An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriagewhich may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged. Future brides and grooms may be called the betrothed, a husband-to-be or wife-to-be, fiancées or fiancés, respectively (from the French word fiancé). The duration of the courtship varies vastly.

Long engagements were once common in formal arranged marriages and it was not uncommon for parents betrothing children to arrange such many years before the engaged couple were old enough to marry.

Origin

The origin of European engagement in marriage practice is found in the Jewish law (Torah), first exemplified by Abraham, and outlined in the last Talmudic tractate of the Nashim (Women) order, where marriage consists of two separate acts, called ''erusin'' (or ''kiddushin'', meaning ''sanctification''), which is the betrothal ceremony, and ''nissu'in'' or ''chupah'', the actual ceremony for the marriage. ''Erusin'' changes the couple's interpersonal status, while ''nissu'in'' brings about the legal consequences of the change of status. (However, in the Talmud and other sources of Jewish law there is also a process, called ''shidduchin'', corresponding to what today is called engagement. Marrying without such an agreement is considered immoral.)

This was later adopted in Ancient Greece as the ''gamos'' and ''engeysis'' rituals, although unlike in Judaism the contract made in front of witness was only verbal. The giving of a ring was eventually borrowed from Judaism by Roman marriage law, with the fiancé presenting it after swearing the oath of marriage intent, and presenting of the gifts at the engagement party.

Betrothal

Betrothal (also called espousal) is a formal state of engagement to be married.

In Jewish weddings during Talmudic times (c.1st century BCE - 6th century CE), the two ceremonies of betrothal (''erusin'') and wedding usually took place up to a year apart; the bride lived with her parents until the actual marriage ceremony (''nissuin''), which would take place in a room or tent that the groom had set up for her. Since the Middle Ages the two ceremonies have taken place as a combined ceremony performed in public. The ''betrothal'' is now generally part of the Jewish wedding ceremony, accomplished when the groom gives the bride the ring or another object of at least nominal value. (As mentioned above, betrothal in Judaism is separate from engagement; breaking a betrothal requires a formal divorce, and violation of betrothal is considered adultary.)

Typical steps of a match were the following:

Negotiation of a match, usually done by the couple's families with bride and groom having varying levels of input, from no input, to veto power, to a fuller voice in the selection of marriage partner.

* This is not as widely practiced as it was historically, although it is still common in culturally conservative communities in Israel, India, Africa, and Persian Gulf countries, although most of these have a requirement that the bride be at least allowed veto power.

Negotiation of bride price or dowry

* In most cultures evolved from Europe, the modern practice has reduced bride prices or dowries to the engagement ring accompanying the marriage contract as used in Judaism, while in other cultures (such as those on the Arabian Peninsula), these are still part of negotiating a marriage contract.

Blessing by the parents and clergy

Exchange of Vows and Signing of Contracts

* Often one of these is omitted

Celebration

The exact duration of a betrothal varies according to culture and the participants’ needs and wishes. For adults, it may be anywhere from several hours (when the betrothal is incorporated into the wedding day itself) to a period of several years. A year and a day are common in neo-pagan groups today. In the case of child marriage, betrothal might last from infancy until the age of marriage.

The responsibilities and privileges of betrothal vary. In most cultures, the betrothed couple is expected to spend much time together, learning about each other. In some historical cultures (including colonial North America), the betrothal was essentially a trial marriage, with marriage only being required in cases of conception of a child. In almost all cultures there is a loosening of restrictions against physical contact between partners, even in cultures which would normally otherwise have strong prohibitions against it. The betrothal period was also considered to be a preparatory time, in which the groom would build a house, start a business or otherwise prove his readiness to enter adult society.

In medieval Europe, in canon law, a betrothal could be formed by the exchange of vows in the future tense ("I ''will'' take you as my wife/husband," instead of "I take you as my wife/husband"), but sexual intercourse consummated the vows, making a binding marriage rather than a betrothal. Although these betrothals could be concluded with only the vows spoken by the couple, they had legal implications: Richard III of England had his older brother's children declared illegitimate on the grounds their father had been betrothed to another woman when he married their mother.

A betrothal is considered to be a 'semi-binding' contract. Normal reasons for invalidation of a betrothal include:

Revelation of a prior commitment or marriage,

Evidence of infidelity,

Failure to conceive (in 'trial marriage' cultures),

Failure of either party to meet the financial and property stipulations of the betrothal contract.

Normally a betrothal can also be broken at the behest of either party, though some financial penalty (such as forfeit of the bride price) usually will apply.

Orthodox Church

In the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches, the Rite of Betrothal will traditionally be performed in the narthex (entranceway) of the church, to indicate the couple's first entrance into the married estate. The priest will bless the couple and give them lit candles to hold. Then, after a litany, and a prayer at which everyone bows, he places the bride's ring on the ring finger of the groom's right hand, and the groom's ring on the bride's finger. The rings are then exchanged three times, either by the priest or by the best man, after which the priest says a final prayer. Originally, the betrothal service would take place at the time the engagement was announced. In recent times, however, it tends to be performed immediately before the wedding ceremony itself. The exchange of rings is not a part of the wedding service in the Eastern Churches, but only occurs at the betrothal. Traditionally, the groom's ring is gold and the bride's ring is silver.

Historically betrothal in Catholicism was a formal contract considered as binding as marriage, and a divorce was necessary to terminate a betrothal. Betrothed couples were regarded legally as husband and wife - even before their wedding and physical union. The concept of an official engagement period in Western European culture may have begun in 1215 at the Fourth Lateran Council, headed by Pope Innocent III, which decreed that "marriages are to be ... announced publicly in the churches by the priests during a suitable and fixed time, so that if legitimate impediments exist, they may be made known." Such a formal church announcement of the intent to marry is known as banns. In some jurisdictions, reading the banns may be part of one type of legal marriage.

Exceptions

Some couples choose not to label their agreement to marry as "engagement". This may be the case where one or both partners is marrying for the second time. In these cases, the groom may not propose in a formal manner; and an engagement ring might not be given or worn.

Engagement rings

Customs for engagement rings vary according to time, place, and culture. An engagement ring has historically been uncommon, and when such a gift was given, it was separate from the wedding ring.

The tradition of giving a ring for marriage engagement originated from Judaism that was originally a golden nose ring (Chayei Sarah 24:22) given by Eliezer of Damascus to Rebecca, with Saadiah Gaon also citing as a possible source of the practice in the phrase in Nehemiah 7:46 ''be’nei tabbaot'' (children of the rings). There, law required it as a money equivalent, ''shaveh kessef'' that the bride could own from the first moment of the marriage contract; in Jewish law the bride has to know only that the ring is valued at a minimum of a ''pe’rutah'', a symbolic low-valued coin, the actual value of the contract written in the Ketubah.

Romantic rings from the time of the Roman Empire sometimes bore clasped hands symbolizing contract, from which the later Celtic Claddagh symbol (two hands clasping a heart) may have evolved as a symbol of love and commitment between two people. Romans believed the circle was a bond between the two people who were to be married and signified eternity, but was first practiced on the fourth finger/ring finger by the Romans, who believed this finger to be the beginning of the ''vena amoris'' ("vein of love"), the vein that leads to the heart. In cultures with European origin, and many other countries, an engagement ring is worn following the practice of the Romans who "...wore the ring either on the right middle finger or the left ring [4th] finger, from which, according to ancient Egyptian physicians, a nerve led directly to the heart." The custom in Continental Europe and other countries is to wear it on the right hand. One historical exception arose in monarchical regimes, in which a nobleman entering into morganatic marriage, a marriage in which the person, usually the woman, of lower rank stayed at the same rank instead of rising ranks, would present his left hand to receive the ring, hence the alternative term 'marriage with the left hand' (Ger. ''Ehe zur linken Hand''), the offspring of such marriages considered to be disinherited from birth.

The modern Western form of the practice of giving or exchanging engagement rings is traditionally thought to have begun in 1477 when Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring as an engagement present.

In other countries like Argentina, men and women each wear a ring similar to wedding bands. They are made of silver ("alianza de plata") when manifesting an informal "boyfriend-girlfriend" relationship, though this first step might not always happen; howbeit depending on finances, this may be the only ring given at all. The gold band ("anillo de compromiso" or "alianza de oro") is given to the bride when the commitment is formal and the [optional] diamond ring ("cintillo") is reserved for the wedding ceremony when the groom gives it to the bride. The gold band that the groom wore during the engagement - or a new one, as some men choose not to wear them during engagement - is then given to the groom by the bride; and the bride receives both the original gold band and the new diamond at the ceremony. The bride's diamond ring is worn on top of the engagement band at the wedding and thereafter, especially at formal occasions or parties; otherwise the engagement band suffices for daily wear for both parties. At the wedding, the rings are swapped from the right to the left hand. In Brazil, they are always made of gold, and there is no tradition for the engagement ring. Both men and women wear the wedding band on their right hand while engaged, and, after they marry, they shift the rings to their left hands. In Nordic countries such as Finland and Norway, both men and women wear an engagement ring.

In the modern era, some women's wedding rings are made into two separate pieces. One part is given to her to wear as an engagement ring when she accepts the marriage proposal and the other during the wedding ceremony. When worn together, the two rings look like one piece of jewelry.

Engagement parties

Some engagements are announced at an engagement party, traditionally hosted by the bride's parents. These parties are given in the family's usual style of entertainment. Traditionally, engagement parties were normal parties at which a surprise announcement of the engagement was made by the father of the bride to his guests. Therefore, it is not a traditional gift-giving occasion since no guests were supposed to be aware of the engagement until after their arrival.

In modern times, engagement parties often celebrate a previously publicized engagement. Whether presents are given at these engagement parties varies from culture to culture.

Notes

Category:Marriage

ar:خطوبة arc:ܡܟܝܪܘܬܐ da:Forlovelse de:Verlöbnis es:Esponsales eo:Fianĉiĝo fa:نامزدی fr:Fiançailles ko:약혼 hi:वाग्दान id:Pertunangan it:Promessa di matrimonio he:אירוסים ka:ნიშნობა nl:Verloving ja:婚約 no:Forlovelse km:ពិធីបញ្ជាប់ពាក្យ pl:Zaręczyny pt:Noivado ru:Обручение sq:Fejesa simple:Engagement fi:Kihlaus sv:Förlovning tr:Nişan uk:Заручини zh-yue:訂婚 zh:訂婚

Medwyn Goodall (born in 1961) is a composer and musician mostly associated with the New Age genre. He was born in Yorkshire, England. He lives with his wife Wendy in Cornwall, England. According to Allmusic, "Goodall began composing original songs as a teen, earning local notoriety with his band Trax; in the years to follow, he learned to play a vast range of instruments, including mandolin, piano, drums, harp, flute, glockenspiel, panpipes, vibraphone and synthesizer, and cut his first album at age 16". He is a prolific recorder, having recorded over 75 albums. He also topped the UK music charts twice and sold over three million albums. His first album was ''Emergence'' (1987), published by New World Music. His early albums were published also by Oreade Music. Medwyn Goodall recently started MG Music, a record label which specializes in New Age music.

He produced albums on which he arranged, performed, mixed and mastered every song, although his album, ''Om'' (2006), was produced together with Terry Oldfield and ''Om2'' (2010), was produced together with Aroshanti. There is an updated list of his albums at MG Music and at All Music web sites.

Many of Goodall's recent releases have been under the alias Midori. He explains that he chose this alias so he "could record projects that were more ethnic, eastern, or produced for the healing arts" without confusing fans of his other music. However, there are also other musical artists using or known by the name Midori (such as the jazz-punk combo Midori and the Japanese violinist Midori Goto).

One of Goodall's tracks, "Free Spirit" from his album ''Meditations and Visualisations'' (2001) has sampled the "Summer Forest" music in the video game Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!, as composed by Stewart Copeland.

Discography

0000 — No Strings Attached — (Unknown Year)

0000 — Celtic Mist 3 — (Unknown Year)

0000 — Music For Dolphin Experience — (Unknown Year)

1987 — Emergence — (New World Music)

1987 — Innocence

1987 — Kindred Spirits — (New World Music)

1988 — In The Stillness Of A Moment

1988 — Paradise Moon — (Discover)

1989 — In the Stillness of a Moment — (New World Music)

1989 — Angel Sleep — (New World Company)

1989 — Gifts of Comfort and Joy

1990 — Druid — (New World Company)

1990 — Excalibur — (New World Company)

1990 — Leo — (Oreade Music)

1990 — Merlin — (New World Company)

1991 — Earth Healer — (New World Company)

1991 — Medicine Woman — (New World Company)

1992 — The Way of the Dolphin — (New World Company)

1992 — Kingdom of the Sun God — (New World Company)

1992 — Great Spirit — (New World Company)

1993 — Coral Sand

1993 — Antarctica

1993 — Eagle Spirit — (New World Company)

1994 — Goddess From The Sea

1994 — Nazca

1994 — Phoenix — (with Simon Cooper)

1994 — The Four Horsemen

1994 — Golden Dreams Forever

1994 — Bach

1994 — Beethoven

1994 — Mozart

1994 — Purple Dream

1994 — Return To Eden

1994 — Alpha And Omega

1994 — Green Dream

1994 — Neptune, God of the Oceans

1994 — Siesta — (New World Music)

1995 — Tintagel

1995 — Eternal Pathways

1995 — Odyssey

1995 — Ashley Moon — Sapphire

1995 — Guardian Spirit

1995 — Pagan Dawn

1995 — Moon Goddess — (New World Company)

1995 — Where Angels Tread — (New World Music)

1995 — The Gift of Excalibur

1995 — Visions

1996 — Angel Helpers

1996 — Myth and Magic — (New World Music)

1996 — Gifts of Comfort and Joy — (New World Company)

1996 — King Shaman — (Oreade)

1996 — Soshone Dream — (Oreade Music)

1996 — Priestess Return to Atlantis — (New World Company)

1996 — Guinevere

1996 — The Round Table

1996 — Winds Across the Pacific

1996 — Celtic Sunrise — (Label: Dawn Awakening, UK)

1996 — Dream Catcher — (Label: Dawn Awakening, UK)

1996 — Celtic Sunrise — (Label: Dawn Awakening, UK)

1996 — Dream Catcher — (Label: Dawn Awakening, UK)

1997 — Alcazar — (Oreade Music)

1997 — Nazca, Land of the Incas — (Oreade Music)

1997 — Grail Quest: The Arthurian Collection, Vol. 1 — (Oreade Music)

1997 — The Gift of Excalibur: The Arthurian Collection, Vol. 2 — (Oreade Music)

1997 — Fair Queen Guinevere: The Arthurian Collection, Vol. 3 — (Oreade Music)

1997 — All Good Things

1997 — A Christmas Tapestry — (New World Company)

1997 — Dolphin Quest — (Oreade)

1997 — Way of the Ocean — (New World Music)

1997 — Clan: A Celtic Journey — (New World Company)

1997 — Ancient Nazca: Inca Mysteries — (Oreade Music)

1998 — Way of the Moon — (New World Company)

1998 — Spirit of Christmas — (Oreade Music)

1998 — Wisdom Of The Forest

1998 — Best of Medwyn Goodall — (Oreade Music)

1998 — Gregorian Harmonny — (New Music World)

1998 — Secret Of The Panpipes — (New Music World)

1999 — Medicine Woman II: The Gift — (New World Company)

1999 — Catalan Siesta — (Sanctuary)

1999 — Peaceful Garden

1999 — Millennium — (New World Company)

1999 — Comet — (New World Company)

2000 — Lightstream

2000 — The Scroll (Clan II) — (New World Music)

2000 — Visions — (New World Music)

2000 — Bali — (New Music World)

2000 — Winds Across the Pacific — (Oreade Music)

2000 — Mind Body Soul Series Sleep — (New World Music)

2001 — Mind Body Soul Series — Meditation & Visualisation — (New World Music)

2001 — Mind Body Soul Series — Feng Shui -(New World Music)

2001 — Earth Love

2001 — The Essence of Magic — (New World Company)

2001 — Timeless — (New World Music)

2001 — English Summer

2001 — Sacred Medicine — (Oreade Music)

2001 — Autumn (series Four Seasons) — (Label: New Beginnings)

2001 — Spring (series Four Seasons) — (Label: New Beginnings)

2001 — Summer (series Four Seasons) — (Label: New Beginnings)

2001 — Winter (series Four Seasons) — (Label: New Beginnings)

2001 — April Showers — (Label: New Beginnings)

2001 — Clam Ocean — (Label: New Beginnings)

2001 — Heaven’s Breath — (Label: New Beginnings)

2001 — The Magic Of Easter Island — (Label: New Beginnings)

2001 — Scarborough Fair — (New Music World)

2001 — April Showers — (Label: New Beginnings)

2001 — Clam Ocean — (Label: New Beginnings)

2001 — Heaven’s Breath — (Label: New Beginnings)

2001 — The Magic Of Easter Island — (Label: New Beginnings)

2002 — Snows of Kilimanjaro — (New World Company)

2002 — Shoshone Dream — (Oreade Music)

2002 — Bonsai Garden — (New Music World)

2002 — Reflexology — (New Music World)

2002 — Anam Cara — (Oreade Music)

2003 — Rhythm of the Ancients — (New World Company)

2003 — Dragon’s Keep (with Tony O’Connor) — (Label: Studio Horizon)

2003 — Classics for Healing — (New World Music)

2004 — Classics for Tranquillity — (New World Music)

2004 — Classics for Creativity — (New World Music)

2004 — Copyright Free Music Series, Vol. 1: Movement — (MG Music)

2004 — Copyright-Free Music Series, Vol. 2: Stillness — (MG Music)

2004 — Copyright Free Music Series, Vol. 4: Expression — (MG Music)

2004 — Copyright Free Music Series, Vol. 5: Overdub — (MG Music)

2004 — Copyright Free Music Series, Vol. 6: Christmas — (MG Music)

2004 — Copyright Free Music Series, Vol. 7: Medieval Wedding — (MG Music)

2004 — Copyright Free Music Series, Vol. 8: Celtic — (MG Music)

2004 — Eye of the Wolf — (MG Music)

2004 — Dolphins And Sea — (Oreade Music)

2004 — Guinevere — (MG Music)

2004 — Land of the Inca — (MG Music)

2004 — Momentum — (MG Music)

2004 — Chronicles: An Epic Tale in Music — (Oreade Music)

2004 — Natural Sound Series — Dolphins — (MG Music)

2004 — Natural Sound Series — Morning Birdsong — (MG Music)

2004 — Natural Sound Series — Mountain Stream — (MG Music)

2004 — Natural Sound Series — Ocean Waves — (MG Music)

2004 — Natural Sound Series — Raindrops — (MG Music)

2004 — Natural Sound Series — Rainforest — (MG Music)

2004 — Natural Sound Series — Thunderstorm — (MG Music)

2004 — Natural Sound Series — Pebble Beach — (MG Music)

2004 — Natural Sound Series — Woodland Walk — (MG Music)

2004 — The Dragon’s Breath — Re-release of The Dragon’s Keep — (MG Music)

2004 — Pagan Dawn: The Selected Music Of Medwyn Goodall — (New World Music)

2004 — The Legend of King Arthur — (MG Music)

2004 — The Round Table — (MG Music)

2004 — Tintagel — (MG Music)

2005 — Medicine Woman III, The Rising — (New World Company)

2005 — Tribal Nation (with Scott Jasper) — (MG Music)

2005 — Natural World — (New World Music)

2006 — Native Spirit — Original Soundtrack

2006 — Celtic Visions (New Music World)

2006 — Gregorian Devotion — (New Music World)

2006 — Series Life Style — Music For Crystal Healing

2006 — Series Life Style — Music For Healing

2006 — Series Life Style — Music For Perfect Sleep

2006 — Series Life Style — Music For Aromatherapy & Massage

2006 — The Sorcerer’s Daughter — (MG Music)

2006 — Medwyn’s Cornwall — (MG Music)

2006 — Om (with Terry Oldfield) — (MG Music)

2006 — True Champissage — Indian Head Massage — (MG Music)

2006 — True Reiki — (MG Music)

2007 — Earth Goddess — (MG Music)

2008 — Amun Ra

2008 — Serve chilled (with Tim Rock) — (MG Music)

2009 — Druid II

2009 — Origins

2009 — Medicine Woman IV — Prophecy 2012

2010 — Clan III — The Lands Beyond

2011 — Tears Of The Dragon

References

Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:English New Age musicians

pl:Medwyn Goodall

name	Anna Netrebko
background	solo_singer
birth name	Anna Yuryevna Netrebko
birth date	September 18, 1971
birth place	Krasnodar, Soviet Union(now Krasnodar, Russia)
instrument	Vocals
genre	Opera
occupation	Opera singer (soprano)
years active	1993–present
website	}}

Anna Yuryevna Netrebko (; born 18 September 1971) is an operatic soprano. She now holds dual Russian and Austrian citizenship and currently resides in Vienna. She has been nicknamed "La Bellissima" by fans.

Biography

Netrebko was born in a family of Ukrainian and Kuban Cossack background. While a student at the Saint Petersburg conservatoire, Netrebko worked as a janitor at Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre. Later, she auditioned for the Mariinsky Theatre, where conductor Valery Gergiev recognized her from her prior work in the theater. He subsequently became her vocal mentor. Under Gergiev's guidance, Netrebko made her operatic stage debut at the Mariinsky at age 22, as Susanna in ''Le nozze di Figaro''. She went on to sing many prominent roles with the Kirov Opera, including Amina in ''La sonnambula'', Pamina in ''Die Zauberflöte'', Rosina in ''Il Barbiere di Siviglia'', and Lucia in ''Lucia di Lammermoor''.

In 1994, she sang the Queen of the Night in ''Die Zauberflöte'' with the Riga Independent Opera Avangarda Akadēmija under conductor David Milnes.

In March 2006, Netrebko applied to become an Austrian citizen, receiving her citizenship in late July. According to an interview in the Austrian weekly news, she will live in Vienna and Salzburg. This has led to some backlash in Russia. Netrebko cites the cumbersome and humiliating process of obtaining visas (as a Russian citizen) for her many performances abroad as the main reason for obtaining Austrian citizenship.

In March 2007, Netrebko announced that she would be an ambassador for SOS Children's Village in Austria, and be a sponsor for the Tomilino village in Russia.

In April 2008, Netrebko announced that she and her fiancé, Uruguayan baritone Erwin Schrott, had married. Their son Tiago Aruã Schrott was born on 5 September 2008 in Vienna.. In July 2011, she talked of opening a restaurant .

Performances

In 1995, at the age of 24, Netrebko made her American debut as Lyudmila in Glinka's ''Ruslan and Lyudmila'' at the San Francisco Opera. Following this successful performance, she became a frequent guest singer in San Francisco. She is known as an acclaimed interpreter of other Russian operatic roles, such as Natasha in Prokofiev's ''War and Peace'', Louisa in ''Betrothal in a Monastery'' and Marfa in ''The Tsar's Bride''. Netrebko has also made successful forays into ''bel canto'' and romantic roles such as Gilda in ''Rigoletto'', Mimi in ''La bohème'', Giulietta in Bellini's ''I Capuleti e i Montecchi'', and Elvira in ''I puritani''.

In 2002, Netrebko made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Natasha in the Met premiere of ''War and Peace''. In the same year, she sang her first Donna Anna at the Salzburg Festival's production of ''Don Giovanni'', conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. She also performed at the Russian Children's Welfare Society's major fund raiser, the "Petroushka Ball". She returned to the Ball in 2003 and 2006 and is an honorary director of the charity.

In 2003, Netrebko performed as Violetta in Verdi's ''La traviata'' in Munich, the title role in ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' at the Los Angeles Opera, and Donna Anna at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Her second album, ''Sempre Libera'', was released the following year. She later appeared as Violetta Valéry in ''La traviata'' at the Salzburg Festival, conducted by Carlo Rizzi and in 2008 she performed the same role at Covent Garden to triumphant acclaim on the opening night, opposite Jonas Kaufmann and Dmitri Hvorostovsky in performances conducted by Maurizio Benini. However, she cancelled three subsequent performances due to suffering a bronchial condition. This was the second time she had cancelled her performances at the Royal Opera House, having withdrawn from some performances of ''Don Giovanni'' the previous summer due to illness.

On 30 May 2007, Netrebko made her Carnegie Hall debut with Dmitri Hvorostovsky and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Originally scheduled for 2 March 2006, Netrebko postponed the recital because she did not feel artistically ready.

Netrebko appeared at the Last Night of the Proms on 8 September 2007 where she performed "Ah! Se una volta ... Ah! Non credea mirarti ... Ah! Non giunge" from ''La sonnambula'', "Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiß" (''Giuditta'') and the song "Morgen!" by Richard Strauss (with violinist Joshua Bell). In the fall of 2007 she reprised her role as Juliette in ''Roméo et Juliette'' at the Metropolitan Opera. In December 2007, Netrebko performed for Martin Scorsese, a 2007 Honoree, at the Kennedy Center Honors, and in May 2008 she made a much-awaited debut at the Paris Opera in ''I Capuleti e i Montecchi'', with Joyce DiDonato as her Romeo.

Netrebko was scheduled to sing Lucia in ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' in October 2008 at the Metropolitan Opera, but due to her pregnancy she decided to drop out of the role.

In her first performance after her maternity leave, Netrebko sang Lucia in ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' when it opened at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg on 14 January 2009, in a production from the Scottish Opera led by John Doyle. She then sang the same role in January and February 2009 at the Metropolitan Opera. Netrebko appeared as Giulietta in ''I Capuleti e i Montecchi'' at the Royal Opera House in Spring 2009, and as Violetta in ''La traviata'' in June 2009 at the San Francisco Opera. On November 13, 2010 in a matinee performance broadcast nationally by PBS, she sang the role of Norina in ''Don Pasquale'' at New York's Metropolitan Opera House under conductor James Levine. On April 2, 2011, she sang the title role of Gaetano Donizetti's ''Anna Bolena'' at the Vienna State Opera for a sold-out premiere there, and the repeat performance on April 5, 2011 was broadcast live to cinemas around the world.

Discography

Complete opera recordings in DVD format

!#	!Recordingyear	!Opera	!Cast	!Conductor,Opera house and orchestra	!Releaseyear	!Label
1	1995		Anna Netrebko Vladimir Ognovenko Larissa Diadkova Gennady Bezzubenkov Galina Gorchakova		2003
2	1998		Anna Netrebko Larissa Diadkova Nikolai Gassiev Aleksander Gergalov Sergei Aleksashkin		2005
3	2005		Anna Netrebko Rolando Villazón Thomas Hampson Helene Schneiderman Diane Pilcher		2006	Deutsche Grammophon
4	2005		Anna Netrebko Rolando Villazón Ildebrando D'Arcangelo Leo Nucci Inna Los	Alfred Eschwé Vienna State Opera orchestra, chorus and stage orchestra	2007
5	2006		Anna Netrebko Ildebrando D'Arcangelo Bo Skovhus Dorothea Röschmann Christine Schäfer	Nicolaus Harnoncourt Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera chorus	2007	Deutsche Grammophon
6	2007		Anna Netrebko Eduardo Valdes Franco Vasallo John Relyea Eric Cutler	Patrick Summers Metropolitan Opera orchestra, chorus and ballet	2008	Deutsche Grammophon
7	2007		Anna Netrebko Rolando Villazón Christof Fischesser Alfredo Daza Rémy Coraza	Daniel Barenboim Staatskapelle Berlin and Berlin State Opera chorus	2008	Deutsche Grammophon
8	2008		Anna Netrebko Rolando Villazón George von Bergen Nicole Cabell Adrian Eröd	Bertrand de Billy Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and chorus Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz children chorus	2009	Axiom Films
9	2009		Anna Netrebko Mariusz Kwiecien Piotr Beczala Colin Lee Ildar Abdrazakov	Marco Armiliato Metropolitan Opera orchestra, chorus and ballet	2009	Deutsche Grammophon
10	2010		Anna Netrebko Mariusz Kwiecien Matthew Polenzani John del Carlo	James Levine Metropolitan Opera orchestra and chorus	2011	Deutsche Grammophon

Complete opera recordings in audio CD format

!#	!Recordingyear	!Opera	!Cast	!Conductor,Opera house and orchestra	!Releaseyear	!Label
1	1995		Anna Netrebko Vladimir Ognovenko Larissa Diadkova Gennady Bezzubenkov Galina Gorchakova		2003
2	1997		Anna Netrebko Larissa Diadkova Mikhail Kit Evgeny Akimov Alexander Morozov		2001
3	1998		Anna Netrebko Larissa Diadkova Nikolai Gassiev Aleksander Gergalov Sergei Aleksashkin		1999
4	2005		Anna Netrebko Rolando Villazón Thomas Hampson Helene Schneiderman Diane Pilcher		2006	Deutsche Grammophon
5	2006		Anna Netrebko Ildebrando D'Arcangelo Bo Skovhus Dorothea Röschmann Christine Schäfer	Nicolaus Harnoncourt Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera chorus	2007	Deutsche Grammophon
6	2007		Anna Netrebko Rolando Villazón Boaz Daniel Nicole Cabell Stéphane Degout	Bertrand de Billy Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and chorus Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz children chorus	2008	Deutsche Grammophon
7	2008		Anna Netrebko Elīna Garanča Joseph Calleja Robert Gleadow Tiziano Bracci	Fabio Luisi Vienna Symphony and the Wiener Singakademie	2009	Deutsche Grammophon

Other albums in audio CD and DVD formats

''Opera Arias''

''Opera''

''Duets'' (With Villazon)

''Sempre Libera''

''Russian Album''

''Souvenirs''

''In the Still of Night''

''The Mozart album''

''La nozze di Figaro - Highlights''

''Anna - Best of Anna Netrebko''

''Rossini: Stabat Mater''

''Prima donna - First ladies of opera''

''Puccini gold''

''Puccini: La Boheme (Soundtrack Highlights)]''

''Violeta: arias & duets from Verdi's La Traviata'' (CD/DVD)

''Stabat Mater - A Tribute to Pergolesi'' (CD/DVD)

''The Berlin Concert - Live from the Waldbühne'' DVD

''The opera gala - Live from Baden-Baden'' DVD

''Gala concert from St. Petersburg'' DVD

''The woman - The voice'' DVD

''A Mozart gala from Salzburg'' DVD

Recognitions and awards

''Time'' magazine placed her on its Time 100 list in 2007. She was identified by the journal ''Musical America'' as "a genuine superstar for the 21st century" and was named 'Musician of the Year' for 2008. She has also been described by Associated Press as "the reigning new diva of the 21st century".

She was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation (2004) and was made a People's Artist of Russia by President Putin in 2008.

''Playboy'' magazine placed her in their "sexiest babes of classical music" list.

Netrebko has also won two prestigious Classical BRIT Awards: the 2007 Singer of the Year Award and the 2008 Female of the Year.

References

External links

Reviews, articles, photos and future schedules for Anna Netrebko from The Opera Critic

Profile of Netrebko in the New York Times

Anna Netrebko on YouTube

Unofficial site of Anna Netrebko

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Operatic sopranos Category:People from Krasnodar Category:People's Artists of Russia Category:Russian expatriates in Austria Category:Russian female singers Category:Russian opera singers Category:Russian people of Ukrainian descent Category:Russian sopranos Category:Saint Petersburg Conservatory alumni Category:State Prize of the Russian Federation laureates

ca:Anna Netrebko cs:Anna Netrebko da:Anna Netrebko de:Anna Jurjewna Netrebko et:Anna Netrebko es:Anna Netrebko fr:Anna Netrebko ko:안나 네트렙코 it:Anna Jur'evna Netrebko he:אנה נטרבקו la:Anna Netrebko lt:Ana Netrebko nl:Anna Netrebko ja:アンナ・ネトレプコ no:Anna Netrebko pl:Anna Netrebko pt:Anna Netrebko ru:Нетребко, Анна Юрьевна sl:Anna Netrebko fi:Anna Netrebko sv:Anna Netrebko tr:Anna Netrebko uk:Нетребко Ганна Юріївна zh:安娜·奈瑞贝科

Don Antonio Lugo High School is one of the four high schools of the Chino Valley Unified School District located in Chino, California. The mascot is the Conquistador. Don Lugo High School was founded in 1976, and during that year the school only accepted freshmen. Each following year another freshman class was added until the school had all four classes for the first time in 1980.

Athletics, Clubs, & Groups

Water polo boys Varsity and JV are undefeated Mt. Baldy league champions 09-10

Water polo girls Varsity are undefeated Mt.Baldy league champions

Swim Team both girls and boys varsity are undefeated Mt.Baldy league champions for six years now

Award Winning Band & Colorguard - SCJA Division 3 State Champions 2007, SCJA Division 4 State Champions 2008 & 2009.

ComedySportz The best Comedy Sports: High School League team in the Inland Empire 1997-2009 FFA has the largest premises in southern California. FFA is not exactly a club but a national organization that reaches from the state of Alaska to Puerto Rico and from the state of Maine to Hawaii. FFA stands for Future Farmers of America. The Don Lugo FFA Chapter used to be part of the Citrus Section. Starting from the 2008-2009 school year, Citrus section was disbanded, and the remaining chapters went to different sections. The Don Lugo FFA chapter is currently part of the Orange section. The Don Lugo FFA participates in many competitions. Golf Team - League Champions 2008 (first championship in history of Don Lugo) International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, Diploma Programme- Official IB school

Track 2000 US Track & Field National Outdoor Championships - Boys 4x800 meter relay National Champions. Current California State Record 4x800 Meter Relay holder. 7:38.31. Mike Serratos 1:55.2 Art Garcia 1:54.5 Raphael Asafo-Agyei 1:54.9 Nick Branen 1:53.7.

Wrestling (1983 Division 2A Heavyweight Champion, Gene Skaggs / Southern Section 1996 State Champion 215 LBS, Jose Aguilar) Wrestling (1983 Division 2A Heavyweight Champion, Gene Skaggs / Southern Section 1996 State Champion 215 LBS, Jose Aguilar, nat'l champion Jose Aguilar HVYWT.) Cross-Country 1999 Division 1/Sourthern Section) - Boys Cross Country Team State Champions - November 1999, 2003 Division 1/Southern Section - Boys Cross Country Team State Champions)

JROTC

Notable alumni

Diana Taurasi – a professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA, 3 time NCAA National Champion, Wade Trophy winner and 2 time gold medal winner.

Chad Cordero – a professional baseball player who currently pitches for the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He was drafted in the 1st round of the MLB draft in 2003, by the Montreal Expos. An arm injury in 2008 led to the Washington Nationals releasing Chad. He last pitched in 9 games for the Seattle Mariners in 2010. Through 2010, he has a career record of 20 wins, 15 loses, a 2.89 ERA, to go along with 128 saves in 314 games.

Leah O'Brien-Amico – a three-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. Women's softball team.

Peter Hughes – bassist for the indie-rock band The Mountain Goats.

Joshua Mance – American sprinter.

Luis Zendejas – Pro NFL Kicker

Juan Velasquez – Notorious co-founder of Abe Vigoda, a Tropical Punk Band.

Richard Yett – Professional Baseball player.

Tony Lang - Intermediate Professional Bajo Player, Inter-Comedy League

Ivan Pacheco - DCI medalist

Raymundo Ramirez - Teacher at Garey Senior High School

External links

Don Antonio Lugo High School

Don Lugo High School Marching Conquistadores

Category:Educational institutions established in 1960 Category:High schools in San Bernardino County, California Category:Chino, California

Valery Abisalovich Gergiev (Гергиты Абисалы фырт Валери/Gergity Abisaly Fyrt Valeri; Валерий Абисалович Гергиев; born 2 May 1953) is a Russian conductor and opera company director. He is general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg.

Early life

Gergiev, born in Moscow, is the son of Tamara Tatarkanovna and Abisal Zaurbekovich. He and his siblings were raised in Vladikavkaz in their native North Ossetia in the Caucasus. While not a child prodigy, he began piano at secondary school, before going on to study at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Leningrad from 1972 to 1977. His principal conducting teacher was Prof. Ilya Musin (Илья Мусин), one of the greatest conductor-makers in Russian musical history. His sister, Larissa Gergieva, is a pianist and director of the Mariinsky's singers' academy.

Career

In 1978, he became assistant conductor at the Kirov Opera, now the Mariinsky Opera, under Yuri Temirkanov, where he made his debut conducting Sergei Prokofiev's ''War and Peace''. He was chief conductor of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra from 1981 until 1985 - the year he made his debut in the United Kingdom, along with pianist Evgeny Kissin, and violinists Maxim Vengerov and Vadim Repin, at The Lichfield Festival. In 1991, for the first time, Gergiev conducted a western European opera company with the Bavarian State Opera in a performance of Modest Mussorgsky's ''Boris Godunov'' in Munich. In the same year he made his American début, performing ''War and Peace'' with the San Francisco Opera. Since then he has conducted both operatic and orchestral repertoire across the world. Gergiev is also associated with numerous music festivals, including the ''White Nights'' festival in Saint Petersburg.

He became the chief conductor and artistic director of the Mariinsky in 1988, and overall director of the company, appointed by the Russian government, in 1996. In addition to his artistic work with the Mariinsky, Gergiev has worked in fund-raising for such projects as the recently built 1100-seat Mariinsky Hall, and intends to achieve complete renovations of the Mariinsky Theatre by 2010.

From 1995 to 2008, Gergiev was principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1997, Gergiev became principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. His contract there ran through the 2007-2008 season. His premieres there have included a new version of Mussorgsky's ''Boris Godunov'', revised and reorchestrated by Igor Buketoff.

In 2002, Gergiev was featured in one scene in the film Russian Ark, directed by Alexander Sokurov and filmed at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 2003, he initiated and conducted at the Mariinsky Theatre the first complete cycle of Wagner's ''The Ring of the Nibelung'' to be performed in Russia for over 90 years. The production's design and concept reflects many aspects of Ossetian culture. Gergiev conducted this production in Cardiff in 2006 at the Wales Millennium Centre, and in Costa Mesa, California in October 2006 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. This production was presented at the Lincoln Center in New York City in July 2007 to a great acclaim, and the run was completely sold out.

In 1988, Gergiev made his first guest conducting appearance with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). In his next appearance with the LSO in 2004, he conducted the symphonies of Sergei Prokofiev. This engagement led to his appointment in 2005 as the Orchestra's fifteenth principal conductor, succeeding Sir Colin Davis effective January 1, 2007. Gergiev's initial contract with the LSO was for 3 years. His first official concert as the LSO Principal Conductor was on 23 January 2007, as he was supposed to have conducted his first concert as LSO Principal Conductor on 13 January, but had to withdraw because of illness.

In October 2007 Gergiev took part in a unique holiday project featured in the 100th anniversary issue of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. A concert by Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra featuring piano virtuoso Lola Astanova became a part of a $1.59 million fantasy gift. The super concert is said to be hosted by the Emmy-winning American television personality Regis Philbin.

In June 2011, Gergiev took up a highly prominent reformist role as chairman of the International Tchaikovsky Competition. He replaced academic judges with famous performers and introduced an openness to the process, arranging for all performance to be streamed live and free on the internet and for the judges to speak their minds in public as and where they wished. The contest was considered a massive personal triumph

Gergiev has a reputation for an abrasive, yet passionate, conducting style. He is a driven conductor who produces his best in pieces of great drama. Curiously, he often conducts using a toothpick as a baton, as can be seen in his performances of Rimsky-Korsakov's ''Capriccio Espagnol'' and Verdi's overture to ''La Forza del Destino'' on YouTube. He has stated that his favourite composer is Sergei Prokofiev in his DVD recording of Prokofiev's Scythian Suite. He was awarded the 2006 Polar Music Prize together with Led Zeppelin.

Social and political involvement

In April 2007, Gergiev was one of eight conductors of British orchestras to endorse the 10-year classical music outreach manifesto, "Building on Excellence: Orchestras for the 21st century", to increase the presence of classical music in the UK, including giving free entry to all British schoolchildren to a classical music concert.

Gergiev has also been a consistent supporter of peace in the Caucasus, particularly in the conflict between the Georgian central government and South Ossetia. After the 2004 Beslan school massacre, Gergiev made an appeal on television for calm and against any revenge. He conducted concerts in tribute to the victims of the massacre.

During the 2008 South Ossetia war, Gergiev accused the Georgian government of massacring ethnic Ossetians, triggering the conflict with Russia. He came to Tskhinvali and conducted a concert near the ruined building of the South Ossetian Parliament as tribute to the victims of the war.

Personal life

In 1999, Gergiev married the musician Natalya Debisova, who is 27 years his junior and also a native Ossetian, and they have three children: two boys and a girl. From time to time it has been reported that Gergiev is a friend of Vladimir Putin and they are godfathers to one another's children. However in a letter written to one of these sources, Gergiev stated that he and Putin were not the godfathers of each others' children. 

Recordings

Gergiev has focused on recording Russian composers' works, both opera and symphonic, including Mikhail Glinka, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Alexander Borodin, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, Igor Stravinsky, Rodion Shchedrin. Most of his recordings, on the Philips label, are with the Kirov Orchestra, while he has also recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic. A recent undertaking, the complete Prokofiev Symphonies, is with the London Symphony Orchestra. Gergiev is also in the process of recording the complete symphonies of Gustav Mahler with the London Symphony Orchestra; all are being recorded live in concert and are available through the London Symphony Orchestra Live label. In 2009 Gergiev and Mariinsky launched a Mariinsky Live record label (being distributed by London Symphony Orchestra Live) with the first two recordings featuring the music of Dmitri Shostakovich.

Gergiev's recording of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet with London Symphony Orchestra on LSO live in 2010 was the winner of the Orchestral category and the Disc of the Year of the 2011 BBC Music Magazine Awards.

Discography

Ballets

Operas

Orchestral Works

Orchestral works with soloists

Vocal Works

Videos

DVD

''Valery Gergiev in Rehearsal and Performance''

''60 Minutes: The Wild Man of Music'', 2004.

''Valery Gergiev Conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Prokofiev, Schnittke & Stravinsky'', 2003.

Verdi: ''La forza del destino'', Marinsky Theatre Orchestra, 1998.

Rimsky-Korsakov: ''Sadko'', Kirov Opera, 2006.

Puccini: ''Turandot'', Vienna Philharmonic, 2006.

Prokofiev: ''Betrothal in a Monastery'', Kirov Opera, 2005.

''Shostakovich against Stalin'', 2005.

"''All the Russias - a musical journey''": a five-part documentary through the tradition and heritage of Russian music.

''"Gergiev Conducts Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem"'' Kringelborn, Kwiecien, Swedish Radio Choir, Rotterdam Philharmonic, 2008

Tschaikovsky: Eugene Onegin; Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Renee Fleming, Ramon Vargas, Metropolitan Opera, 2007

VHS

Mussorgsky: ''Boris Godunov'', Kirov Opera, 1993.

Tchaikovsky: ''Pique Dame'', Kirov Opera, 1994.

Tchaikovsky: ''Pique Dame'', Acts 1 and 2, Kirov Opera, 1992.

Mussorgsky: ''Kovanshchina'', Kirov Orchestra, 1994.

Prokofiev: ''Fiery Angel'', Polygram Video, 1996.

See also

Ballerina (documentary)

References

External links

Valery Gergiev Official website (Russian)

Rotterdam Philharmonic Gergiev Festival

Biography of and CDs by Valery Gergiev by cosmopolis.ch

Category:Russian conductors (music) Category:Soviet conductors (music) Category:Artistic directors (music) Category:Music directors (opera) Category:London Symphony Orchestra principal conductors Category:Order of Merit for the Fatherland recipients Category:Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music Category:Saint Petersburg Conservatory alumni Category:Ossetian people Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

cs:Valerij Gergijev de:Waleri Abissalowitsch Gergijew et:Valeri Gergijev es:Valeri Gérgiev eo:Valerij Gergijev fr:Valeri Guerguiev gl:Valeri Gérgiev hr:Valerij Abisalovič Gergijev os:Гергиты Валери it:Valerij Abisalovič Gergiev he:ואלרי גרגייב ka:ვალერი გერგიევი nl:Valeri Gergiev ja:ヴァレリー・ゲルギエフ pl:Walerij Giergijew pt:Valery Gergiev ru:Гергиев, Валерий Абисалович simple:Valery Gergiev sl:Valerij Gergijev fi:Valeri Gergijev sv:Valerij Gergijev tr:Valeri Gergiyev uk:Гергієв Валерій Абісалович zh:瓦列里·格吉耶夫