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. 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 ). Meanwhile, in Shilla, a five- stringed lute called hyang pipa ( 향비파 鄕琵琶 ) was created. kayagum 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 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 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,” 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. Chongmyo Cherye

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 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, pansori

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