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S.O.S. / A Dispatch from Minneapolis
Three ways to help Minnesotans affected by the federal occupation, and a lesson from Dmitri Shostakovich on cultivating hope during violent times.
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Why I'm devoting this newsletter to melancholy classical music.
Jun 23, 2023
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Michael Cirigliano II
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Gustav Mahler / Urlicht (Primal Light)
Apr 26, 2025
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Michael Cirigliano II
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Melancholy Mixtape / January 2025
Jan 11, 2025
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Michael Cirigliano II
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Grant Us Peace
Dec 30, 2023
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Michael Cirigliano II
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Branching Out / Vol. 14
What to listen to next, based on our recent experiences with the melancholy music of Beethoven and Claude Vivier.
Jan 24
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Michael Cirigliano II
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Revisiting Claude Vivier’s “long song of solitude”
Behind the mystical music of the Québécois composer’s Lonely Child lie mysteries of love, hope, and belonging.
Jan 10
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Michael Cirigliano II
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Melancholy Mixtape / December 2025
Have yourself a melancholy Christmas with five musical moments that channel the beauty, impermanence, and quiet comfort of festive midwinter nights.
Dec 13, 2025
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Michael Cirigliano II
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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, 2025
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Michael Cirigliano II
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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, 2025
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Michael Cirigliano II
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Melancholy Mixtape / October 2025
Seven moments of classical music to experience as autumn casts its shadowy spell.
Oct 11, 2025
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Michael Cirigliano II
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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, 2025
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Michael Cirigliano II
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Shades of Blue
A place to cultivate calm, connection, and healing through melancholy moments of classical music.
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