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Spring Semester with Mark Schenker: Tennyson's "Idylls of the King" (Zoom)

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Non-Library Locations
Zoom
Please join us online via Zoom as Mark Schenker takes us through Tennyson’s “Idylls of the King” a Victorian take on the medieval Arthurian legends.

In the early 19th century, the rise of Romanticism in Europe generally, and in England in particular, led to a renewed interest in medievalism. Consequences of this resurgence persisted into the Victorian Period and included the revival of the Gothic in architecture and of Roman Catholic and Anglo-Catholic thinking in philosophy and religion.

A nationalistic figure from the Middle Ages, King Arthur—who may or may not have been historical—was the subject of treatments by 19th-century writers as diverse as Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Mark Twain. Earlier, the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth, writing in Latin, placed Arthur in the tradition of British kings, relying more on his own imagination than on historical sources. In the same century the French poet Chrétien de Troyes introduced the important themes of the Holy Grail, the court of Camelot, and the adulterous affair between Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere.

In the 15th century, Thomas Malory wrote “Le Morte D’Arthur” in Middle English prose while drawing mainly on French sources. Its publication in 1485 made it one of the first books ever to be printed in England. It was this work that Tennyson used when he published his “Idylls of the King,” 12 tales of Arthur and his knights, written in verse and published from 1859 to 1885.

Mark Schenker will present a program in six sessions on Tennyson’s “Idylls” with reference also to the source tales found in Malory’s text. Participants will read all 12 of Tennyson’s narrative poems and will be directed to read, if they care to, the corresponding stories in Malory, available online. Mark will emphasize connections and contrasts, and will place Tennyson’s work in its Victorian context.

No charge for the program. These lectures are made possible with the support of the Literary Series in Memory of Amy Quigley. Advance registration required. Register online or call 203-762-6334. You will automatically be registered for all six sessions. Please email Michael Bellacosa at mbellacosa@wiltonlibrary.org with any questions.

Mark J. Schenker, having served in various decanal roles in Yale College since 1990, retired last year. A former lecturer in the English Department, he received his Ph.D. from Columbia University with a concentration in 19th-century and early 20th-century English Literature. He had taught previously at Columbia, New York University, and Trinity College (Hartford, CT).  Outside of academia, Mark has for over 35 years lectured on literature and film, and has led book discussion series in more than 100 venues in Connecticut, including public libraries, museums, and cultural centers. He also conducts monthly sessions for a number of private reading groups in the state. In 2001, he received the Wilbur Cross Award for Outstanding Humanities Scholar, presented by the Connecticut Humanities Council.

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Registration is open

1959 in Jazz History with Gil Harel: Brubeck's Time Out

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Wilton Library
Brubeck Room
Please join us for the second program of our new four-part series with Dr. Gil Harel on the seminal jazz albums of 1959.The series will run as follows:

  • 3/20/24: Miles Davis' Kind of Blue
  • 4/10/24: Dave Brubeck's Time Out
  • 5/22/24: John Coltrane's Giant Steps
  • 6/18/24: Jazz Post-1959 - Diverging Paths
Among the jazz albums of 1959, Time Out, recorded by the Brubeck Quartet at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City, contains some of the most unusual innovations. Fresh off a State Department-sponsored trip abroad, the quartet recorded a litany of songs featuring unusual rhythmic and metrical features. Despite the unusual nature of the rhythms that suffuse the album, it quickly gained popularity, rising to No. 2 on the Billboard pop albums chart, while its signature single, "Take Five" became the first jazz single to sell 1 million copies. During this program, Professor Gil Harel will discuss the genesis of the album, the extraordinary musical features, and its place in 1959 and beyond.

Registration strongly recommended. Register online or call 203-762-6334.

Gil Harel (PhD, Brandeis University) is a musicologist and music theorist whose interests include styles ranging from the western classical repertoire to jazz. Previously, he served on the faculty at CUNY Baruch College (where he was awarded the prestigious “Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Teaching”). Currently, he is Full Professor of Music at CT State Naugatuck Valley, where he has been presented with the AFT "Merit Award for Exemplary Service to the College" for 6 consecutive years. In 2020, he was honored with the coveted Connecticut Board of Regents (BOR) Teaching Award. At NVCC, Dr. Harel conducts the college chorale, a cappella ensemble, teaches music history and theory, and serves as musical director of theater productions.
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