Deems Taylor

Deems Taylor (Joseph Deems Taylor), 1885-1966, American composer and music critic, b. New York City, grad. New York Univ., 1906. After other journalistic posts he was music critic (1921-25) of the New York World and editor (1927-29) of the magazine Musical America. In 1933 he was appointed music consultant for the Columbia Broadcasting System and later was a commentator (1936-43) for the radio broadcasts of the New York Philharmonic. His first widely recognized composition was the orchestral suite Through the Looking Glass (1919, rev. 1922). Two of his operas were commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera Company— The King's Henchman (1927), with libretto by Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Peter Ibbetson (1931), based on George Du Maurier's novel. Taylor composed several other orchestral works and incidental music for a number of plays. He also appeared as the master of ceremonies in Walt Disney's motion picture Fantasia (1940). His books include Of Men and Music (1937), The Well-Tempered Listener (1940), and Some Enchanted Evenings (1953).

Bibliography: See biography by J. A. Pegolotti (2003)

Taylor, [Joseph] Deems (1885–1966), composer and critic. The distinguished native New Yorker was known to playgoers for his score to the musical The Echo (1910), as well as his incidental music to such works as Liliom (1921), The Adding Machine (1922), and Beggar on Horseback (1924). He also wrote operas, including Peter Ibbetson, which were commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera. Taylor was the author of many books on music and the other arts.

Taylor, (Joseph) Deems (b NY, 1885; d NY, 1966). Amer. composer, critic, and author. Mus. critic, New York World 1921–5. Orch. works well received; commissioned by NY Met to write opera The King's Henchman (1926–7), this being followed by Peter Ibbetson (1930–1). Became mus. adviser to CBS 1936 and well-known for narrations of NY Met broadcasts and NYPO concerts. Spoke narration in Disney's Fantasia. Popular orch. works incl. Through the Looking Glass (1922) and Marco Takes a Walk (1942).