In my research, I have run across an "anonymous" treatise from around 1630 describing the job of "Il Corago," a theatrical functionary, who was involved in any number of activities including those typically done, in modern times, by a stage manager, production manager, company manager, chorus master, and/or stage director.
My question concerns the pronunciation of the title. Does anyone have any thoughts as to whether it's "cor-A-go" or "COR-a-go"?
Since the word basically has a Greek derivation, my first instinct was to accent the first syllable. But I'm not so sure...
Interesting! My instincts follow yours (but then I've heard of a choregos, but never until today of a corago): I'm sure a real linguist will step into the fold soon...
A quick google took me to the Roger Savage article in EM, which I'm sure you've already looked at (Early Music, Vol. 17, No. 4, The Baroque Stage I (Nov., 1989), pp. 495-511). Ah: I do like JSTOR. I've actually got that copy of EM somewhere on top of the shelves behind me, but it's easier just to click the link and read it onscreen. Not like it was in our youth...
Jonathan
Posts: 2945 | Location: Stroud, UK | Registered: 18 November 2001
corego Sillabazione/Fonetica [co-rè-go] Etimologia Dal gr. chorìgós, comp. di chorós 'coro' e ághein 'condurre' Definizione o corago, s. m. [pl. -ghi] 1 nell'antica Grecia, il cittadino privato a cui veniva affidata una coregia 2 (lett.) nel linguaggio teatrale, il direttore del coro.
NB my emboldening if that's the right word.
Also from Garzanti:
coregia Sillabazione/Fonetica [co-re-gì-a] Etimologia Dal gr. chorìghía; cfr. corego Definizione s. f. nell'antica Grecia, l'onere che un cittadino abbiente si assumeva di allestire un coro in occasione delle rappresentazioni drammatiche.
the Roger Savage article in EM, which I'm sure you've already looked at (Early Music, Vol. 17, No. 4, The Baroque Stage I (Nov., 1989), pp. 495-511).
That's exactly the source of my question. It's a very interesting article - and of particular interest to me in terms of the question: "what, exactly, was 'acting' in the 17th Cent?" I first ran across it when working on a paper for my master's last year. So, now I've assigned it to my students as part of this course.
Thanks, Vasco. At this point, I'm less interested in the etymology and more interested in determining the accented syllable. So do you think it would be the second one, just like in "corego"?
