The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16
AMERICAN AVIATOR
EXTOLLED In MUSIC
Composition by Charles M.
Lceffler Honors Memory
Of Victor Chapman.
WORK WARMLY PRAISED
Profound Feeling and Distinc-
ton Of Style Make It Abb
sorbing to Listeners.

The Society Of tho Friends Of Music
gave a concert yesterday afternoon in
Aeolian Hall. Compositions by two
American musicians were performed.
The FIRST was entitled Music for -Four
Stringed instruments" and came from
tho pen Of Charles Martin Loenier The
composer apparently did not wish the
work to be regarded as . string ouartette
ir the generally accepted meaning OF the
Iame.
The composition is in memory Of VIC
tor Chapman, the gallant young Arneri-
can aviator, who gave his life for
France carly In the great war. Tho key
ID L. minor. albeit such statement
must be taken with liberal latitude. Tho
| three movements have distinct moods to
delineate, apd all arc made not only with
skill, but poetic feeling and something
Of imaginative vision.
The first movement lie the most COM
pick OF the three, for after a broadly
conceived Introduction tho allegro 10 de-
veloped In sonata form, but in a manner
displaying the full assimilation OF
French modernism which Is Mr.. Loci
fier'a He long ago accepted the doc
trtnes OF Debussy but his application Of
them to his artistic practice In 20 thor
| oughly his own that he stands proudly
independent in originality. Not Debussy
nor Ravel. nor any other OF the Gallo
moderns says things as Losfhsr says
them. and few Of them have a. much
that is worth saying.
composition IL the most beautiful Of the
three. II bears the title Easter Sum
day" and IL developed from . lovely
plain chant, which Is instrumsntally
treated with most effective polyphony.
The last movement. entitled "A vol
d'oiseau." II free and delineativs. First
we hear tho song Of "Un Jardin de
heurs nsives' The second episode de-
| scribes a plain Of emerald guarded by
poplars." after which comes a theme In
thirds in baroarole style suggesting per-
| haps the flight Of an airplans, then a
pause and after It distant "Vieille
marche de eoldats de France" Now
there IL a hint OF the aviators fall,
which - followed by q funeral march
and a ravishing glorthcation sung by
the cello on an old chant
The first movement of the work 10 al
we have said difficult to grasp, but the
composition as q whole has Mr.. Loef-
ler's fine aristocracy OF style. There IL
DOT q commonplace measure IN It And
its noble harmonies, its rich melodic
textures. its profound feeling ana I'll
large outlook make 1t absorbing to the
sympathetic listener. The middle move
ment Is q masterpiece unsurpassed In
recent chamber music. The work wal
admirably played by the Flonzale,
| Quartet.
Povia Frisch sang "silhouttes," 9Th,
Lawd Is Snlilin'- Through de- Do" and
"Berceuse de Guerre." with the com
poser at the plano. The FIRST song proved
to be thin matter. The negro lullaby I:
afiurinE. and The war cradle song. sup
posed to be sung by a mother Whoa
husband Is at the front, went far to-
ward conveying tho feeling Of the touch
ing text.
The programme concluded with MI
Loefflers well known poems for voice
viola ana piano Nine. Frisch, Helm
rich Gerhard. pianist, and Mr.. Ba!lly Of
the FlonEaley organization being thu
| Interpreters