User:Diegetic/Greek chorus

Dramatic function (additions in BOLD)
All of the extant plays of the ancient Greek theatre include a chorus that offered a variety of background and summary information to help the audience follow the performance. They commented on themes, and, as August Wilhelm Schlegel proposed in the early 19th century to subsequent controversy, demonstrated how the audience might react to the drama. According to Schlegel, the Chorus is "the ideal spectator", and conveys to the actual spectator "a lyrical and musical expression of his own emotions, and elevates him to the region of contemplation".

'''In the Greek tragedy, the chorus makes their first entrance in the parados, or the song performed by the chorus upon their entrance into the performance. Throughout the tragedy, episodes, where characters and chorus converse, and stasima, where the chorus performs a stasimon (choral ode), at the end of each episode to summarize and contextualize events, are interspersed. In the exodus, or the play's final scene, the chorus performs a song imparting some message or moral before exiting. '''

'''In Sophocles' works, choruses are meant to convey a certain philosophical worldview. They are generally dramatic through'''


 * the chorus members' personalities and their relationship to diegetic elements
 * the coryphaeus' iambic lines
 * physical participation in diegetic action
 * the kommoi, a lamentation song
 * the paradoi and stasima.

'''Sophocles' works feature 2 different kinds of personal relationships between the chorus and the diegetic elements. In Ajax, Trichiniae, Electra, and Philoctetes, the chorus is close to one character, usually the protagonist and presents a biased point of view. In other plays, they are generally more impartial elders, such as in Antigone and Oedipus Coloneus.'''

'''Kommoi are present in all seven of Sophocles' plays, but importance varies. For example, the two kommoi in Antigone are critical to the plot of the play, as opposed to just conveying emotion for the audience.'''

There are two kinds of choruses, either representing the protagonist's viewpoint, or simply to further the theme in a meta-narrative manner.

History (new section)
One theory for the origin of the Greek chorus stems from the ancient Greek poet Arion's invention of the tragedy, the stationary chorus, and satyrs' verses. In Aristotle's Poetics, he writes that "[Tragedy's] beginnings, certainly, were in improvisation [autoschediastikês], as were also those for comedy, tragedy originating in impromptus by the leaders of dithyrambic choruses, and comedy in those of the leaders of the phallic performances which still remain customary in many cities."

The Athenians considered all plays, regardless of genre, as choruses. As ancient Athens heavily valued civic duty, they also considered choruses to be a public services. In order to be approved to produce a new work, poets asked magistrates "for a chorus." After being "granted a chorus," would then usually be sponsored by a wealthier patron, who would then be known as a khorēgos, or "chorus-leader." Participants in state-sponsored choruses could be exempt from military service, as with other forms of public service.

Although choruses had their start in Dionysian dithyrambs, other characters began to be incorporated, and the role of the chorus fluctuated. For example, Aeschylus foregrounded the dialogue by increasing the number of actors and reducing the chorus in his works. However, satyr-plays were then added to the beginning of performances to make sure that Dionysus was still being honoured in these performances.

The Greek playwrights of the fifth century paid homage to the chorus' musical and choreographic origins, incorporating dance and sung odes into their work. For example, Aeschylus and Euripides either composed accompaniments to their own tragedies or had accompaniments commissioned, and Sophocles accompanied at least one of his plays on the cithara, a lyre-like instrument.

During the Renaissance, a group of Florentine nobles, which included members such as Giovanni Bardi, Piero Strozzi, Jacopo Corsi, and Vincenzo Galilei, the father of Galileo Galilei, sought to recreate classic Greek tragedy with its musical elements. However, Greek music had been almost completely lost. Thus, their collaboration with poet Ottavio Rinuccini and musicians Jacopo Peri and Giulio Caccini instead birthed the opera.

A divergence ensued, in which opera took on the musical elements such as the chorus, and traditional tragic theater continued on without.

Starting in the 19th century, the chorus experienced a new wave of resurrection. Friedrich Schiller also tried to use the chorus in the Bride of Messina. After it was performed in March 1803 at Weimar, the performance was celebrated by students but denounced by critics, who specifically critiqued the use of the chorus. German poet Schiller Carlyle said that "the chorus retarded the plot, dissipating and diffusing the sympathies."

German composer Richard Wagner was also influenced by the Greek chorus, nurturing an avid interest in Greek mythology. In one letter to Nietzsche, he write "No boy could have had greater enthusiasm for classical antiquity than myself." His use of the orchestra in his compositions paralleled the Greek chorus, as both concluded narrative plots by "bridg[ing] the space from the dramatic action back to every-day life."

In 1910, Sir William Ridgeway published The Origin of Tragedy, in which he argued that as Greek tragedy orginated from the dithyramb, the tragic genre itself stemmed from Dionysian traditions.

Stage Management (additions in Bold)
They often communicated in song form, but sometimes spoke their lines in unison. The chorus had to work in unison to help explain the play as there were only one to three actors on stage who were already playing several parts each. As the Greek theatres were so large, the chorus' actions had to be exaggerated and their voices clear so that everyone could see and hear them. To do this, they used techniques such as synchronization, echo, ripple, physical theatre and the use of masks to aid them. A Greek chorus was often led by a coryphaeus. They also served as the ancient equivalent for a curtain, as their parodos (entering procession) signified the beginnings of a play and their exodos (exit procession) served as the curtains closing.[citation needed].

'''The layout of ancient Greek theatres had an orchestra component, quite literally "dancing space," which were generally flat. There, the chorus would perform and interact with the actors. Originally, these spaces were simply dirt, but transitioned to paved ground in the Classical period, sometimes with marble. These orchestra areas sometimes also featured a thymele, or altar.'''

Choral structure and size (Additions in bold)
'''The dithyramb, a precursor to the Greek chorus, was comprised of only male members. They consisted of costumed groups of fifty members each, ten for men and ten for boys. This number represented the ten traditional tribes of Athens. Leaders of dithyrambs would improvise solos, standing in for an individual that their chorus, which stood in for a larger group, could interact with them to represent scenarios to the audience. These choruses rarely left the stage once they entered.'''

The chorus consisted of fifty members at the start of the 5th century B.C. It was likely Aeschylus who lowered the number to twelve, and Sophocles who raised it to fifteen. The size stayed at fifteen to the end of the 5th century B.C.[10] Fifteen members were used by Euripides and Sophocles in tragedies.[16] There were twenty-four members in comedies.[17]

'''In terms of gender, starting from the 8th century B, there are depictions of female ensembles or female members performing alongside men in mixed choruses. However, these examples disappear by the 5th century. There is not a lot of evidence in Greek literature for female choruses. Much of it is indirect reference, which scholars have then parsed for clues.'''

'''For example, Euripides' character Electra complains about her inability to perform in a chorus and festivals. In other examples, poets and playwrights use the term choros to refer to female group performances. Although this usage existed, it was not common. Plato referred to women dancing Corybantic dances with choral language, but contextual evidence indicates to scholars Budelmann and Power that he does not regard it on the same level as traditional Greek choruses. Additionally, both Sophocles and Pausanias refer to the Thyiades as a ''choros. '

'''Budelmann and Power agree with the mainstream conclusion that female choruses were a minor part of Greek choral culture, but posit that these ensembles did exist outside of the civic performances dominated by traditional Greek choruses. They were not allowed to perform at major events like the City Dionysia, where female characters were instead portrayed by male ensemble members. Instead, they performed at polis festivals, private performances, female-only festivals, and outside urban areas. '''

'Female choreia at private performances included the dekatê and weddings. The dekatê,'' or the tenth day after birth where the child is given a name, were generally small-scale events attended by close friends and family. Greek weddings during the time period featured dancing and singing by both genders, together and separately, but were very different from formal choral performances. '''

'Female choreia'' also existed outside of Athens, but performances were segregated by gender. Plutarch and Aristophanes' Lysistrata both refer to women dancing at Kolias in the Classical period, in honour of Demeter and Aphrodite, respectively. '''