| Korean court music | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early 600s – Mid-1400s, Korea |
| Typical instruments | |
| Subgenres | |
| Other topics | |
Korean court music (Korean: 궁중음악;Hanja: 宮中音樂) comprises three main musical genres:aak, an imported form of Chinese ritual music; a pure Korean form calledhyangak; and a combination of Chinese and Korean styles calleddangak.[1]
Korean court music and its historical origins can be traced back to theThree Kingdoms Period (57 BCE–668), theUnified Silla (668–935),Goryeo (918–1392) andJoseon dynasties (1392–1910).[1][2] It was partly modelled on the court music ofChina, known asyayue. Korean court music also shows similarities with the court music ofJapan, known asgagaku and ofVietnam, known asnhã nhạc, which also are also derivative of yayue.
Performances in the form of banquet dances typically accompany the court music, in which musical institutions play a role in teaching and training musicians and performers on the forms of traditional Korean dance. The instruments used in Korean court music vary depending on the specific genre but do show various overlaps between the three different types. Traditional court music also continues to show significant cultural influence on contemporary society inSouth Korea, through government, national music associations, and forms of popular culture such asSouth Korean music.
Korean court music and its origins have been traced as early as theUnified Silla period (668–935); however, the three categories commonly began their spread across Korea during theGoryeo dynasty (918–1392), mainly due to Chinese influence.[1]
The genre ofaak refers to Korean court ritual music originating from China.[1]Aak means 'elegant music'. It is similar todangak as both genres are of Chinese origin. The types of Chinese court music within theaak genre included Korean royal processional music, referred to asdaechwita;munmyo jeryeak, Confucian shrine music; jongmyo jeryeak, also known as royal ancestral shrine music;hyangak andgagok, translated to the 'classical song cycle'; anddangak.[1] As these forms of court music eventually began to fade away,aak was decidedly later used only for Confucian shrine music. As time went on, it eventually also included forms of music played for aristocrats, nobility and court officials.
The first historical noting ofaak was during the Unified Silla period of 668–935; however, this is only due to the existence ofaak instruments, and no music or performance coexisted at this time.[1]Aak music and performance began to spread across Korea for the first time during theGoryeo dynasty of 918–1392.Aak was first introduced to Korea during 1116, when the Chinese emperor of the Sung dynasty first presented the Korean court withaak instruments and court dance instructions;Emperor Hyejong of Goryeo providedEmperor Huizong of Song with a gift of 428 music instruments, 572 costumes, and ritual dance objects imported from China.[3] This created the growth in popularity foraak within Korea; however, the genre saw an eventual decline afterwards. TheYi dynasty during 1392–1910 then allowed for a completely finalised version of theaak system to rise across Korea, as the year 1430 saw the revival of the genre through a more modern reconstruction of traditionalaak melodies.[4]
Instruments used within the genre are all of Chinese origin and are mostly used for the purpose of playingaak music, as opposed to being used for other genres of traditional court music.[5]
There are only two current surviving melodies ofaak, both of which are played very slowly, and last around four minutes. Each piece contains 32 notes, and each note is played for at least four seconds, with the instruments rising in pitch at the end of every note.[5]
The genre ofhyangak refers to court banquet music originating fromKorea.[1]Hyangak means'indigenous/native music, folk music'. During the Unified Silla period of Korea, the genre widely included native Korean court music, along with music imported from China prior to the years of theTang dynasty. Ashyangak includes original Korean music, it is commonly acknowledged as the most prominent genre of court music, and its wider musical range has also led to the preference of Koreans to perform it more frequently than other genres.[1]
Its historical origins trace as far back to theThree Kingdoms period (220 AD – 280 AD).[1] However, the earliest recordings ofhyangak were during the 14th century, which was seen through the very first few creations of instrumentalhyangak compositions. The 15th century started to see the creation of 24hyangak compositions in total, and by the year 1434, there were around 80 compositions of hyangak music. During the Unified Silla period of Korea,hyangak was only played alongsidedangak. Within the Goryeo dynasty,hyangak was referred to instead assokak. Some of the genre's musical instruments were derived from the Unified Silla period, including thesamhyeon andsamjook; however,hyangak was also played with foreign instruments such as thejanggu,haegeum and the daegeum. The Joseon dynasty finally saw less of a clear distinction betweenhyangak anddangak through each genre's direct influence on one another.[6]
Dangak music is typically accompanied with folk dance performances referred to ashyangak chongjae.[1]
One of the most importanthyangak pieces is referred to asyeomillak. Otherhyangak pieces includepollyeong,haeryeong, and boheoja, all of which are performed in Chinese style.
The genre ofdangak refers to Chinese court banquet music in Korea.Dangak means 'Tang music', as the genre was initially used for Chinese court music which originated during the Tang dynasty. However, during the Goryeo dynasty,dangak was then used to refer to music imported from China both during and after the Tang dynasty. The genre was then split intoubangak; music of the right, andhyangak; music of the left.[1]
Dangak originated within the Goryeo dynasty of 918–1392, in whichdangak music and performances first began to spread across Korea. During the Yi dynasty of 1392–1910, the genre further developed through an increase in the creation of compositions for instrumentaldangak music.Dangak continued to spread in Korea throughout the Goryeo (918–1392) and Joseon (1392–1910) dynasties.[1]
Dangak music is typically accompanied with dance performances referred to asdangak chongjae.[1]
One of the most popular pieces ofdangak is commonly known asNakyangchun, and is one of the two only current surviving pieces ofdangak music, of which the other isBoheoja (translated to "Pacing the Void").[7]
Korean court performances included traditional banquet dances alongside musical accompaniments. Female court entertainers were calledkinyo andkisaeng. Male musicians were separated into four different classes:aksaeng,aggong,kwanhyon maengin, androyal processional musicians.[1]
The first recorded performance ofaak was at the Royal Ancestral Shrine during the Goryeo period of Korea.
Modernaak musical performances are known asmunmyo jeryeak orjongmyo jeryeak, which contain two instrumental ensembles; the "terrace" group who play on the porch of the main shrine, and the "courtyard" group, who play near the main entrance of the main shrine.[8]
This is typically accompanied by modern dance performances known asmunmyo ilmu, which contains two types of dances; a "civil" dance, or a "military" dance, in which 64 dancers perform in an 8 × 8 formation.[8]
Audiences are welcome to watchaak performances at the National Gugak Center in Seoul.[5] Performances are also played at certain ceremonies such as theSeokjeon Daeje, held at the Munmyo shrine of theSungkyunkwan University inSeoul. This festival is held during the spring and autumn seasons every year as a festival with the purpose to honourConfucius.[9]
Hyangak chongjae described banquet dances which were performed alongsidehyangak instrumental music. The dance required musicians and entertainers to enter the stage alongside the beat ofhyangak music. The entertainers would then pause their dancing, to sing Korean poems. Finally, performers would exit the stage after bowing, which concluded the performance.[1]
Dangak chongjae described banquet dances which were performed alongsidedangak instrumental music. The dance required musicians and entertainers to enter the stage behind pole bearers. The dancers would then read Chinese poems. Finally, performers would exit the stage, concluding the performance.[1] Musicians and performers ofdangak chongjae were normally drawn from the lower classes of Korea.[10]
Court music institutions also play a heavy role in assisting musicians with their learning processes of Korean court performances.
The first modern theatre built by the royal court was referred to asHyuomnyulsa. The theatre has since changed its name toWongaksa.[11]
Currently, court music institutions include theNational Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts and the Chongdong Theater, which foster the preservation and appreciation of traditional court music within contemporary society.[1]
The instruments used in Korean court music vary depending on the specific genre; however, they also show various overlaps between the three categories ofaak,hyangak anddangak.
Instruments used foraak may include thetungga,honga,pyeonjong,pyongyong,kum,sul,saenghwang, andpak, along with the eight necessary types of materials (metal,stone,silk,wood,bamboo,leather,clay andgourd).[1]
Instruments used forhyangak may include thegeomungo,konghu,gayageum,koto,pipa,taegum chunggum,sogeum,pak,taego,piri,janggu,haegeum,junggeum,daegeum,tang-p’iri,tang-jok, andtang-pip’a.[1]
Instruments used fordangak may include thetango,yogo,janggu,pak,shō,hwengjok,tungso,piri,saeng,tang-pip’a,chang,konghu,panghyang,taego,tang-p’iri,ajaeng,kyobanggo,wolgum,haegeum,taepyeongso,pyeonjong,pyonyong,daegeum, andcholgo.[1]
The word for music in the Korean language is eumak, which very closely resembles the word for the traditional Korean court music formaak.[1] InNorth Korea, traditional court music and performances have mostly died out as a result of the nation's strong political ideologies. However, traces of its legacy have continued to live on withinSouth Korean culture and as a result, continues to cultivate cultural influence on contemporary South Korean society.
The South Korean government advocates for the preservation of traditional court music within contemporary society. National music institutions such as theNational Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts and the Chongdong Theater, along with associations such as the Korean Music Association and the Korean Vocal Music Association, also contribute to fostering the sustained appreciation of Korean court music within current and future generations.[1]
Popular Korean musicians have also drawn upon Korean court music as sources of inspiration for their songs, such as BTS' Agust D. Agust D's "Daechwita" is heavily inspired by and directly named after and samples the Korean royal processional music genre.[12]