In the old days, the songs enjoyed by the ruling noblemen were different from those favored by ordinary people. The songs sung by gentlemen were lumped together as “jeongga,” which means “righteous songs,” while those for ordinary people were called “japga,” meaning “indecent songs,” or sometimes simply “sori,” which means “sound.” Different names do not imply that one type of songs is better than another, just that record keepers, who largely belonged to the upper or middle class, liked to think that their music was superior. The category of jeongga is divided into gagok (가곡), sijo (시조), and gasa (가사). Gagok and sijo are melodies which accompany poems, while gasa is based on narratives much longer than poems. Even among gagok and sijo, there are varying degrees of class. Gagok performances need to have string accompaniments, while sijo is a more popular set of songs that does not require an instrumental accompaniment, but just a rhythmical slapping of the knees to keep up with the beat. But whatever the category may be, people who sing, whether they be noblemen or commoners, all want to express their feelings. In fact, even among the formal gagok pieces, there are many songs about love and parting.
Music 1: Gagok Bukduchilseong (the Big Dipper)/ Sung by Kim Young-ki
That was a women’s gagok titled “Bukduchilseong,” (북두칠성) or “The Big Dipper,” sung by Kim Young-ki. The name Bukduchilseong literally means the “Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper.” Its lyrics describe how a woman prays to the seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major not to send the morning star to start the day, because she wants the night she spent with her lover to last longer. The Big Dipper being one of the most prominent constellations in the night sky, sailors in the old days navigated by using the seven bright stars as astronomical guides, while people on land used to pray to the stars to make their wishes come true. In Korea the Big Dipper was regarded as a constellation that oversaw people’s lifespans. There are also many Buddhist temples with Chilseonggak (칠성각) pavilions where the seven stars of the Big Dipper are worshipped. Gagok is divided into gagok for men and women. The two gagok disciplines differ substantially, as the gagok for women is characterized by the clear and lyrical sound, as if a singer’s voice is blended harmoniously with the sound of the instruments. Coming up next is a modern interpretation of female gagok “Pyeonglong (평롱),” which is titled “Before the Night Is Over” and sung by jeongga ensemble Souljigi.
Music 2: Before the Night Is Over/ Sung by Souljigi
MC: Pansori is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “gugak,” Korean traditional music. It’s a common misconception that pansori is all there is to gugak, but that’s not the case. Some people know about the discipline of sijo, but even they tend to think sijo is too slow and boring, a preconception that can be very disheartening for singers who specialize in jeongga. Subsequently, one of the overarching tasks for jeongga musicians is to make this beautiful musical discipline more accessible and familiar to the general public. So, they’re composing new songs to appeal to a modern audience and one of their efforts is to sing modern poems in jeongga style. We’re going to hear two such songs – the poem “At Seonwunsa (선운사) Temple” written by Choi Young-mi and Baek Seok’s (백석) poem “A Monologue of an Old Reed.” “At Seonwunsa Temple” sings about the pain of parting from a loved one while looking at camellia flowers on the temple ground. “A Monologue of an Old Reed” is about reflecting on one’s life while looking at the reeds at sunset. The first piece will be sung by Kang Kwon-soon and the second one by Kim Na-ri.
Music 3: At Seonwunsa Temple/ Sung by Kang Kwon-soon
A Monologue of an Old Reed/ Sung by Kim Na-ri