Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Sep 29, 2020 10:05
3 yrs ago
41 viewers *
French term
répertoire
Non-PRO
French to English
Art/Literary
Music
Hello, I have a couple of sentences to paste below from an academic article about the canonization of opera music. They both concern use of the word répertoire.
In the first, it's used to refer to the whole body of work that came to be known as 'classical music':
Le répertoire des œuvres de concert érigées au rang de « musique classique » à partir des années 1820 est bien connu et il a conservé un statut extrêmement haut dans la vie culturelle depuis cette époque.
In the second, it refers to all the works performed at a specific theatre:
Les opéras de Mozart représentaient 48% du répertoire au King’s Theatre de 1816 à 1820 mais ils tombèrent à 11% entre 1821 et 1831.
Please could you tell me if 'repertoire' works in these two instances, or whether we'd ever use 'repertory' here?
Many thanks.
In the first, it's used to refer to the whole body of work that came to be known as 'classical music':
Le répertoire des œuvres de concert érigées au rang de « musique classique » à partir des années 1820 est bien connu et il a conservé un statut extrêmement haut dans la vie culturelle depuis cette époque.
In the second, it refers to all the works performed at a specific theatre:
Les opéras de Mozart représentaient 48% du répertoire au King’s Theatre de 1816 à 1820 mais ils tombèrent à 11% entre 1821 et 1831.
Please could you tell me if 'repertoire' works in these two instances, or whether we'd ever use 'repertory' here?
Many thanks.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +3 | repertoire |
Tony M
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| 4 +1 | body of works and repertoire |
Anne Greaves
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| 3 | canon and repertory |
Marco Solinas
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| 3 | Corpus |
ormiston
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Change log
Oct 15, 2020 10:27: Delaina changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/1751872">Delaina's</a> old entry - "répertoire "" to ""repertoire""
Proposed translations
+3
13 mins
Selected
repertoire
Works fine for both.
'Repertory', among other meanings, refers to a certain practice in theatre operations (producing / touring etc.) BUT note that in terms of 'straight' theatre, we DO use the term in your sense here! "Her plays have been in repertory for decades"; however, I don't think this would apply so much in the case of operas.
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Note added at 40 mins (2020-09-29 10:45:15 GMT)
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It IS used — but I think in the musical world at least, 'repertoire' has more 'class'!
'Repertory', among other meanings, refers to a certain practice in theatre operations (producing / touring etc.) BUT note that in terms of 'straight' theatre, we DO use the term in your sense here! "Her plays have been in repertory for decades"; however, I don't think this would apply so much in the case of operas.
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Note added at 40 mins (2020-09-29 10:45:15 GMT)
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It IS used — but I think in the musical world at least, 'repertoire' has more 'class'!
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Bokani Hart
2 hrs
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Thanks, Bokani!
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| agree |
Philippa Smith
2 hrs
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Thanks, Philippa!
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| disagree |
Anne Greaves
: As former musician am used to repertoire being used in the sense of a list of works that a particular musician is able to perform, in this case a theatre. But don't think it is really right for the first case cited.
2 hrs
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Oh but yes, we talk about e.g. 'a mainstay of the classical repertoire'
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| agree |
Richard George Elliott
7 hrs
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Thanks, Richard!
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| agree |
philgoddard
17 hrs
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Thanks, Phil!
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| neutral |
Mpoma
: I think Anne's got it right: "works in the classical repertoire" but not "repertoire of works" (i.e. for the first instance)
23 hrs
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Thanks, mpoma! I don't think it's necessary to stick so slavishly to the formulation in FR, but I do believe the sense is right, at least.
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3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a lot"
1 hr
Marco Solinas
Native in English
Accurate, professional translations
Native in: English 
, Italian
Works in: Italian to English, French to English
canon and repertory
If you want to distinguish the two meanings, you could use "canon" or "core canon" for the first occurrence. See, for example, https://interlude.hk/core-canon/ . You could then use "repertory" for the second.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Tony M
: I think 'canon' is in an altogether more erudite register, scarcely appropriate here.
14 mins
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+1
2 hrs
body of works and repertoire
I think as you phrased it in your question "body of works" is fine to indicate a range of works which have been recognised as classical. I don't think you need a highly technical term here. And for the second case repertoire is commonly used in music to refer to a list of works that are able to be performed.
4 hrs
Corpus
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259731555_Building_...
This term is used and could differentiate the two contexts
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Note added at 4 heures (2020-09-29 14:57:52 GMT)
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Abstract
This paper presents an object lesson in the challenges and considerations involved in assembling a musical corpus for empirical research. It develops a model for the construction of a representative corpus of classical music of the “common practice period” (1700-1900), using both specific composers as well as broader historical styles and musical genres (e.g., symphony, chamber music, songs, operas) as its sampling parameters. Five sources were used in the construction of the model: (a) The Oxford History of Western Music
This term is used and could differentiate the two contexts
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Note added at 4 heures (2020-09-29 14:57:52 GMT)
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Abstract
This paper presents an object lesson in the challenges and considerations involved in assembling a musical corpus for empirical research. It develops a model for the construction of a representative corpus of classical music of the “common practice period” (1700-1900), using both specific composers as well as broader historical styles and musical genres (e.g., symphony, chamber music, songs, operas) as its sampling parameters. Five sources were used in the construction of the model: (a) The Oxford History of Western Music
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
philgoddard
: This might be justified to avoid repetition, but otherwise there doesn't seem to be any point.
12 hrs
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I know you like literal whenever possible but I see a subtle distinction between a selection (repertoire) and a collection (corpus) although both French and English tend towards repertoire.
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Discussion
FYI - it's not, in fact, important to differentiate the 2 uses. The sentences do not follow on from one another, and 'repertoire' is a term repeated throughout.
@Tony M: Fyi 'canon' is not inappropriate, since the article is about the canonization of opera music, as mentioned in my intro.