcoat; Sept. 19, 1931; rev. version as Katinka, Paris, Feb. 22, 1933), A régi orfeum (The Old Time Music Hall; March 12, 1932), and A Rotschildok (The Rothschilds; Nov. 25, 1932). After a sojourn in Paris, Lajtai made his home in Sweden to escpe the deprivations of World War II.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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Lajtai, Lajos

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