# Birthday Offering

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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox Ballet
|name       = Birthday Offering
|image      = 
|image_size =
|caption    = 
|choreographer    = [Frederick Ashton](/source/Frederick_Ashton)
|composer     = [Alexander Glazunov](/source/Alexander_Glazunov), arranged by [Robert Irving](/source/Robert_Irving_(conductor))
|based_on   =
|premiere   = 5 May 1956
|place     = [Royal Opera House](/source/Royal_Opera_House), London
|ballet_company       = [Sadler's Wells Ballet](/source/The_Royal_Ballet)
|characters =
|set designer  = 
|setting    = 
|created for     = 
|genre      = 
|type   = 
}}

'''''Birthday Offering''''' is a [pièce d'occasion](/source/pi%C3%A8ce_d'occasion) in one scene choreographed by [Frederick Ashton](/source/Frederick_Ashton) to music by [Alexander Glazunov](/source/Alexander_Glazunov), arranged by [Robert Irving](/source/Robert_Irving_(conductor)).<ref name="roh">{{cite web|url=http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/birthday-offering-by-frederick-ashton|title=Birthday Offering – Productions – Royal Opera House|publisher=roh.org.uk|accessdate=2014-07-26}}</ref> The ballet was created in 1956, to celebrate the [Royal Ballet](/source/Royal_Ballet)'s 25th anniversary. The first performance took place on 5 May 1956 at the [Royal Opera House](/source/Royal_Opera_House), London.

==Original cast==
{{colbegin|colwidth=30em}}
* [Margot Fonteyn](/source/Margot_Fonteyn)
* [Beryl Grey](/source/Beryl_Grey)
* [Violetta Elvin](/source/Violetta_Elvin)
* [Nadia Nerina](/source/Nadia_Nerina)
* [Rowena Jackson](/source/Rowena_Jackson)
* [Svetlana Beriosova](/source/Svetlana_Beriosova)
* [Elaine Fifield](/source/Elaine_Fifield)
* [Michael Somes](/source/Michael_Somes)
* [Alexander Grant](/source/Alexander_Grant_(dancer))
* [Brian Shaw](/source/Brian_Shaw_(dancer))
* [Philip Chatfield](/source/Philip_Chatfield)
* [David Blair](/source/David_Blair_(dancer))
* [Desmond Doyle](/source/Desmond_Doyle_(dancer))
* [Bryan Ashbridge](/source/Bryan_Ashbridge)
{{colend}}

<small>Source:<ref name="ashtonarchive">{{cite web |title=Frederick Ashton and His Ballets – 1956 |url=https://guglika.lt/en/frederick-ashton-and-his-ballets-1956.html |archive-url= |archive-date= |accessdate=2018-01-31 |publisher=}}</ref></small>

==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.<ref>Matthew Naughtin, ''Ballet Music'', 2014, p. 165.</ref>

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

==References==
'''Notes'''
{{reflist}}

'''Sources'''
* Naughtin, Matthew (2014). ''Ballet Music''. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. {{ISBN|978-0-8108-8659-9}}

{{Frederick Ashton}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birthday Offering}}
Category:Ballets by Frederick Ashton
Category:Ballets to the music of Alexander Glazunov
Category:1956 ballets
Category:Ballets created for The Royal Ballet

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Birthday Offering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_Offering) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_Offering?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.