When I Was a Polymath

In 2002, I read books on a weekly basis. I studied poetry and meteorology and mathematics simultaneously. By the end of 2003, I’d picked up the cello, begun authoring a children’s book, and endeavored to memorize all of the United States presidents in order of their time in office. In 2005, I’d helped lead the charge on a burgeoning recycling program and done two theses on Louis and Clark and the life and works of Pablo Picasso.

Back when I was in elementary school. And back when I was a polymath, on the road to becoming an educated citizen of the world.

By last spring, it felt clearer to me than ever that my progress along said path had been stunted. By the anxious gust of social pressure hurrying me to become an adult. This (in junction with my love of lists) sparked the Scholarly To-Do List: a whiff of the roses in life’s Eden of knowledge. It is a compilation of subjects, ideas, and tasks I should know to be the kind of worldly citizen I expect myself to be. The list is extensive, but I made progress over the summer. A few subjects I worked on in the last four months:

  • Food and Wine (the differences between the production of wine, beer, and liquor, and basic cocktail ingredients)
  • Reading (“The Last Chinese Chef”, “The Hobbit”, and “Ruhlman’s Twenty”)
  • Film (watching Casablanca for the first time on my puny laptop screen)
  • Religion (going to Israel, researching and doing basic comparisons between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)
  • Art (visits to the new Barnes and Cezanne exhibit and the PMA)

and finally,

  • Music

I spent the entire summer listening to and memorizing a playlist of nearly two and a half-hours of musical classics. These are the songs that you recognize and love, to which you hum and fake-play-the-strings, yet with which you cannot match a composer. I’m excited to share the playlist.

  1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade No. 13 in G, ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’ K525 (1997 Digital Remaster): I. Allegro
  2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade No. 13 in G, ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’ K525 (1997 Digital Remaster): II. Romanze (Andante)
  3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade No. 13 in G, ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’ K525 (1997 Digital Remaster): III. Menuetto (Allegretto)
  4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade No. 13 in G, ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’ K525 (1997 Digital Remaster): IV. Rondo (Allegro)
  5. Johann Sebastian Bach – Toccata & Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565 - Toccata
  6. Antonio Vivaldi – Violin Concerto In E, Op. 8/1, RV 269, “The Four Seasons (Spring)”
  7. Edvard Grieg – Peer Gynt, Op. 23 - Act 4: Morning
  8. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Le Nozze Di Figaro, K 492 - Overture
  9. Johann Sebastian Bach – Minuet In G
  10. Claude Debussy – Preludes, Book 1, L 117 - La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin
  11. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71A - Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy
  12. Antonín Dvořák – Symphony #9 In E Minor, Op. 95, B 178, “From The New World” - 2. Largo
  13. Claude Debussy – Children’s Corner, L 113 - Golliwogg’s Cake-Walk
  14. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker, Op. 71 - Miniature Overture
  15. Jeremiah Clarke – Suite In D - Prince Of Denmark’s March, “Trumpet Voluntary”
  16. Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor Op.27/2 - 1st Movement ‘Moonlight
  17. Frédéric Chopin – Waltz In D Flat, Op. 64/1, “Minute”
  18. Gioachino Rossini – William Tell Overture - Finale
  19. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake - Scene
  20. Sergei Rachmaninoff – Morceaux De Fantaisies, Op. 3 - Prélude In C Sharp Minor
  21. Ludwig van Beethoven – Bagatelle In A Minor - ‘Fur Elise’
  22. George Gershwin – 3 Preludes - #2 In C Sharp Minor
  23. Johann Sebastian Bach – Musette In D, BWV Anhung 126
  24. Johann Pachelbel – Canon & Gigue In D - Canon
  25. George Gershwin – Rhapsody In Blue - Andante
  26. Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No.8 In C Minor Op.13 (Pathetique)
  27. Frédéric Chopin – Prelude #4 In E Minor, Op. 28/4 - #4 In E Minor
  28. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture, Op. 49 - Finale
  29. Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No.5 In C Minor Op.67 - 1st Movement
  30. Robert Schumann – Album For The Young Op.68/10 - The Merry Peasant
  31. Johannes Brahms – Hungarian Dance No.1 In G Minor
  32. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov – Flight Of The Bumble Bee
  33. Frédéric Chopin – Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor Op.35 - Funeral March
  34. Claude Debussy – Clair De Lune
  35. Johann Sebastian Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No.3 In G Major - 1st Movement
  36. Georges Bizet – Carmen - Habanera
  37. Johann Sebastian Bach – Ave Maria
  38. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker - Waltz Of The Flowers
  39. Georges Bizet – L’Arlesienne - Prelude
  40. Johannes Brahms – Hungarian Dance No.5 In G Minor
  41. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake - Dance Of The Swans
  42. Johann Sebastian Bach – Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor - Badiinerie
  43. Richard Wagner – Ride Of The Valkyries
  44. Ludwig van Beethoven – Ode to Joy
  45. Edvard Grieg – Peer Gynt Suite #1, Op. 46 - 4. In The Hall Of The Mountain King
thoughtsJess VandermiscComment