33. World Music: Korea, ACJ Music Academy

How are you?

Following the last week, I am going to start my 33rd lecture.

I had conducted music lectures at Art Collage JANG in Seoul, South Korea every Saturday from March 2015 to December 2017.

I am going to introduce some of the music in the lecture with a brief overview of the lecture by the lecture’s order every Saturday.

Please refer to the following link for my previous lectures.

https://blog.naver.com/csydr/220995605864

Today, I will end the world music series introduced for about 8 months every Saturday with “Korean Traditional Music” and start another genre of music from next Saturday.

Today’s lecture was the 33^rd lecture of ACJ Music Academy which was held on December 11, 2015.

Korean traditional music is largely divided into Jeongak and Minsogak.

Jeongak is the music which were enjoyed by the upper-class literati of the Joseon society, and Minsogak was the music that the common people enjoyed in their daily lives.

If we look at the form of playing Korean traditional music, instrumental music includes solo, byeongju, ensemble, and vocal music includes solo and byeongchang.

Jeongak is a very peaceful music, which is not sensual music that momentarily stimulates the emotions of the listener. Therefore, it takes some time and effort to get used to the music.

“Aak” is a word that is used similarly to Jeongak. Aak was originally used to refer to music, such as 'Munmyo Jeryeak', which was composed mainly of Daesung Aak from the Song Dynasty during the Goryeo Dynasty. However, after the Japanese colonial period, the court music, and Jeongak which were enjoyed by the upper-class literati, were included in the category of Aak.

In Jeongak, the Jeryeak was used in the rituals in the court and the Pungryu Music was enjoyed by the upper-class literati in their lives. Jeongak also includes Jeongga such as Sijo, Gagok, Gasa, and Gochwiak which was used in the parades of kings and high positions’ officials.

Minsogak is the music of the common people. In Minsogak, there are Pansori, Danga, Seonsori, Jabga and Minyo as vocal music, Sanjo, Shinawi and Pungmulnori as instrumental music and Beompae and Musok Music as religious music.

Korean traditional musical instruments are made of materials from Korea. The materials used to make the Korean traditional musical instruments are eight notes, which are eight kinds of materials such as iron, thread, bamboo, leather, wood, earth, gourd, and stone.

Korean musical instruments can be classified as follows according to the materials which are made and how they are played.

Classification by material

- Iron: Jing, Nabal, Pyeonjong, Teukjong

- Thread: Geomungo, Gayageum, Haegeum, Agaeng

- Bamboo: Daegeum, Sogeum, Piri, Danso, Taepyeongso

- Leather: Janggu, Buk, Sogo

- Wood; Bak, Chuk, Eoh

- Earth: Hun

- Gourd: Saenghwang

- Stone: Pyeon-gyeong, Teuk-gyeong, Nagak

Classification by playing method

- Wind instruments: Daegeum, Piri, Danso, Tungso, Sogeum, Saenab, Nabal, Nagak

- Stringed instruments: Geomungo, Gayageum, Haegeum, Agaeng, Yanggeum

- Percussion instruments: Janggu, Buk, Jing, Kkwaenggwari, Sogo, Bak, Pyeon-gyeong, Teuk-gyeong, Unra

Like many other countries in the world, Korean traditional music is also showing a crossover aspect that is mixed with music from other genres. Due to this trend, we can see a lot of concerts combined with Korean traditional music and various western instruments.

Today, I will introduce 3 music as follows:

1. Jongmyo Jeryeak

2. Sarang-ga (In Pansori Choonhyangga)

3. Daegeum Sanjo

You can listen to all the songs from following YouTube link.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSmshmgJzYhdCgXS7hAUa5H2X6AIOyEqG

Next week, I will lecture "Classical Crossover" as my 34th lecture.

Thank you.

Korean Blog