Dark Eyes

The composition I play is little known. The main melody of it, though, is known all over the world: it is the melody of the Russian song Ochi Chernie (Dark Eyes). Dark eyes, burning eyes Passionate and splendid eyes How I love you, how I fear you Verily, I saw you at a sinister hour. If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't be suffering so I would have lived my life smiling You have ruined me, dark eyes You have taken my happiness away forever. This is a Feodor Chaliapin version of the lyrics by the Ukrainian poet Yevhen Hrebinka. The music was arranged in 1884 from the waltz composed by one F. Hermann -- not much is known about him. In some websites he is called a French composer, Florian Hermann; in other sources, a Russified German, Feodor Hermann. I learned his waltz from a Russian sheet music, where it is called Вальс Воспоминание (Recollection Waltz, in my own translation). It may be that the original title is Hommage Valse. Anyway, whatever the title and whoever the composer might be, the music is beautiful and exciting. I hope you will enjoy it! * * * For those who want the sheet music: give me your e-mail address, and I'll send you the music sheets. * * * Alexander Zlatkovski is an Alaskan pianist, born in Russia. His repertoire includes classical pieces, waltzes of all sorts -- from Tchaikovsky to Chopin to Strauss -- as well as his own arrangements of Russian, Italian, Jewish, and French songs. For information on concerts see www.TalesFromTheKeyboard.com; for live music for weddings, parties and other events, or to buy CDs, visit
* * * Тем из вас, кто читает по-русски, может быть интересна моя книжка «Песок на клавишах» - воспоминания о том, как я был уличным музыкантом в Израиле. Прочесть ее можно на