''Birthday Offering'' is a
pièce d'occasion
A pièce d'occasion () like the word ''pièce'' meaning preparing and ''d'occasion'' meaning for special occasion suggests pis a composition, dance or theatrical piece composed, often commissioned, for a festive occasion.
Examples
* ''The Dying ...
in one scene choreographed by
Frederick Ashton
Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton (17 September 190418 August 1988) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He also worked as a director and choreographer in opera, film and revue.
Determined to be a dancer despite the opposit ...
to music by
Alexander Glazunov
Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov; ger, Glasunow (, 10 August 1865 – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Russian Romantic period. He was director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 ...
, arranged by
Robert Irving.
The ballet was created in 1956, to celebrate the
Royal Ballet
The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...
's 25th anniversary. The first performance took place on 5 May 1956 at the
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal ...
, London.
Original cast
*
Margot Fonteyn
Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells ...
*
Beryl Grey
*
Violetta Elvin
*
Nadia Nerina
*
Rowena Jackson
*
Svetlana Beriosova
*
Elaine Fifield
*
Michael Somes
*
Alexander Grant Alexander Grant may refer to:
The arts
* Alex da Kid (Alexander Grant, born 1982), English hip-hop producer
* Alex Grant (musician) (born 1974), bass guitarist for Idlewild and DeSalvo
* Alex Grant (poet), Scottish-American poet, teacher
* Alexa ...
*
Brian Shaw
*
Philip Chatfield
*
David Blair
*
Desmond Doyle
*
Bryan Ashbridge
Source:[ dead link]
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.
[Matthew Naughtin, ''Ballet Music'', 2014, p. 165.]
# 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
Sources
* Naughtin, Matthew (2014). ''Ballet Music''. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
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Ballets by Frederick Ashton
Ballets to the music of Alexander Glazunov
1956 ballet premieres
Ballets created for The Royal Ballet