History of the Composition
This fun Boogie piece by Gerald Martin, (aka the Hungarian Composer, Denes Agay, 1912-2007) is an adaptation of the song O Chichornya, a Russian Gypsy Tune.
The melody for O Chichornya, or “Black Eyes” is based on Florian Hermann’s Valse Hommage (1879), and the lyrics were written by the Ukrainian poet Yevgeny Grebyonka (1843).
Here are a few lines of the lyrics to give you a taste of the song’s story: “Black eyes, passionate eyes, burning and beautiful eyes! How I love you, how I fear you…”
More about Gerlad Martin, Denes Agay from Wikipedia
Personal Note
I enjoy playing this piece because it is showy and fast and lively. Also, for those of you who don’t know, I am left-handed, and it is a great workout for the left hand!
I hope you enjoy this Boogie. Stay tuned for a new performance each month. Thanks for watching and listening!