“Dark Eyes” or Black Eyes is a Russian romance—a sentimental art song—famous worldwide for its dramatic, passionate melody and its association with Romani (“Gypsy”) performance style.
It’s often mistaken for a traditional folk song, but its origins are surprisingly literary and cosmopolitan.
The melody we know today comes from: “Valse Hommage,” Op. 21 Composed by Florian Hermann (also known as Feodor/Florian Hermann) Published in 1879
