Valerie Ghent - The Angel - feat. Natasha Ghent

NYC recording artist Valerie Ghent releases The Angel, a classical cantata written by Natasha Ghent and set to the famous Mikhail Lermontov poem. Featuring Natasha Ghent on violin and viola, and her daughter, Valerie Ghent, soprano, The Angel was recorded by mother and daughter in 1988. The Angel is the only existing recording of Natasha’s beautiful and emotive expression on both violin and viola.

Fifty years after Natasha started composing the cantata, thirty-three years after “The Angel” was first recorded, and 15 years after Natasha’s passing, Valerie releases “The Angel” on May 7, 2021, just in time for Mother's Day.

Music by Natasha Gudkov Ghent
Poem by Mikhail Lermontov (1831)
English translation by Natasha Ghent

The Angel
(Mikhail Lermontov, 1831)

Along the midnight sky, an angel was flying
Singing a gentle song;
And the moon and the stars and the clouds all as one:
Heeded the sacred strain.

He sang of the blissfulness of sinless spirits
In the endless gardens of Paradise.
He sang about an Almighty God,
And his praise was unassuming.

He cradled a young soul in his embrace as he flew
Toward a world of sadness and tears
And the peal of his song
Gave resonance in the young soul: wordless but alive.

And she languished on earth for a long, lingering time
Filled with wonderful desire
And the heavenly sounds never were replaced
By earth's tedious melodies.

Ангел
(Михаил Лермонтов, 1831)

По небу полуночи ангел летел,
И тихую песню он пел,
И месяц, и звезды, и тучи толпой
Внимали той песне святой.

Он пел о блаженстве безгрешных духов
Под кущами райских садов,
О Боге великом он пел, и хвала
Его непритворна была.

Он душу младую в объятиях нес
Для мира печали и слез;
И звук его песни в душе молодой
Остался - без слов, но живой.

И долго на свете томилась она,
Желанием чудным полна,
И звуков небес заменить не могли
Ей скучные песни земли.
Mikhail Lermontov, 1831

Recording Credits:

Natasha Ghent - viola, violin, synclavier piano
Valerie Ghent - voice, synclavier angels, harp, marimba
Produced by Valerie Ghent
Recorded at The Stereo Society, NYC on August 6, 1988 on NED Synclavier/Direct-to-Disk system
Recording Engineer/Synclavier & Direct-to-Disk operator: Valerie Ghent
Transferred to ProTools by James Rosenthal (2007)
Mixed by Valerie Ghent
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound

The Angel Courtesy of Hildegard Publishing
Theodore Presser Company authorized representative

Artwork:
Flying Angel print public domain
Cover Design: Christopher Kornmann for Spit + Image
Angel images collected by Natasha Ghent

Natasha Gudkov Ghent's early violin and theory studies were at the Russian Conservatory in Paris where her meeting with Ivan Galamian led to later violin studies with the master pedagogue in America. Further education included the High School of Music and Art, the Juilliard School of Music, Sarah Lawrence College, and studies with John Graziano at the City University of New York. A musical setting for Mihail Lermontov's poem, The Angel, has been a life-long ambition rooted in her tri-lingual childhood. She writes, "My recently published Cantata, The Angel, through the auspices of the Hildegard Publishing Company, is dedicated to my daughter, Valerie, whose voice I knew would evoke and embody the beauty of Lermontov's Russian verse."

Heartfelt thanks: Mike Thorne, James Rosenthal, The Stereo Society, Claudia Engelhart, Jérôme Buigues

© 2021 West Street Records/Cavos Music All Rights Reserved

[davidlongoria]

Beautiful so touching and emotional! and awesome to have your Mother join for this!! 💛

[MrEvanOfficial]

Oh, oh, very cool, my dear friend Valerie, I like this taste of art from you, I wish you all the best, and your work should appear more widely, you are really great🎶🎧💙💙💙

[sophiegaltiersagefemmedesames]

Tu es sublime Valérie et tellement touchante. It's a pleaser to met you. Prends soin de toi

[DaroGoms]

I just heard it "when the birds stopped singing" and it's one of the most beautiful and touching songs I've ever heard in my entire life. thanks for your art! love u! good vibes from 🇧🇷😉💚💛

[patriciamacedo]

Maravilhosa! Ouvi-la me deixa CALMA e FELIZ.

[ateardropfromthesoulofadragon]

Hi Valerie :), happy new year!, you have a gift in my youtube channel ;), something i was composing since 2017, since the joy and passion for music that your video of New York City Streets inspired me a new piano playing style and new rhythtm I never tried, and with this homage to Natasha you also inspired me the first drawing i have made painting with light :) . Thank you for all the inspiration you have given to my life, in music, in drawing but the most important, with your life attitude, your aura of joy; while i was editing the video i was reading about you and i want to thank you for helping people with music, and it was amazing to know that you are expert musician also on synthesizers, i'm actually learning to play them and mix with classical instruments, and they are superfun :), an infinite world. Thanks a lot for everything and i wish a great year!. (And one more gift: i think she would be VERY proud of you, of how you are, i felt this when i drew this heartfelt homage). I titled the video: La alegría de Valerie, Valerie's joy + Angel Wings homage to Natasha

[singjohnjames]

What a beautiful musical legacy. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[cylaurent]

Valerie, what a beauty of music and what beautiful verses. Your mother, Natasha Gudkov Ghent, was absolutely sure that your voice would personify the beauty of Mikhail Lermontov's verses and the music composed by her. What a fantastic violin and viola! The more I read about you and your musical heritage, the more I admire you. You are living proof of a monumental art that makes up the story of your life and your family. I am happy to be able to share a little of your achievements as a singer and instrumentalist. You are a musical monument. I'm your admirer. May God always bless you and enlighten your work. Kisses, Valerie.

[paulettemcwilliams]

Valerie,
How beautiful is this piece and what blessing to have recorded it with your Mother? It’s such a heartfelt beautiful and touching piece. I cherish this and you . Thank you❤️

[frankdicker]

Valerie, Such a treasure. They don't write or make music like this anymore. A true tribute. Thanks for sharing.

[rosefreitas-cultura]

The Angel, is a beautiful, soft and harmonious music and this key of art, opens a window of our mind and heart to delicacy. Thank you, Valerie Ghent.

[dancazio]

Wonderful piece of music . Very delicate but strong, intense music. Congrats on a historic accomplishment ! Thanks for sharing !

[ScottLee-hpql]

Val, beautiful! This is a whole other side of your vocal skills. Wonderful to hear your Mother as well.

[jacquesjarry]

Étonnant Valérie.
Magnifique interprétation.
Violon and Piano.
🎵🎶🎹🤱TANKS.

[musicx]

Beautiful Valerie 🌸 The beautiful singing, amazing vocals and Instruments 🌸

[ateardropfromthesoulofadragon]

I love it!, so precious and charming homage, a composition with soul, the heart of time, beautiful to listen and feel.

[ameliarosner]

Lovely. Brings back so many memories. I'm about to leave a message on your website.

[betherlou]

Valerie, did you write this beautiful music? Love your voice and the instrumentals.