Vladimir’s Blues

Released in 2004 on the album The Blue Notebooks, “Vladimir’s Blues” is a poignant, minimalist piano piece by composer Max Richter. The song’s title is a nod to the writer, Vladimir Nabokov, who was an expert on a family of butterflies known as “the Blues” 🦋.

Vladimir’s Blues has been prominently featured in the HBO’s series, The Leftovers, throughout all of its 3 seasons. Its somber, contemplative tone complements the show’s themes of grief, loss (and human connection) after a catastrophic event.

Although Max Richter wrote volumes of new music for The Leftovers — Vladimir’s Blues was the lone piece they pulled from his earlier works. I loved that show, and that’s where I first heard that motif.

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