The first time that Lee Mong-ryong saw Chunhyang was on Dano단오 day in the spring of the year he turned sixteen. Dano falls on the prettiest time of the year, when spring is about to turn into summer and the fields and mountains are colored in vibrant green. Lee Mong-ryong also was at a turning point in his life, when he was transitioning from an adolescent boy into a young man. It wasn’t surprising that this young, energetic man wanted to venture outside instead of being cooped up in his room and studying. So he brought along his manservant, Bangja방자, on his outing to Gwanghallu광한루 Pavilion in Namwon. He was composing a poem about the spring scenery viewed from the pavilion. As his eyes spotted Ojakgyo오작교 Bridge, where the separated lovers, Gyeonwu견우 and Jiknyeo직녀, meet only once a year, he wondered where he could find the love of his life. This scene must have not sat well with today’s young people. Kim Jun-su’s “Jeokseongga적성가” is based on the aria of the same title from pansori “Chunhyangga춘향가,” but it mocks Lee Mong-ryong for being born into a noble family and having the luxury to enjoy the spring outing without any worry. Let’s listen to Kim Jun-su singing “Jeokseongga” with the gugak fusion ensemble Second Moon in accompaniment. 

Jeokseongga/ Sung by Kim Jun-su, accompanied by Second Moon

The latter part of this sequence describes how Bangja goes to fetch Chunhyang at the order of Lee Mong-ryong. He had seen Chunhyang riding the swing with her maidservant, Hyangdan향단, and had fallen in love with her at first sight. Chunhyang’s smile and her flowing skirt among the colorful spring blossoms must have fascinated him. Mong-ryong asks Bangja if he knew who that beautiful girl was, but, already having noticed how his master was smitten with the girl, Bangja pretends that he has no idea. So Mong-ryong sends him to bring Chunhyang with him, but he returns without the girl. The manservant relayed a message from Chunhyang, which said “Although I am the daughter of a gisaeng기생, my father was a nobleman, a yangban양반, and I was raised in a good family, so nobody can order me about.” So Mong-ryong ended up watching the lovely girl only from afar on their first encounter. Here’s master singer Kim So-hee singing that part from pansori “Chunhyangga.”

Passage from pansori “Chunhyangga”/ Sung by Kim So-hee

Once enamored, nothing could keep Mong-ryong from trying to get her attention. He nags Bangja to go talk to her and tell her about the handsome young nobleman who is interested in her. Reluctantly, Bangja goes over to persuade her to meet Mong-ryong, but instead of following him to see the young nobleman, Chunhyang leaves three simple sentences for Mong-ryong – “The goose seeks the sea, butterflies seek flowers, and the crab seeks a hole.” What those sentences meant to say was, “If you like me so much, why don’t you come to see me yourself instead of ordering me to come to you?” She wasn’t entirely put off by his advances and cleverly left room for a later rendezvous. Not ready to give up, Mong-ryong asks Bangja if he knew where she lived and the manservant describes her neighborhood. But in Gyeonggi folksong “Sochunhyangga소춘향가” the lyrics are changed so that it was Chunhyang who told him where her home was. “The house is surrounded by a bamboo fence and there is a pond and a gazebo to the east and a well to the west and the long willow branches sway in the wind.” Then she adds that he should come by at dusk. This song was sung solo by a traditional singer who sang and played the janggu at the same time. But nowadays a singer is accompanied by string instruments like haegeum해금, gayageum가야금 and cheolhyeongeu철현금. Today’s last piece is “Sochunhyangga” sung by Ahn Jeong-ah with Won Na-gyeong playing the haegeum, Lee Hwa-young the gayageum and Han Solip the cheolhyeongeum.

Sochunhyangga/ Sung by Ahn Jeong-ah, accompanied by Won Na-gyeong, Lee Hwa-young and Han Solip.