Chorus/solo: a historical-critical survey from the twentieth century to today

Abstract

This contribution aims to trace, by a critical perspective, the historical evolution of the ways and forms in which the ‘solo’ and the ‘chorus’ have been expressed in theatre (both spoken and musical), dance, and performance from the 20th century to today. The historical discussion, organized here by themes and fields, highlights the particular dialectic triggered in some experimental periods by these two “luoghi-strumenti”, as Marco De Marinis aptly defines them, which have come to characterize specific theatrical genres, trends in both modern and contemporary theatre, as well as artistic, social, and community practices. Since the origins of Western theatre and dramaturgy, different logics have governed the relationship between chorus and solo, leading up to more radical contemporary reconsiderations, such as the removal of the chorus in the Attic tragedy directed by Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio, or its paroxysmal amplification in the form of a mass on the scene of Einar Schleef. In the dialectic between these two elements, we can discern a condition of confrontation or dialogue, of contrast or synthesis within a community, between the individual and society. It is precisely in the overcoming of the modern conflict between solo and chorus that we recognize the essence of contemporary theatre: when the ‘I’ no longer represents just an unrepeatable singularity but can become unison in close interaction with other choristers. As in the choral practices of Marco Martinelli and of much ‘community theatre’, the individual’s voice becomes the voice of all, blending into a collective whole, the political ‘we’ of a citizenship in search of action.