Shades of Blue
Subscribe
Sign in
Home
Essays
Melancholy Mixtapes
Branching Out
Theme & Variations
Archive
About
Essays
Latest
Top
Discussions
Ludwig van Beethoven / Holy Song of Thanksgiving (Heiliger Dankgesang)
A mystical odyssey between soil and sky in which we cultivate gratitude for the gift of a new day.
Nov 15
•
Michael Cirigliano II
21
15
5
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
19
9
2
Arvo Pärt / Fratres
A sanctuary of sound that nourishes our eternal longing for harmony, simplicity, serenity.
Sep 6
•
Michael Cirigliano II
23
21
2
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
1
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
6
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
3
Gustav Mahler / Urlicht (Primal Light)
A comforting prayer of love and light that helped me transcend grief after losing a beloved canine companion.
Apr 26
•
Michael Cirigliano II
32
18
4
Philip Glass / String Quartet No. 4, "Buczak"
Grief gives way to hope and healing in a meditative impression of an artist struck down by AIDS.
Feb 22
•
Michael Cirigliano II
19
8
3
Revisiting a fabled "land of mists" that helped one young composer overcome a creative crisis
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky / Symphony No. 1, "Winter Daydreams"
Feb 8
•
Michael Cirigliano II
13
9
1
"An experience that transforms something inside us"
Beauty, possibility, and Beethoven take center stage in Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore.
Dec 21, 2024
•
Michael Cirigliano II
26
14
3
W. A. Mozart / Clarinet Concerto
A serenade of serenity I turn to whenever I want to connect with the instrument that helped me find my voice.
Nov 30, 2024
•
Michael Cirigliano II
25
15
3
Revisiting an intimate serenade written in the language of friendship
Franz Schubert / Piano Trio No. 1
Oct 26, 2024
•
Michael Cirigliano II
18
12
1
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please
turn on JavaScript
or unblock scripts
