Romance: Seven Russian Folk Songs - CBSN/KB

I. Prelude

II. Ya Liubil Zhenshching

III. Toska

IV. Bandura

V. Yablotchko

VI. Tchupchick

VII. Andante

One of Alan Hawkins' favorite students was Kim Krutz, a frequent performer on bassoon and contrabassoon with the Kansas City Symphony. She was married to Russian double bass player Mischa Krutz. Allan wrote the Romance for them, utilizing several Russian folk songs of varying familiarity. Listeners will recognize "The Birch Tree" (made famous in Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony) in the Prelude, and "Yoblotchka" (An Apple) used by Gliere in his "Russian Sailor's Dance" in the ballet The Red Poppy. The second movement title translates to "I Love Women" while "Toska" does not refer to Puccini's tragic heroine, but the Russian word for sadness stemming from homesickness.