Ochi Cherniye (The Black Eyes)
A Gypsy woman in national dressing.
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One of the most known in the world Russian songs, and, probably, the most popular Russian romance.
The first publication took place in 1843 when the text by Eugeny Grebionka was printed in the newspaper "Литературная газета" (The Literature Newspaper). Sofus Gerdal, the kapellmeister of a legendary Moscow restaurant "Яръ" (tr. "The Steep Bank") added the music to the text of Grebionka and published the song for the first time as a romance in 1884. It was the music of the composer Florian Hermann, written long before. Gypsies sang the romance in the restaurant, where the famous Russian bass singer Feodor Shalyapin listened to it for the first time. He wrote his own edition of the romance, having changed both the music and the text. Shalyapin devoted the new text to his future wife the Italian Iola Tornagi. He performed the romance himself and his edition became the commonly known version of the song. That edition was issued as printed scores and gramophone platters named the Russian or the Gypsy romance, sometimes the authority of the text by E. Grebionka was mentioned. The first wave of Russian emigration after the revolution of 1917 brought the romance to Europe. In the Soviet Russia the romance stayed also popular and was performed by Isabella Yurieva, Iosif Kobzon, Jean Tatlian, Nikolai Slichenko and some others. The version regarded as a standard became the recording of the romance by The Soviet Army Choir with the soloist Ivan Rebroff. |
Nikolai Slichenko performs the romance
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Among the contemporary Russian singers the song is performed by Philip Kirkorov, Sergey Penkin, Nikolay Baskov, Iosif Kobzon, Dmitry Khvorostovsky. The famous Russian producer Nikita Mikhalkov shot a movie in 1987 that called "Ochi Chernie". The movie illustrates the Russian passions in their classical understanding. The motive sounds in some Hollywood films also used there as an epitome of the Russian soul. There are Russian versions with another music and text, but the same title. The famous Russian poet and singer Vladimir Vysotsky wrote two songs with the words "Ochi Chernie" in their names. Among the world`s famous singers who included the romance in their repertoire are Charles Aznavour, Mireille Mathieu, Patricia Kaas. Lois Armstrong arranged the song as a jazz piece. Julio Iglesias used the motive in his song "Nostalgie".
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The most known performer of the romance is the Russian Gypsy singer Nikolai Slichenko, the leader of the Moscow Gypsy Theater "Romа́n". The theater continues the tradition of playing the Russian 7-strings guitar and is very famous for its brilliant and fiery songs and dances in gypsy style.
Click here for the download of the score for Ochi Cherniye easier version more complicated version
Russian lyrics:
Очи чёрные Очи чёрные, очи страстные, Очи жгучие и прекрасные. Как люблю я вас, Как боюсь я вас, Знать увидел вас Я в недобрый час! Часто снились мне В полуночной тьме Очи чёрные, непокорные, А проснуся я — ночь кругом темна, И здесь некому пожалеть меня. Не встречал бы вас, Не страдал бы так, Я бы прожил жизнь улыбаючись. Вы сгубили меня, очи чёрные, Унесли навек моё счастье… Очи чёрные, очи страстные, Очи жгучие и прекрасные. Как люблю я вас, Как боюсь я вас, Знать увидел вас Я в недобрый час! |
Transliteration:
Ochi chernyye Ochi chernyye, ochi zhguchiye, Ochi strastnyye i prekrasnyye! Kak lyublyu ya vas! Kak boyus' ya vas! Znat', uvidel vas ya ne v dobryy chas! X2 Bud' tot proklyat chas, kogda vstretil vas, Ochi chernyye, nepokornyye! Ne vidal by vas, ne stradal by tak, YA by prozhil zhizn' pripevayuchi. Chasto snitsya mne v polunochnom sne I mereshchitsya schast'ye blizkoye, A prosnulsya ya - noch' krugom temna, I zdes' nekomu pozhalet' menya. Ochi chernyye, ochi zhguchiye, Ochi strastnyye i prekrasnyye! Kak lyublyu ya vas! Kak boyus' ya vas! Znat', uvidel vas ya ne v dobryy chas! X2 here to edit. |
English lyrics:
Dark eyes Dark and burning eyes, Dark as midnight skies Full of passion flame, full of lovely game I'm in love with you, I'm afraid of you. Days when I met you made me sad and blue. Oh, not for nothing are you darker than the deep! I see mourning for my soul in you, I see a triumphant flame in you: A poor heart immolated in it. But I am not sad, I am not sorrowful, My fate is soothing to me: All that is best in life that God gave us, In sacrifice I returned to the fiery eyes! Dark and burning eyes, Dark as midnight skies Full of passion flame, full of lovely game I'm in love with you, I'm afraid of you. Days when I met you made me sad and blue. |
Sources: http://www.svenko.net/texts/black_eyes.htm ; http://lyricstranslate.com/ru/ochi-chornye-очи-чёрные-dark-eyes.html ;
https://rutube.ru/video/19ecf679f554c792df4dfaaabb2461e7/ ; http://www.vremya.tv/announce/13433 ; http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/ruwiki/1081531 ; http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/galyshenka/post329039927
https://rutube.ru/video/19ecf679f554c792df4dfaaabb2461e7/ ; http://www.vremya.tv/announce/13433 ; http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/ruwiki/1081531 ; http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/galyshenka/post329039927