Transcript Traditional Music and Dance

Lesson 3: Traditional Music and Dance
(I)
(The Traditional Musics of Korea)
Study Contents
Origins and Historical Background
The Classification of Traditional Korean Music
Religious Music
Folk Music
Origins and Historical Background
The ancient Koreans observed a variety of religious seasonal festivals. For example,
the Puyo (부여(夫餘), 2nd C. B.C.-494 A.D.) people who lived in north central
Manchuria, many of whom migrated into the Korean peninsula, celebrated a
shamanistic ceremony called yonggo (영고(迎鼓), “spirit-invoking drums”) with
songs and dances of thanksgiving. The people of Koguryo, practiced a cult of
ancestral worship known as tongmaeng, (동맹(東盟), honoring the founder-king
with song and dance in conjuction with their harvest thanksgiving festival.
According to the History of the Three Kingdoms, the people of the Ye (예(濊),
ancestors of the Korean people) “drank and danced day and night in the 10th lunar
month” in a religious festival called muchon, (무천 舞天, “dance to heaven”).” (常
用十月祭天 晝夜飮酒歌舞 名之舞天). The farmers’ music and dance, known as
nongak (농악 農樂), may have their origins in such seasonal religious festivals of
ancient Korea. In the early developmental stage of music and dance, shaman priests
and priestesses seems to have an important role as lyricists, composers, and dancers,
since all music and dance were most likely associated with religious practices.
Origins and Historical Background
The growth of Chinese cultural influence in Korea was rapid following the
introduction of Confucianism, Buddhism, and other cultural patters in the fourth
century. While Confucianism fostered studies of Confucian thought, as well as
Chinese poetry, music, and dance associated with Confucian rituals, Buddhism
nurtured new music (chant) and dance during and after the Three Kingdoms period
(57 B.C.-668 A.D.) in Korea.
The Kingdom of Koguryo, being located closer to China, received more cultural
influence from the Chinese much earlier than Shilla and Paekche, which emerged in
the southern parts of the Korean peninsula. As a result, both new religious and
secular music and dance developed in Koguryo much sooner than in the other two
Korean kingdoms.
Origins and Historical Background
The murals of a Koguryo tomb found near Anak, South Hwanghae Province, North
Korea, show singers and musicians with various musical instruments and in certain
costumes at some sort of ceremony. Among these instruments were drums, panpipes,
a zither, a lute, a long vertical flute, a horn, and a handbell.
As Chinese influence penetrated into the southern kingdoms, music and dance
developed in Paekche, including a mask dance known as kamugiak <가무기악 (歌
舞伎樂)>. Many Paekche musicians and dancers were dispatched to Japan in the
6th century and later, promoting new art forms there. In Shilla, a new writing
system called idu was invented and a large number of native songs called hyangga
(향가 鄕歌) such as the “Song of Choyong” (처용가 處容歌) were written. Those
early mask dances that developed in Koguryo, Paekche and Shilla became
forerunners of present-day mask dances of both shamanistic and secular nature.
Origins and Historical Background
After Shilla’s unification of the Three
Kingdoms in 668 A.D., Koreans
began to observe the Buddhist
Lantern Festival (연등제 燃燈祭),
which made their music and dance
more diverse and sophisticated.
Meanwhile, new musical instruments
were created in Korea. In the 6th
century, a Koguryo musician, Wang
San-ak (왕산악 王山岳) created a
six-stringed zither called komungo.
komungo
Origins and Historical Background
At about the same time, a
musician named U Ruk (우륵
于勒), in one of the six Kaya
states that existed in the south
central region of the peninsula,
created a twelve-stringed
zither which became known
as kayagum (가야금 伽倻琴).
kayagum
Meanwhile, in Shilla, a fivestringed lute called hyang
pipa (향비파 鄕琵琶 ) was
created.
Hyang pipa
Origins and Historical Background
In Shilla, a group of young men known as hwarang (화랑 花郞 ,flowery princes”)
played an important role in promoting music and dance. These young men, who
were the scions of the nobility, visited sacred places such as mountains, valleys and
rivers for their training, also prayed for national security and prosperity, composing
songs and creating dances.
The Classification of
Traditional Korean Music
The term “court music” (kungjung umak, 궁정음악 宮廷音樂) is a modern
invention. This music used to be called kukak, (국악 國樂 ) or “national music,”
and includes not only the music associated with various court ceremonies, but also
that associated with Confucian shrine ritual and loyal ancestral shrine ritual, as well
as the secular music of the upper-class Koreans. It is also called chongak, (정악 正
樂) or “authentic music.”
The court music consisted of three categories. The Tang music (tangak), (당악 唐
樂), the “elegant” music (a’ak), (아악 雅樂) and the indigenous music (hyangak),
(향악 鄕樂).
The term Tang music refers not only to non-ritual music of China of the Tang
period which was brought to Unified Shilla in the 7th century and after, but also to
other secular music of China of the Sung and Yuan periods, which came to Korea
from the early 12th century onward.
The Classification of
Traditional Korean Music
Unlike the Tang music in Japan, which retained much of its original characteristics,
Tang music in Korea became radically altered and assimilated with local tradition,
losing much of its original character and identity. Of some 40 or so pieces of Tang
music in the catalog of music of the Koryo period, only two were preserved and
handed down to the present.
The a’ak, or elegant music, is Confucian ritual and ceremonial music, known as
chongak, which was introduced to Korea from the Sung Dynasty of China in 1116.
After its arrival, the a’ak became “authentic music” (chongak) for the Confucian
shrine and Royal Ancestral shrine rituals, as well as for various court ceremonies. It
also became the music of upper-class Koreans.
The Classification of
Traditional Korean Music
Chongmyo Cherye
The a’ak was the music of the spring and autumn Confucian shrine rituals called
munmyo cherye (문묘제례 文廟祭禮) or sokchon (석전 釋奠) as well as annual
ceremonies of the Royal Ancetral Shrine known as chongmyo cherye (종묘제례 宗廟
祭禮). The a’ak was normally performed by a large orchestra of 45 instruments.
Among the a’ak pieces was “Sharing Happiness with the People<여민락(與民樂)>,” a
piece of music whose lyrics were from the epic entitled “Songs of Dragons Flying to
Heaven,” (용비어천가 龍飛御天歌) written during the reign of King Sejong.
The Classification of
Traditional Korean Music
The term hyangak means indigenous music. The term hyangak originated during
the late Shilla period when native songs of Shilla were called hyangga (향가 鄕歌 ),
to differentiate them from Chinese songs of the Tang period. The hyangak pieces
were played by small ensembles of seven instruments such as the zithers, lutes, and
flutes, all of which were created in Korea.
Religious Music
Buddhist Music
With the arrival of Buddhism in the late 4th century, Indian language chants were
introduced. Some of them were long sermons while others were supplications
that sought blessings of the Buddha or other Buddhist saints. Still others were
chants for reconciliation. About seventy such chants are said to have existed, but
only ten of them are currently known. Most of these chants were choruses which
included solo parts. In addition to the chants, music that was associated with
Buddhist dance developed and became a part of the musical heritage of Korea.
Religious Music
Shaman Music
Shaman music (muak ,무악 巫樂), or musok umak (무속음악,巫俗音樂) is the
oldest music in Korea, which is associated with shaman rituals (kut) of various
categories. Many shaman chants that originated during the prehistoric times led
to the rise of the three types of shaman chants: those which welcome and bid
farewell to the gods when the ritual is performed, long narrative chants which
usually describe a certain situation or explain causes for current sickness or
misfortune of the host or members of his family, and “pleasure songs” for the
purpose of entertaining the gods. The musical instruments most prominently used
in shaman rituals were the round drum (puk), the hourglass drum (changgo), the
two- stringed fiddle (haegum, 해금 奚琴), and the gong (징, ching).
Folk Music
Pansori (판소리)
Pansori (also spelled p'ansori) is a genre of Korean music. It is a vocal and
percussional music performed by one sorikkun (소리꾼; a singer) and one gosu (a
drummer playing a barrel drum called buk). The term pansori is derived from pan,
meaning "a place where many people gather," and sori, meaning "sound."
A popular form in Korea during the 19th century, pansori featured satires and love
stories. A full story, madang (마당), is so long that it usually takes hours to
complete.
Only five of the original twelve pansori madangs survive today. Those five are
Heungbuga (흥부가 興夫歌), Simcheongga (심청가 沈淸歌), Chunhyangga (춘
향가 春香歌), Jeokbyeokga (적벽가 赤壁歌)and Sugungga (수궁가 水宮歌).
Folk Music
pansori
In a pansori performance, the kwangdae sings, standing with a folding fan held in
one hand. The fan is waved to emphasize the singer's motions and unfolded to
announce changes of scene. The gosu gives rhythm not only by beats but also by
chuimsae (추임새), verbal sounds. A chuimsae can be a simple meaningless vowel,
but short words of encouragement are also given. The audience is also supposed to
give chuimsae during the performance. UNESCO proclaimed the pansori tradition a
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 7, 2003.
Folk Music
Minyo (민요 民謠 )
Folk songs known in Korean as minyo have been part of the oral literature of Korea
as much as part of her native musical heritage. These songs are directly related to
everyday life, and some of them are as old as history. Particular folk songs are
associated with certain regions of Korea. Thus, one hears about Kyonggi folk songs
of the central region, western folk songs of the northwestern region, and eastern
folk songs of Hamgyong, Kangwon, and Kyongsang Provinces.
The folk song called arirang is by far the most widely known and sung and is
common to all regions.
End of Lesson 3