Essays

Revisiting an intimate serenade written in the language of friendship

Franz Schubert / Piano Trio No. 1

Oct 26 •

Michael Cirigliano II

Frédéric Chopin / Mazurka in A Minor

A nostalgia-laced dance of defiance that transports us to a place of love and belonging where we ache to go again.

Sep 28 •

Michael Cirigliano II

Felix Mendelssohn / String Quartet No. 2

A hushed hymn of devotion from a young composer navigating his first journey through love and heartbreak.

Aug 3 •

Michael Cirigliano II

Henryk Górecki / Symphony of Sorrowful Songs

Celebrating Shades of Blue's first birthday with the symphony that inspired my ongoing exploration of melancholy classical music.

Jun 22 •

Michael Cirigliano II

Thomas Tallis / Spem in alium (Hope in Any Other)

A prayer of piety and hope reaches across the centuries to guide us to a more peaceful, loving future.

Jun 1 •

Michael Cirigliano II

Giacomo Puccini / Un bel dì (One Fine Day)

Paying tribute to my grandmother with her favorite opera aria, which searches for blossoms of hope in a field of despair.

Apr 20 •

Michael Cirigliano II

Revisiting a mythological fever dream of lust and longing

Claude Debussy / Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Apr 6 •

Michael Cirigliano II

Clara Wieck Schumann / Piano Concerto

At the center of a silent orchestra, piano and cello sing a tender song of grace and longing.

Mar 9 •

Michael Cirigliano II

Johannes Brahms / Intermezzo in E-flat Major

A moment of autumnal introspection in which sorrow ushers us to a place of comfort and calm.

Feb 10 •

Michael Cirigliano II

Claude Vivier / Lonely Child

A "long song of solitude" from a composer eager to embrace the world through music of naïve love.

Jan 13 •

Michael Cirigliano II

Celebrating six months of Shades of Blue, and sharing a bit of Bach with dreams of a peaceful new year.

Dec 30, 2023 •

Michael Cirigliano II

Gustav Mahler / Ich bin der Welt ... (Lost to the World)

Finding a tranquil realm, far removed from the world's turmoil, where love and art help us to heal.

Dec 2, 2023 •

Michael Cirigliano II

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