KOREA (SOUTH)
Korean Court Music – Orchestra of The National Music Institute (Seoul) – Conductor Kim Ki Su – Lyrichord LL 7206, recorded by John Levy, released in 1969 (LP)
“For nearly 500 years, no new music has been introduced into the repertory of the Korean Court Orchestra. Modifications there must have been, but probably in no other high civilization have ancient forms of music been so well preserved. With the establishment of the Korean Republic in 1948, the Royal Conservatory, where the musicians were trained, became the National Music Institute and under the guidance of Song Kyong-yin, the tradition has been maintained and where necessary, restored.
There are three main categories, A’AK, 'refined' Chinese music of which only that performed at the Confucian Shrine has survived, together with ancient Chinese instruments long since disused in China, some of which are found also in TANG’AK, the second category, derived from Chinese lay music of the Tang and Sung dynasties (7th-13th centuries), and HYANG’AK, a purely Korean music one of whose characteristics is the use of triple time.
The reason why Chinese music had such an influence at the Korean Court was the close and continuous cultural relation between the two countries; this can also be seen in Korean architecture, pottery and poetry. But in all these, the Korean genius is always discernible. Especially in pottery, poetry and music, the Koreans have made their own uniquely beautiful contribution.”*
This abstract and stately music with eerie sonorities on the great Lyrichord label, features wind instruments, including the daegeum transverse flute and the piri double-reed oboe; string instruments, including the komungo six-string zither and the haegeum two-string fiddle; and percussion instruments, including the janggu hourglass-shaped drum, the jing gong and bak wooden clappers.
*From John Levy’s liner notes
« Depuis près de 500 ans, aucune autre musique n'a été introduite dans le répertoire de l'Orchestre de la Cour de Corée. Même s’il y a certainement eu des modifications, il semble qu'aucune autre grande civilisation n'a aussi bien réussi à préserver les formes anciennes de sa musique. Suite à la proclamation de la République de Corée en 1948, le Conservatoire royal, qui formait les musiciens, est devenu l'Institut national de musique, sous la direction de Song Kyong-yin, qui a maintenu, voir restaurée, la tradition.
On distingue trois grandes catégories : le A'AK, la musique chinoise "raffinée", à présent uniquement jouée dans les temples confucéens, ainsi que d'anciens instruments chinois oubliés en Chine depuis longtemps, dont certains sont utilisés dans le TANG'AK, la deuxième catégorie, dérivée de la musique chinoise profane des dynasties Tang et Sung (VIIe-XIIIe siècles), et le HYANG'AK, une musique purement coréenne caractérisée par l'utilisation du temps ternaire.
La raison pour laquelle la musique chinoise a eu une telle influence à la cour de Corée s’explique par la relation culturelle étroite et continue entre les deux pays ; cela se manifeste également dans l'architecture, la poterie et la poésie coréennes. Cependant, le génie coréen est toujours présent, tout particulièrement dans la poterie, la poésie et la musique coréennes d'une beauté tout à fait unique ».*
Ces musiques abstraites et majestueuses aux sonorités éthérées, publiée sur le formidable label Lyrichord, comprend des instruments à vent, dont la flûte traversière daegeum et le hautbois à anche double piri ; des instruments à cordes, dont la cithare à six cordes komungo et la vièle à deux cordes haegeum ; ainsi que des instruments percussifs, dont le tambour en forme de sablier janggu, le gong jinget et les clapets en bois bak.
A1 – Ung-An Chi Ak (Receiving the Approaching Spirit) –Confucian Music, A’ak.
A2 – Song-An Chi Ak (First Wine Offering) – Confucian Music, A-ak.
A3 – Nagyang-Ch'un (Springtime in Loyang) – Tang’ak.
A4 – Sujech'on (Long Life Immeasurable as the Sky) – Music to accompany a masked dance, Hyang’ak.
A5 – Komungo Tasurum and Komun-Go – Two Instrumental preludes for the taegumtransverse flute and komungo six-string zither, played by Kim Song-jin and Ku Yun-kuk; Hyang’ak.
B1 – Kagok (Like a hen pheasant chased by a hawk) – Lyric song sung by Hong Wonki with orchestral accompaniment.
B2 – Kagok (Have we passed the Ch'onsok Pass?) – Lyric song sung by Hong Wonkiwith orchestral accompaniment.
B3 – Sijo (Blue bird, you have come at last) – Lyric song sung by Chi Whacha with orchestral accompaniment.
B4 – Ch'wit'a Kilkunak – Military music, Hyang’ak.
B5 – Pyon-gyang and P’yon-jong – Stone chimes and bronze bells.
***
Englishman John Levy (1910-1976) spent many years in India studying with his guru, Shri Krishna Menon (1883-1959), and bringing the knowledge of Advaita philosophy to the West. Levy was also an expert on Asian music and made many seminal field recordings in India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, China, Taiwan and South Korea, including this excellent album.
Photographs below are from The Cleveland Museum of Art's collection here; The Sun Symbol of Power and Life by Madanjeet Singh, Published by Abrams, Inc., 1993; and the Musée Guimet's catalogue to the exhibition Nostalgies Coréennes. Peintures et Paravents du XVIIe au XIXe siècle, October 2001-January 2002, Paris, by Pierre Cambon and Lee U-fan, Published by MNAAG / Réunion des Musées Nationaux – Grand palais – 2001:
Amitabha Triad, Korea, Joseon dynasty 15th century.
This rare bronze triad from the 1400s shows Amitabha (아미타불), or the Buddha of the Western Paradise, seated on a lotus pedestal at the center. He is flanked by two sacred attendants, Ksitigarbha (지장보살) on his left and Avalokitesvara (관음보살) on his right. The combination of these three Buddhist deities was particularly popular in the early Joseon period (1392- c. 1550). The small scale suggests that this triad might have been displayed in a personal shrine rather than a large worship hall.
The Great Solar Eagle by the Korean painter Chong Hong-Nae,
Yi Dynasty period, 1720:
Sokbul, the Three Bhuddas, shamanic painting,
Choson period, 19th century:
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