A dragon is a mythical creature often described as a fire-breathing monster in the West, but in the East it is regarded as a noble and heavenly animal. A dragon is born in water and it can change colors and sizes at will. It’s a godly being that can soar high over the clouds or dive into the deepest sea. The Korean dragon is generally associated with water, which explains why the Korean sea god is also called the Dragon King. Fishermen used to hold prayer services to the dragon king for bountiful catches. Dragons were also able to make it rain, so people used to pray to the dragons during times of drought. There is a traditional music piece titled “Suryongeum” or “The Underwater Sound of a Dragon.” Let’s listen to how this sound that could not be heard by human ears is played in this piece, with Lee Doo-won on the danso and Sohn Beom-joo on the saenghwang.
Music 1: Suryongeum/ Danso by Lee Doo-won, saenghwang by Sohn Beom-joo
During King Taejong’s reign in the early years of the Joseon Dynasty, “Suryongeum” was included in a list of ten music works for royal ceremonies. At the time, “Suryongeum” was thought to unite the nation by bringing the sky god and the earth god together through music. The “Suryongeum” you just heard is different from the early Joseon version, but it is undoubtedly a music piece that brings peace and unity to the world. The instrument that makes the “Suryongeum” sound so magical is the saenghwang (생황), which is the only Korean wind instrument that can make a harmony. It is comprised of several bamboo pipes inserted into a wind chest made out of a dried gourd. The instrument is thought to resemble a seated phoenix with its wings folded. Nowadays the wind chest is more commonly constructed of wood or metal, since a gourd is easily breakable. The magical sound quality saenghwang makes is from the thin metal reeds placed inside the bamboo pipes, and it allegedly resembles the cry of a phoenix. Saenghwang had not been used widely in Korea, but in recent years several pieces have been written for it to bring it back to the attention of mainstream musicians.
Music 2: Libertango/ Saenghwang by Kim Hyo-young
That was “Libertango” with the saenghwang played by Kim Hyo-young. In Chinese mythology, there is a goddess named Nuwa, who supposedly molded humans from clay. When mankind was about to go extinct because of the warring gods, Nuwa supposedly saved human beings from destruction by cutting four limbs of a giant turtle to support the four corners of the earth and gave mankind the saenghwang as a gift of peace and happiness. Perhaps that’s why we see so many traditional paintings of heavenly maidens flying while playing the saenghwang. Among the paintings of Korea’s esteemed folk painter Shin Yun-bok (신윤복) is “A Woman of the Lotus Pond,” which depicts a woman holding a long smoking pipe and a saenghwang by a pond of lotus flowers. The woman appears to be a retired entertainer and judging from the painting, we are led to believe that the saenghwang was played widely back then. It makes us wonder what kind of music the old songstress played after her retirement. Let’s conclude today’s episode of Sounds of Korea with “Mirrored Self II” played by Su:m.
Music 3: Mirrored Self II/ Performed by Su:m