The 100th birthday of a resident? No, it is the Kendal College Centenary—the one hundredth Kendal College program since the first lecture in 2003.
For our 100th Kendal College, we are pleased to present a series of three recitals by Tim Gaylard, Professor Emeritus of Music at Washington and Lee University, exploring the connection of Mozart, Chopin, and Debussy with France. All these solo piano works were written in or for the city of Paris. Although coming from different moments in history, all three composers’ styles have an elegance, a refinement, a love of color, and a sensuality that are typically French.
The first recital, on Wednesday, October 18, will begin with a work that Mozart (1756-1791) composed in Paris at the age of seven, and will continue with two works from 1778 when he returned to the French capital—the illuminating Capriccio in C and the passionate Sonata in A minor, K. 310, a masterpiece sparked by the unexpected death of his mother.
The second recital, on Wednesday, October 25, will sample the wide variety of great pieces by Chopin (1810-1849), the “poet of the piano.” In addition to familiar works such as the Fantasie-Impromptu, the Military Polonaise, and the First Ballade, the program will include the dramatic Nocturne in C minor and a Mazurka dedicated to Emile Gaillard.
The final recital, on Wednesday, November 1, will focus on some atmospheric works by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) that evoke the beach, the sunny hills of Capri, the reflecting power of water, a pose in ballet, and a magical island, all reasons why he is often called an “Impressionist.”
As always, this Kendal College lecture series is open to all residents and staff, as well as to guests of the Marketing Department.
This will be Tim’s eighth Kendal College program, placing him in a tie with former resident mathematician Hank Sharp, the current record holder, who presented eight Kendal College programs on mathematics. The conjunction of the twentieth anniversary of this special Kendal feature and this tie-setting presentation offers a golden opportunity to reflect on the learning adventures Kendal College has offered residents. More than 20 areas of study are represented, ranging across such diverse fields as astronomy, economics, music, and religion.
American history tops the charts, with ten Kendal College programs. International subjects run a close second with nine. Mathematics is in third place with eight. Tied for fourth place with seven programs each are the environment, religion, and literature.
If anyone doubted Kendal residents are interested in culture, they should note that Kendal College has offered five programs on art history, six on music, three on opera, and four on drama. Science lags a bit behind but has not been ignored. In addition to the seven programs on the environment, Kendal College has offered three on nature or biology, two on psychology, and one each on astronomy and geology.
Kendal’s location in Lexington, the site of two outstanding universities, offers us the golden opportunity to tap into the faculty members of both institutions—active and retired—including several who are Kendal residents. Thirty-seven Washington and Lee faculty members and fourteen Virginia Military Institute faculty members have presented Kendal College programs. Besides Sharp and Gaylard, eight other professors, plus one area author, have appeared at least twice for Kendal College.
Whatever the topic, whoever the lecturer, you can depend on Kendal College to bring you fresh ideas, new interpretations, and thoughtful discussions of a great range of ideas, movements, and events that have enriched human life or have changed civilization or the natural world. Don’t miss this upcoming anniversary lecture series.