<P> Before the introduction of multiple, interacting actors by Aeschylus, the Greek chorus was the main performer in relation to a solitary actor . The importance of the chorus declined after the 5th century BCE, when the chorus began to be separated from the dramatic action . Later dramatists depended on the chorus less than their predecessors . As dialogue and characterization became more important, the chorus made less of an appearance . However, historian Alan Hughes argues that there was no such thing as decline, but rather the slow dissolution of one form into another: </P> <P> At their best, they may have become performance art, blending music, lyrics, and dance, performed by polished choreutai and accompanied by distinguished musicians . That is neither improvement nor decline: it is simply change . </P> <P> Musical theatre and grand opera sometimes incorporate a singing chorus that sometimes serves a similar purpose as the Greek chorus, as noted in Six Plays by Rodgers and Hammerstein: "The singing chorus is used frequently to interpret the mental and emotional reactions of the principal characters, after the manner of a Greek chorus ." </P> <P> During the Italian Renaissance, there was a renewed interest in the theatre of ancient Greece . The Florentine Camerata crafted the first operas out of the intermezzi that acted as comic or musical relief during the dramas of the time . These were based entirely on the Greek chorus, as historian H.C. Montgomery argues . </P>

What is the difference between the chorus in tragedy and comedy