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ABOUT THIS TRACK
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Music: Traditional Russian folk song
French lyrics: Benoit Viellefon
"Dark Eyes / Les yeux noirs" (Russian: Очи чёрные, tr. Óči čjórnye, IPA: [ˈotɕɪ ˈtɕɵrnɨjɪ], lit. 'Black Eyes') is a well-known and popular Russian romance.
The lyrics were written by the poet and writer Yevhen Hrebinka, born in Poltava, now in Ukraine. The first publication of the poem was in Hrebinka's own Russian translation in Literaturnaya Gazeta on January 17, 1843. A song using these lyrics was published in 1874, but its melody was not included in the publication.
The melody now associated with the lyrics may have been borrowed from the "Valse hommage", Op. 21 for piano, written by Florian Hermann, a composer of German-Polish origin active in the Russian Empire. The Op. 21 was published in 1879. In The Book of World-famous Music: Classical, Popular, and Folk (2000) James Fuld reports that a Soviet musicologist told him that the song is not "a Russian traditional song but a cabaret song", published in 1884 and reprinted as number 131 in a songbook by A. Gutheil in 1897, where it is described as a "Gypsy romance based on the melody of Florian Hermann's Valse Hommage".
In Rebeca Chávez's 2010 documentary, 'Cuando Sindo Garay visitó a Emiliano Blez', Sindo Garay claimed the authorship of the melody. According to Garay the melody of 'Ojos negros que fascinan', a bolero, was composed upon request by him for a Russian choir-girl with beautiful and expressive eyes when an Opera company from Russia came to visit Cuba in the 1890s. Garay stated that “the melody of 'Ojos negros' (Dark Eyes) went back to Russia with the musicians and it was not until many years later that he found out through a friend that the song was part of the soundtrack of a Russian film playing at the local theatre”. Garay was pleased knowing his music was worthy of such a merit.
The most renowned and played version of Dark Eyes was written by Adalgiso Ferraris, and published, when still in Russia in 1910, with German editor Otto Kuhl, as "Schwarze Augen" (Black Eyes). Ferraris then published it again in 1931 by Paris Editions Salabert, as "Tes yeux noirs (impression russe)" and with Jacques Liber, on 9 October 1931.
Ferraris, an Italian-born British composer, had spent many years in Russia before 1915. The song became one of his major successes in the 1920s and 1930s, being also played by Albert Sandler, by Leslie Jeffries in 1939, and sung by Al Bowlly as "Black Eyes" in 1939 with words of Albert Mellor. Max Jaffa also recorded it.
Ferraris himself can be seen in a British Pathé film from 1934 of Alfredo and his Gypsy band playing "Dark Eyes", sitting in the orchestra behind the lead Alfredo.
credits
from Live at the Quecumbar,
released January 4, 2012
Benoit Viellefon - Guitar / Vocals
Dave Shulman - Clarinet / Tenor saxophone
Pete Horsfall - Trumpet
Geoff Threadgold - Doublebass
Pete Watson - Accordion
Pedro Velasco - lead guitar
Produced by Paul Clarck (Sonica studio London)
Recorded live on the 1st April of 2012.
recorded in 1 take on 2 condender microphones set in front of the stage.
Benoit Viellefon is a French singer and guitarist established in the UK. Specialised in 1920's 1930's and 1940's music,
Benoit is resident at Ronnie Scotts and other famous clubs. Benoit appears in many Hollywood films, TV and radio productions, festivals, and performed for VIP such as Madonna, the Queen, or the Kremlin. He often tours with his 3 bands: The Orchestra, the Hot Club, the trio....more
Martin Wheatley is THE BEST guitar, steel guitar, pedal steel, ukulele player in the UK, and when it comes to 1920-1930-1940's music. He is the authority on the music of this period and a virtuoso! Benoit Viellefon
A collection of jazz standards from this Chicago artist recalls the genre’s swing era, with waltzing rhythms and skipping guitars. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 12, 2021
