Shades of Blue

Branching Out / Vol. 13

What to listen to next, based on our recent experiences with the melancholy music of Arvo Pärt and Johannes Brahms.

Oct 25 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

18

9

Melancholy Mixtape / October 2025

Seven moments of classical music to experience as autumn casts its shadowy spell.

Oct 11 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

17

5

September 2025

Johannes Brahms / Double Concerto for Violin & Cello

Within the emotional contours of a tranquil song without words, one composer reveals hope for reunion with a long-estranged friend.

Sep 20 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

18

9

Arvo Pärt / Fratres

A sanctuary of sound that nourishes our eternal longing for harmony, simplicity, serenity.

Sep 6 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

22

21

August 2025

"Pain manifested in sound": The life and music of Carlo Gesualdo

Tune in as travel advisor Danielle Oteri and I explore a chilling tale of murder and music from 16th-century Italy.

Aug 23 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

14

8

Melancholy Mixtape / August 2025

Seven moments of classical music that find solace in summer's nocturnal beauty.

Aug 9 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

17

10

July 2025

Branching Out / Vol. 12

What to listen to next, based on our recent experiences with the melancholy music of Maurice Ravel and Benjamin Britten.

Jul 26 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

12

14

Revisiting a song of longing for innocence in a world wracked by tragedy

Benjamin Britten / Before Life and After

Jul 12 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

15

4

June 2025

Maurice Ravel / Piano Concerto in G

Celebrating Shades of Blue's second birthday with a meditative, melancholy waltz that reveals depths of emotion below its radiant surface.

Jun 21 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

19

20

Melancholy Mixtape / June 2025

Seven moments of music outside the classical realm that evoke wonder and desire in our flawed yet beautiful world.

Jun 7 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

15

14

May 2025

Branching Out / Vol. 11

What to listen to next, based on our recent experiences with the melancholy music of Gustav Mahler and Erich Korngold.

May 24 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

22

10

Erich Korngold / Violin Concerto

Embedded within a gentle serenade lies one composer's story of displacement, loss, and longing for a home that exists only in memory.

May 10 • 

Michael Cirigliano II

22

13