Master singer Song Heung-rok(송흥록), the father of Dongpyeonje(동편제) pansori(판소리) in the early 1800s was so amazingly talented that he earned the nickname “King of Singers.” One day he was performing the pansori(판소리) “Chunhyangjeon(춘향전)” in Daegu(대구), when a gisaeng(기생) named Maengryeol(맹렬) scoffed at his singing. Song was naturally offended, for he was used to only adulation, so he asked her what she found so lacking in his performance. The unimpressed female entertainer answered that his performance of “Gwigokseong(귀곡성),” an aria sung by the imprisoned Chunhyang(춘향), didn’t quite convey the torment she was feeling. Song’s pride must have been hurt, because he immersed himself in practicing the aria. According to a legend, he was able to master “Gwigokseong(귀곡성)” with the help of ghosts. He then later sang the aria in front of Maengryeol(맹렬) and won her approval before settling down with her in that town. But back then it wasn’t easy for an artist to settle in one place and Maengryeol(맹렬) wasn’t one to look over her lover’s wandering lifestyle, so the couple got into a big fight one day and the gisaeng(기생) left him. Belatedly regretting his behavior and upset over her departure, Song sang his longing for her in pansori(판소리). The song was so forlorn that, when Maengryeol(맹렬) heard his cries, carried by the wind she was deeply moved and returned to his side. The tune that Song supposedly sang to bring his beloved back is preserved in a southern folk song titled “Heungtaryeong(흥타령).” Master singer Ahn Sook-sun(안숙선) sings today’s version.

Music 1: Heungtaryeong/ Sung by Ahn Sook-sun

To Song Heung-rok(송흥록), Maengryeol(맹렬) was more precious than his wife, because she knew enough about music to point out what was missing in his singing. An artist needs to make incredible efforts to reach a certain level of mastery, but it’s not easy to do so. Another anecdote involves master singer Im Bang-ul(임방울), who rose to fame during the Japanese colonial period with “Ssukdaemeori(쑥대머리),” an aria from the pansori(판소리) Chunhyangjeon(춘향전). He fell in love with a gisaeng(기생) named Sanhoju(산호주), but his singing deteriorated as the romantic relationship with her developed over many years. Realizing that he was facing a crisis in his career, he left her and hid in a cave to practice singing. The deeply hurt Sanhoju(산호주) asked around to find out where Im was staying, but he refused to see her when she showed up at the cave. Before long, she fell gravely ill and upon hearing the news, Im hurriedly returned to her side, but it was too late. The master singer held her cold body in his arms and sang a heart-wrenching song, “Memories.” Today we’re going to listen to the crossover gugak(구각) group Puri(푸리) sing “Memories.” 

Music 2: Memories/ Sung by Puri

The next story involves the master songstress Park Rok-joo(박록주) and writer Kim Yu-jeong(김유정) who is famous for “Spring, Spring” and “The Camellias.” Kim was a sickly child and lost his parents at an early age, rendering him timid and quiet. He was a twenty-year-old college student when he met and fell in love with Park Rok-joo(박록주) who was three or four years older than him. Too shy to approach her directly, he wrote a letter that said, “I saw you perform at a theater. I was glad that everyone applauded you. I am in love with you.” Park was the hottest pansori(판소리) star at the time, so she must have thought that this letter was simply a prank. But the letters kept coming and she decided to set him straight by telling him off herself. Her direct refusal failed to deter his pursuit that time, but eventually he quit school and went back to his hometown to write novels, a life choice that eventually led to his literary stardom. What if Park had accepted the young man’s love? Would Kim have still become a beloved writer? We have no way of answering that question, although we can say that he would have lived a happier life. Today’s episode will conclude with Park singing an aria from the pansori(판소리) “Heungboga(흥보가).”

Music 3: Aria from pansori “Heungboga”/ Sung by Park Rok-joo