- Renowned music critic during the first half of the twentieth century. He was music critic for the New York Times from 1924 until his death in 1955.
- Was a great champion of the legendary Italian conductor, Arturo Toscanini.
- Took strong exception to the "Pastoral Symphony" segment in Walt Disney's "Fantasia". He was deeply offended that the Disney artists had chosen to illustrate Beethoven's music by showing centaurs and centaurettes flirting and Bacchus the wine god cavorting drunkenly.
- Both his first wife and widow survived him, along with three children from his first marriage: Edward O.D. Downes [teaches music history at U. of Minnesota]; Mrs. George Rockwell Smith of Concord, N.H.; Mrs. Richard Williams III of New York; and four grandchildren. Also surviving, two sisters: Mrs. Charles Cutler of Newtonville, Mass. and and Mrs. Theodore Behre of New Orleans.
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