“Sasha and Dinu”
composed and performed by Reynold D. Philipsek 2013 copyright
Zino-Rephi Music (BMI)
C Sharp Minor is a key that always puts me in mind and feeling of Slavic melancholy.
Slavic melancholy is a condition that permeates a lot of music by musicians of that particular origin with myself included.
This “melancholy” is not all sad because a certain nobility is involved as well.
Considering the history of the region this is understandable.
Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin all famously wrote pieces in the key of C Sharp Minor.
The Sasha I refer to is Scriabin. The Dinu is the Romanian pianist and composer Dinu Lipatti.
We also have named our new female Havanese puppy Sasha.
(She is adorable and happy and not the least melancholy.)
Though the general thrust of this piece definitely conveys this Slavic element which is heartfelt for me and quite natural, there is also a very American component in parts of the piece.
It is very easy for me to “feel” this music and it is one of the things I love to play. Every morning it is one piece I play to start my day along with Chartreuse, Dark Eyes, and Through Rose Colored Glasses.