Birthday Offering

Birthday Offering is a pièce d'occasion in

one scene choreographed by Frederick
Ashton to music by Alexander Glazunov,
arranged by Robert Irving.[1] The ballet was
created in 1956, to celebrate the Royal
Ballet’s 25th anniversary. The first
performance took place on 5 May 1956 at
the Royal Opera House, London.
 Birthday Offering
Choreographer Frederick Ashton

Music Alexander Glazunov,

arranged by Robert
Irving

Premiere 5 May 1956

Royal Opera House,
London

Original ballet Sadler's Wells Ballet

company

Original cast
Margot Fonteyn
Beryl Grey
Violetta Elvin
Nadia Nerina
Rowena Jackson
Svetlana Beriosova
Elaine Fifield
Michael Somes
Alexander Grant
Brian Shaw
Philip Chatfield
David Blair
Desmond Doyle
Bryan Ashbridge
Source:[2]

Order of numbers
In a sumptuous setting, seven couples
make a grand entrance, then the women
perform a series of seven solo variations.
The men dance a bravura mazurka, the
principal couple performs an elegant pas
de deux, and the ballet ends with a final
waltz for the entire ensemble.[3]

1. Overture: "L'Eté" from The Seasons,

Op. 67
2. Valse de concert No. 1, Op. 47
3. Pas d'action from Scènes de ballet,
Op. 52, and Coda from Ruses
d'amour, Op. 61
4. 1st variation: "Marionettes" from
Scènes de ballet
5. 2nd variation: "La Givre" from The
Seasons
. 3rd variation: "La Glace" from The
Seasons
7. 4th variation: "La Grêle" from The
Seasons
. 5th variation: "La Neige" from The
Seasons
9. 6th variation: "L'Eté" from The
Seasons
 10. 7th variation: from Ruses d'amour
11. Mazurka, Op. 25 No. 3, (orchestrated
by Robert Irving)
12. Pas de deux; "Grand pas des
fiancées" from Ruses d'amour
13. Finale: Valse de concert No. 1, reprise

References
Notes

1. "Birthday Offering — Productions —

Royal Opera House" . roh.org.uk.
Retrieved 26 July 2014.
2. "Frederick Ashton and His Ballets -
1956" . ashtonarchive.com. Archived
 from the original on 4 February 2012.
Retrieved 31 January 2018. dead link
3. Matthew Naughtin, Ballet Music, 2014,
p. 165.

Sources

Naughtin, Matthew (2014). Ballet Music.

Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
ISBN 978-0-8108-8659-9

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