Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
refers to music from the
Korean peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
ranging from prehistoric times to the
division of Korea
The division of Korea began with the defeat of Empire of Japan, Japan in World War II. During the war, the Allies of World War II, Allied leaders considered the question of Korea's future after Japan's surrender in the war. The leaders reached ...
into South and North in 1945. It includes court music, folk music, poetic songs, and religious music used in shamanistic and Buddhist traditions.
Together, traditional Korean music is referred to as ''gugak'' (
Hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
: 국악), which literally means "national music."
History
Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea
Not much is known about music from the
Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea period (before 57
BCE
Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the or ...
). It is believed that Korean people practiced
shamanistic
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
rituals involving music at agricultural festivals.
Tomb murals and ceramics from this period depict
string instrument
String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner.
Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the ...
s with complex features that suggest the instruments were quite developed.
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The
Three Kingdoms of Korea
Samhan or the Three Kingdoms of Korea () refers to the three kingdoms of Goguryeo (고구려, 高句麗), Baekje (백제, 百濟), and Silla (신라, 新羅). Goguryeo was later known as Goryeo (고려, 高麗), from which the modern name ''Kor ...
refers to the period from 57 BCE to 668 CE when the Korean peninsula was ruled by three kingdoms:
Goguryeo
Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...
,
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla.
Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...
, and
Silla
Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...
. Each kingdom was known for favoring different musical instruments.
Goguryeo
In Goguryeo, an oboe called a ''
piri
The ''piri'' is a Korean double reed instrument, used in both the folk and classical (court) music of Korea. Originating in Central Asia, it was introduced to the Korean peninsula from China, and has been used there as early as the Three Kingdom ...
'', a lute called a ''
pipa
The pipa, pípá, or p'i-p'a () is a traditional Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments. Sometimes called the "Chinese lute", the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets rang ...
'', and a zither that is still used today called a ''
geomungo
The geomungo (also spelled ''komungo'' or ''kŏmun'go'') or ''hyeongeum'' (literally "black zither", also spelled ''hyongum'' or ''hyŏn'gŭm'') is a traditional Korean plucked zither with both bridges and frets. ''Geomungo'' is a representative ...
'' were popular instruments.
According to the Korean historical record, ''
Samguk sagi
''Samguk Sagi'' (, ''History of the Three Kingdoms'') is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The ''Samguk Sagi'' is written in Classical Chinese, the written language of the literati of ancient Korea, ...
'', written in 1145, the ''geomungo'' was invented by prime minister
Wang San-ak
Wang San-ak (왕산악, 王山岳, ?-?) was the Prime Minister of Goguryeo during the reign of King Yangwon (6th century AD).
According to the ''Samguk Sagi'', written in 1145, the ''geomungo'' was invented by him by using the form of the ancie ...
, who had received a Chinese zither called a ''
guqin
The ''guqin'' (; ) is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument. It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favoured by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted b ...
'' as a gift. Wang did not know how to play the ''guqin'' so he used it as a model in order to build a new instrument he called the ''geomungo.'' A painting of the instrument is found in a tomb in modern-day
Jilin Province
Jilin (; alternately romanized as Kirin or Chilin) is one of the three provinces of Northeast China. Its capital and largest city is Changchun. Jilin borders North Korea (Rasŏn, North Hamgyong, Ryanggang and Chagang) and Russia (Prim ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
The Chinese historical text ''
Records of the Three Kingdoms
The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...
'' noted "The people of Goguryeo like to sing and dance. Men and women in villages throughout the country gather every night to sing and dance."
Surviving songs from the era include, "Song of the Turtle," and "Song of Nightingales," the latter of which was sung by
King Yuri of Goguryeo.
Baekje
The only song of Baekje conveyed until now is
Jeongeupsa
''Jeongeupsa'' (, , "The Song of Jeongeup") is the only surviving ''gayo'' () song from the Baekje kingdom.
''Jeongeupsa'' is the oldest song recorded in Hangul, and is thought to be a popular folk song originating sometime after the rule of ...
(정읍사), but since there are no specific relics such as the mural tombs of Goguryeo, it is quite difficult to grasp what it would be like. It is evident that Baekje also celebrated a harvest festival in May and October similar to that of Goguryeo.
The music of Baekje was known to
Liu Song Dynasty
Song, known as Liu Song (), Former Song (前宋) or Song of (the) Southern Dynasty (南朝宋) in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the first of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. ...
and
Northern Wei
Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...
, while some music players were invited to Japan.
Notably, a man of Baekje named Mimaji (미마지) learned music and dance in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and emigrated to Japan in 612. In 2001, Emperor of Japan
Akihito
is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide.
Bo ...
said the music of Baekje is the root of Japanese royal music, since
Emperor Kanmu
, or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kanmu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the sco ...
(r. 871–896) himself was a descendant of
King Muryeong (r. 501–523).
Silla
![Korea-Gaya Uruk Museum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Korea-Gaya_Uruk_Museum.jpg)
Before Silla unified three kingdoms, the music of Silla is represented by a traditional instrument,
gayageum
The ''gayageum'' or ''kayagum'' (in Korean 가야금, 伽倻琴 in Chinese characters) is a traditional Korean plucked zither with 12 strings, though some more recent variants have 18, 21 or 25 strings. It is probably the best known traditional K ...
which was said that Ureuk from
Gaya brought it in the reign of
King Jinheung when his kingdoms were incorporated by Silla forces. Although Samguk Sagi conveys 12 names of compositions Ureuk did, those are not fully inherited. In the 13th year of Jinheung, Ureuk taught gayageum, songs, and dances to three disciples of Gyego, Beopji y Mandeok.
Later the famed scholar,
Choi Chiwon who studied in Tang dynasty away from
bone rank system
The bone-rank system was the system of aristocratic rank used in the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla. It was used to segregate society, and particularly the layers of the aristocracy, on the basis of their hereditary proximity to the throne and th ...
of Silla chartered five poems of ''hyangak'' (The local music) which depict performing arts in Silla toward the end of its era. These figures are found in history books,
Goryeosa
The ''Goryeosa'' (), or ''History of Goryeo'', is the main surviving historical record of Korea's Goryeo dynasty. It was composed nearly a century after the fall of Goryeo, during the reign of King Sejong, undergoing repeated revisions between ...
as a court ballet performance consisting of hyangak and dangak in subcategories of Korean music.
North and South States Period
Unified Silla
After unification, the music of Silla experienced the influx of diverse music from Baekje and Goguryeo with the wider development of hyangak, especially in gayageum, geomungo,
bipa
The ''bipa'' is a pear-shaped lute that is a traditional Korean musical instrument. It is derived from Chinese ''pipa'' and was introduced through the Silk Road to Goguryeo and Silla. There are two major types of ''bipa'': the four stringed ''d ...
of three string instruments and other three pipes.
Additionally, music from the Tang dynasty was introduced under the reign of
King Munmu
Munmu of Silla (626–681; reigned 661–681) was the 30th king of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He is usually considered to have been the first ruler of the Unified Silla period. Munmu was the son of King Muyeol and Munmyeong, who was the youn ...
. The Buddhist chant,
Beompae
Beompae (, also written ''pomp'ae'' or ''pŏmp'ae'') is a Korean genre of Buddhist chants and songs., one of three key traditional Korean song types, together with '' gagok'' and ''pansori''.
Description
There are three kinds of ''beompae'':
...
(hangul 범패, hanja 梵唄) was widely adopted with variety of instruments, forming a unique art of Silla.
During unified Silla, the royal institute of music (en hangul: 음성서) was established.
Goryeo Dynasty
Taejo of Goryeo
Taejo of Goryeo (31 January 877 – 4 July 943), also known as Taejo Wang Geon (; ), was the founder of the Goryeo dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943, achieving unification of the Later Three ...
, the founder of Goryeo followed several customs of Silla which can be found in a series of Buddhist celebrations such as Palgwanhoe and Yeondeunghoe. However, the influence of Silla dramatically diminished in the middle of its period owing to the influx of music from Song, establishing a strong influence on Korean court music.
A large banquet where performances handed down from Silla such as the sword dance was conducted.
Most of Goryeo songs were recorded in
Akhak gwebeom
The ''Akhak gwebeom'' (Hangul: 악학궤범, Hanja: 樂學軌範; literally "Musical Canon") is a nine-volume treatise on music, written in Korea in the 15th century, in the Joseon Dynasty. It is written by hand in hanja, and depicts, in line dra ...
after the 15th century of which features were the lyrics of the Korean language, different from those of previous eras.
Goryeo court dance named jeongjae can be divided into two categories: native dances of hyangak jeongjae (향악정재); Tang-derived dangak jeongjae (당악정재). Additionally, folk dances were practiced by monks and shamans.
Joseon Dynasty
As
Yi Seong-gye
Taejo of Joseon (4 November 1335 – 27 June 1408), born Yi Seong-gye (), was the founder and first ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. After ascending to the throne, he changed his name to Yi Dan (), and reigned from 1392 to 1398. He was ...
founded Joseon in 1392, the dynasty adopted anti-Buddhism and pro-Confucianism which affected the musical pattern of Yeak (예악, 禮樂). Although some scholars like
Jeong Do-jeon
Jeong Dojeon (Korean: 정도전, Hanja: 鄭道傳, 1342 – October 6, 1398), also known by his pen name Sambong (Korean: 삼봉), was a prominent Korean scholar-official during the late Goryeo to the early Joseon periods. He served as the first ...
made several songs for celebrating the initial moments of Joseon, the notation followed the trends of Goryeo.
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
periods saw considerable developments of its music during the reign of Sejong which were largely attributable to a musician
Park Yeon
Bak Yeon or Park Yeon (; 20 August 1378 - 23 March 1458) was a government official, scholar, writer, astronomer and musician in the Early Joseon Dynasty period, who was a teacher of King Sejong and created Armillary sphere Honcheonui, Water cloc ...
.
[Shin hyong-sik, 《A Brief History of Korea》, Vol. 1, Ewha Woman's University Press, 2005. pp.74-75] Park firstly established an independent organ of music and created
Korean-style notation including Jeonganbo (en Hangul: 정간보). King Sejong himself also composed songs. A son of Sejong,
Sejo
Sejo of Joseon (2 November 1417 – 23 September 1468), personal name Yi Yu (Korean language, Korean: 이유; Hanja: 李瑈), sometimes known as Grand Prince Suyang (Korean language, Korean: 수양대군; Hanja: 首陽大君), was the sevent ...
who killed his nephew,
Danjong
Danjong of Joseon (18 August 1441 – 17 November 1457), personal name Yi Hong-wi (Korean: 이홍위; Hanja: 李弘暐), was the sixth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was forced to abdicate by his uncle, Grand Prince Suyang (the futu ...
also recorded his score in pitch pipe notation. The two kings above are the only rulers whose musical records are now traceable.
Music and dance enjoyed favorable positions in the court banquets and also within the elite yangban class. The feasts hosted by high-rank officers involved several entertainers like clowns and acrobats.
[Yoon seo-seok, 《Festive Occasions: The Customs in Korea》, Ewha Woman's University Press, 2008. pp.24-25] After the middle of its period, what-so-called middlemen (중인, Jungin) came to play diverse instruments mixing lyric poems and long cyclical songs.
![Musical Canon in museum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Musical_Canon_in_museum.jpg)
The process of compiling traditional Korean music continued until the reign of
Seongjong with the publication of the first independent musical text
Akhakgwebeom.
Because of two mega-hit wars, the culture of Joseon went through a series of hardships which resulted in the loss of instrumental music and songs in court and also a royal shrine. The musical situation in the late Joseon can be described as declining contrary to its expansion period.
Ancestor worship ceremonies called
Munmyo jerye and Jongmyo jerye were revived and performed annually, chiefly to commemorate the deaths of Confucian scholars and Korean kings.
The public enjoyed the genre of
pansori
' () is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer.
The term ''pansori'' is derived from the Korean words ''pan'' (Hangul: 판) and ''sori'' (Hangul: 소리), the latter of which means "sound." However, ''pan' ...
,
sanjo and
namsadang-nori.
Pansori
' () is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer.
The term ''pansori'' is derived from the Korean words ''pan'' (Hangul: 판) and ''sori'' (Hangul: 소리), the latter of which means "sound." However, ''pan' ...
first emerged as a common culture in the mid-Joseon. Although it's hard to grasp exact points of its evolution, the oral tradition of this genre came to be followed by musical experts only to expand its sphere not only to commoners but also to aristocrats.
In 1894, Joseon government dispatched ten court musicians to Boston Exposition in the United States to build an independent foundation.
After Korean Empire
Joseon was transformed into the
Korean Empire
The Korean Empire () was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire stood until Japan's annexation of Korea in August 1910.
During the Korean Empire, Emperor Gojong oversaw the Gwa ...
with a view to organizing its sphere out of the external interruption, while the rituals of empires were revived and practiced Confucian court music to celebrate the expansion of the nation. However, the Japanese colonization of Korea in 1910 brought tremendous change inside and outside Korea with an influence of
western music. After the collapse, Korean court music found almost no way to make celebrations and rituals, which was replaced with marching songs. Instead of pansori and gagok, the musical trends were largely changed into modern-style performances and classical music. Followed by cultural suppression in the 1920s, Korean traditional music barely survived.
Korean voice (sori/chang)
Korean
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
or ''minyo'', is varied and complex, but all forms maintain a set of rhythms (called 장단; Jangdan) and a loosely defined set of melodic modes owing to diverse instruments, while even drums were eligible to demonstrate a variety of rhythmic cycles.
Because the folk songs of various areas are categorized under Dongbu folk songs, their vocal styles and
modes
Mode ( la, modus meaning "manner, tune, measure, due measure, rhythm, melody") may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* '' MO''D''E (magazine)'', a defunct U.S. women's fashion magazine
* ''Mode'' magazine, a fictional fashion magazine which is ...
are limited. Therefore, currently, scholars are attempting to categorize the Dongbu folk songs further, based on different musical features. These songs are primarily simple and bright. Namdo folk songs are those of Jeolla Province and a part of Chungcheong Province. While the folk songs of other regions are mostly musically simple, the folk songs of the Namdo region, where the famous musical genres ''pansori'' and ''sanjo'' were created, are rich and dramatic. Some Namdo folk songs are used in pansori or developed by professional singers and are included as part of their repertoires. Jeju folk songs are sung on
Jeju Island. Jeju folk songs are more abundant in number than any other regional folk songs, and approximately 1600 songs are transmitted today. Jeju folk songs are characterized by their simple and unique melodic lines and rich texts.
Pansori
''
Pansori
' () is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer.
The term ''pansori'' is derived from the Korean words ''pan'' (Hangul: 판) and ''sori'' (Hangul: 소리), the latter of which means "sound." However, ''pan' ...
'' (판소리) is a long vocal and percussive music played by one singer and 1 drummer. In this traditional art form, sometimes rather misleadingly called 'Korean Opera',
a narrator may play the parts of all the characters in a story, accompanied by a drummer. The lyrics tell one of five different stories but are individualized by each performer, often with updated jokes and audience participation. One of the most famous pansori singers is
Park Dongjin (
hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
: 박동진). In 2003, Pansori was designated as intangible cultural property in UNESCO's Memory of the world.
The National Theatre of Korea provides monthly opportunities to experience traditional Korean narrative songs or ''Pansori''.
Pungmul
''Pungmul'' (풍물) is a Korean folk music tradition that is a form of
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
music that includes drumming, dancing, and singing.
Most performances are outside, with dozens of players, all in constant motion.
Samul Nori
Samul nori (사물놀이) is a genre of percussion music that originated in Korea. The word ''samul'' means "four objects", while ''nori'' means "play". Samul nori is performed with four traditional Korean musical instruments. They are '' Kkwaengg ...
, originally the name of a musical group founded in 1978, has become popular as a genre, even overseas. It is based on Pungmul musical rhythmic patterns and uses the same instruments, but is faster and usually played while sitting down.
Sanjo
Sanjo:(산조) is played without a pause in faster tempos as one of the most popular genres of traditional Korean music. It is entirely instrumental music, and includes changes in rhythmic and melodic modes during individual work. The tempo increases in each movement. The general style of the sanjo is marked by slides in slow movements and rhythmic complexity in faster movements. Instruments include the
changgo drum set against a melodic instrument, such as the
gayageum
The ''gayageum'' or ''kayagum'' (in Korean 가야금, 伽倻琴 in Chinese characters) is a traditional Korean plucked zither with 12 strings, though some more recent variants have 18, 21 or 25 strings. It is probably the best known traditional K ...
or
ajaeng
The ''ajaeng'' is a Korean string instrument. It is a wide zither with strings of twisted silk. It is played with a slender stick of forsythia wood that is drawn across the strings in the manner of a bow (music), bow. The ''ajaeng'' mainly plays ...
.
Famous practitioners include such names as Kim Chukp'a,
Yi Saenggang
Yi Saenggang (born 1936), also known as Lee Saenggang, is a South Korean musician and a leading practitioner of ''daegeum sanjo'', an instrumental style of Korean music played on the ''daegeum
The ''daegeum'' (also spelled ''taegum'', ''daegu ...
and
Hwang Byungki
Hwang Byungki (31 May 1936, in Seoul – 31 January 2018) was the foremost South Korean player of the gayageum, a 12-string zither with silk strings. He was also a composer and an authority on '' sanjo'', a form of traditional Korean instrumental ...
. Notably, Hwang established a new type of sanjo genre that involved in the repertory of gayageum on the basis of aiming to identify and explain distinctive musical features and creativity.
Jeongak
Jeongak
''Jeongak'' (literally "proper music") is that category of Korean music which is considered Korean Court Music, classical, as distinct from ''minsogak'' which is folk music. The category has traditionally been associated with the upper classes.
Th ...
(정악, 正樂) or ''Chongak'' means literally "right (or proper) music", and its tradition includes both instrumental and vocal music, which were cultivated mainly by the upper-class literati of the
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
society. The instrumental branch has several versions of a lengthy chamber, chiefly ''Yongsan hoesang'', while the vocal branch sometimes include the meaning of jeongga (Right Song) with a wide range of gagok, gasa, and sijo.
Although jeongak has things in common with court music but it can't be categorized as popular song since most public would never hear of these melodies by incorporating various court dances.
Vocals performed in jeongak are normally sung in a style of
kagok (가곡), which is for mixed male and female singers and is accompanied by a variety of instruments.
[South Korea - Culture](_blank)
Windows on Asia, Asian Studies Center of Michigan State University The best-known piece of jeongak is ''Yeongsan hoesang'' of 9 suites which has now had only instrumental notes.
Nongak
Nongak
''Pungmul'' (; ) is a Korean folk music tradition that includes drumming, dancing, and singing. Most performances are outside, with dozens of players all in constant motion. ''Pungmul'' is rooted in the ''dure'' (collective labor) farming cultur ...
(농악) refers to "farmers' music" and represents an important musical genre which has been developed mainly by peasants in the agricultural society of Korea. The farmers' music is performed typically in an open area of the village. The organization of nongak varies according to locality and performing groups, and today there are a great number of regional styles and involvement of many instruments. Since Nongak involves in many types of dances and formation changes, the dancers and players have several types of artistic format due to their level of skill.
[, p.91]
Shinawi
Shinawi
''Sinawi'', sometimes spelled ''shinawi'', is a traditional Korean music. It is performed improvisationally by a musical ensemble, and traditionally accompanies the rites of Korean shamanism. The style first emerged in the Chungcheong and Jeol ...
or Sinawi (시나위), means, in the broadest sense, the shamanistic music of Korea which is performed during a Korean shaman's ritual dance performance to console and to entertain deities mainly from Korea's southwest region.
[, p.32] In this sense of the word, the term is almost identical with another term, ''shinbanggok'' (lit. 'spirit chamber music'), which indicated general shamanistic music performed at a folk religious ceremony known as
kut
Kūt ( ar, ٱلْكُوت, al-Kūt), officially Al-Kut, also spelled Kutulamare or Kut al-Imara, is a city in eastern Iraq, on the left bank of the Tigris River, about south east of Baghdad. the estimated population is about 389,400 people.
It ...
. The format of this genre is comparatively loose with several dancers being united and dispersed on the stage.
Salpuri
Salpuri (살풀이) is a shamanistic ritual dance, conducted as
exorcism
Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be ...
of bad ghosts. The style of this ritual dance is characterized simple and serene. The long scarf with fluid lines express long lines of the arms and fingers of the dancer from corner to corner of the space, utilizing the vastness of space all the way.
Court/Ritual music
Korean court music
Korean court music comprises three main musical genres: ''aak'', an imported form of Chinese ritual music; a pure Korean form called ''hyangak''; and a combination of Chinese and Korean styles called ''dangak''.
Korean court music and its histor ...
preserved to date can be traced to the beginning of the
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
in 1392. It is now rare, except for government-sponsored organizations like
The National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts
The National Gugak Center, located in Seoul, South Korea, is the primary institution of learning for Korean traditional music (), including both court music and folk music. It was founded in 1951 through a merger of Korean musical organizat ...
.
There are three types of court music.
*Aak is an imported form of Chinese ritual music.
*Hyang-ak is a Pure Korean form.
*Dang-ak is a combination of Korean and Chinese influences.
Aak
The word
Aak
''Aak'' is a genre of Korean court music. It is an imported form of the Chinese court music ''yayue'', and means "elegant music". ''Aak'' was performed almost exclusively in state sacrificial rites, and in the present day it is performed in ce ...
is the Korean pronunciation of two hanja characters, which indicate the equivalent form of ''
yayue
''Yayue'' () was a form of classical music and dance performed at the royal court and temples in ancient China. The basic conventions of ''yayue'' were established in the Western Zhou. Together with law and rites, it formed the formal represent ...
'' in Chinese and ''
gagaku
is a type of Japanese classical music that was historically used for imperial court music and dances. was developed as court music of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and its near-current form was established in the Heian period (794-1185) around t ...
'' in Japan.
[, p.1201] Since Confucius used this term to distinguish elegant and beneficial music from the melodies without harmony, it enjoyed favorable status during Joseon. Derived from wider types of notations, Korea has maintained its melodies until now of which features were long lost in China.
[ Aak is considered a special type of court music in specific ritual ceremonies][ at very rare concerts, such as the Sacrifice to Confucius in ]Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
.
Dang-ak
Dangak or Tangak refers to the music which came from the Tang dynasty. The instruments from Tang were imported. During the 12th century, Korea received musical instruments as gifts from the Chinese ruler, which were used by the orchestra at Confucian rituals. These influences provided Unified Silla with robust opportunities to develop its music culture after Korean performers' visits to China and vice versa Chinese performers visited Korea in 1116.
Hyang-ak
Hyangak
''Hyangak'', literally "indigenous/native music, folks music" is a traditional form of Korean court music with origins in the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC – 668 AD). It is often accompanied by traditional folk dances of Korea, known as ''hyan ...
literally means ''The local music'' or ''Music native to Korea'' of which one example is ''Sujecheon'', a piece of instrumental music as old as 1,300 years. Hyangak firstly appeared as early as during Silla period with four ensemble stringed instrument
String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner.
Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the st ...
with woodwind instruments similar to the oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
A ...
, called a piri
The ''piri'' is a Korean double reed instrument, used in both the folk and classical (court) music of Korea. Originating in Central Asia, it was introduced to the Korean peninsula from China, and has been used there as early as the Three Kingdom ...
.[, pp.1203-1204] Pares and English indicate the texts of Goryeosa
The ''Goryeosa'' (), or ''History of Goryeo'', is the main surviving historical record of Korea's Goryeo dynasty. It was composed nearly a century after the fall of Goryeo, during the reign of King Sejong, undergoing repeated revisions between ...
: The most significant dates for music hyangak (indigenous music; other texts refer to this as sogak) were 1114 and 1116, when the court received two gifts from the eighth Song emperor, Huizong. Korea was fast becoming a Confucian state and kings had begun to observe Confucian rites to heaven, to agriculture, land and grain, and to royal ancestors.
Yongbieocheonga
''Yongbieocheonga'', literally ''Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven'', was the first work written in Hangul. The book was published in 1447 and written by Jeong Inji (정인지, 鄭麟趾), An Ji (안지, 安止), and Kwon Jae (권제, 權踶). ...
, Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven represents its uniqueness as hyangak, which was originally tuned to various notes and lyrics but the text was lost and purely instrument rhythm left.
Traditional instruments
Traditional Korean instruments can be broadly divided into three groups:
#String
#Wind
#Percussion
Percussion folk instruments include jing (large hanging gong), kkwaenggwari
The ''kkwaenggwari'' () is a small flat gong used primarily in the folk music of Korea. It is made of brass and is played with a hard stick. It produces a distinctively high-pitched, metallic tone that breaks into a cymbal-like crashing timbre ...
(hand-held gong), buk (barrel drum), janggu
The ''janggu'' (, also transliterated as ''janggo'' or ''changgo'') or sometimes called ''seyogo'' (slim waist drum) is the most representative drum in traditional Korean music. It is available in most kinds, and consists of an hourglass-shaped ...
(hourglass drum). Percussion court includes the pyeongjong (bronze bells), pyeongyeong
The ''bianqing'' ( Chinese: 编磬) is a traditional Chinese percussion instrument consisting of a set of L-shaped flat stone chimes known as ''qing'', played melodically. The chimes were hung in a wooden frame and struck with a mallet. Along w ...
(stone chimes), chuk (square wooden box with mallet) and eo (tiger-shaped scraper).
Contemporary music
Korea is a vibrant environment for contemporary music, and produces a wide array of styles. The country has produced internationally prominent soloists and acts such as Psy
Park Jae-sang (, ; born December 31, 1977), known professionally as Psy (stylized in all caps as PSY) (; ; ), is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Psy is known domestically for his humorous videos and stage per ...
, BoA
Kwon Bo-ah (; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actress. One of the most successful and influential Korean entertainers, she has been dubbed the " Queen of K- ...
, Rain
Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...
, IU, Epik High
Epik High (Hangul: 에픽하이) is a South Korean hip hop trio formed in 2001, composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz. Primarily based in Seoul, the group signed with Woollim Entertainment and released their first two studio albums, ''M ...
, Wonder Girls
Wonder Girls () was a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group debuted in February 2007 with the single "Irony" and 5 members: Yeeun, Sunye, Sunmi, Hyuna and Sohee. After Hyuna's departure in July, Yubin was added into th ...
, 2AM, 2PM, Blackpink
Blackpink (, commonly stylized in all caps or as BLɅϽKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. The group debuted in August 2016 with their single album ''Square ...
, TVXQ
TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!), an initialism for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (), is a South Korean male pop duo consisting of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. They are known as in Japanese releases, and are sometimes referred to as DBSK, an abbreviation of ...
, Super Junior
Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...
, Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piece ensembl ...
, SHINee
Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and th ...
, EXO
Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...
, Brave Girls
Brave Girls (; also known as B. Girls or BG) is a South Korean girl group formed by producer Brave Brothers in 2011 and managed by Brave Entertainment. After making their debut with the single album ''The Difference'' on April 7, 2011, the gro ...
, Big Bang
The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...
, 2NE1
2NE1 (, ) was a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, which was active between 2009 and 2016. The group was composed of four members: Bom, CL, Dara, and Minzy. Known for breaking typical stereotypes of K-pop, musical experiment ...
, Seventeen
Seventeen or 17 may refer to:
*17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18
* one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017
Literature
Magazines
* ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine
* ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...
, Twice
Twice (; Japanese: トゥワイス, Hepburn: ''To~uwaisu''; commonly stylized as TWICE) is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of nine members: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaey ...
, GOT7, BTS
BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produ ...
, Monsta X
Monsta X (; stylized as MONSTA X) is a South Korean boy group formed through the reality survival program ''No.Mercy'' under Starship Entertainment. The group is currently composed of six members: Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney ...
, Red Velvet, Momoland
Momoland () is a South Korean girl group formed by MLD Entertainment (formerly known as Duble Kick Company) through the 2016 reality show ''Finding Momoland''. The show's winners Hyebin, Yeonwoo, Jane, Nayun, JooE, Ahin, and Nancy served as the ...
, GFriend
GFriend (stylized in all caps; ) was a South Korean girl group formed by Source Music in 2015. The group consisted of six members: Sowon, Yerin, Eunha, Yuju, SinB, and Umji. They debuted with the extended play (EP) '' Season of Glass'' on Jan ...
, aespa
Aespa ( ; , commonly stylized in all lowercase or æspa) is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group consists of four members: Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning. They debuted on November 17, 2020, with the single " B ...
, Itzy
Itzy (stylized in all caps; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment and consisting of members Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna. They debuted on February 12, 2019, with the release of their single album ''It'z Different'' ...
, Tomorrow X Together
Tomorrow X Together (, ; Tomorrow by Together, stylized TOMORROW X TOGETHER), commonly known as TXT ( ), is a South Korean boy band formed by Big Hit Entertainment, now known as Big Hit Music. The group consists of five members: Yeonjun, Soobin ...
, NCT and NewJeans
NewJeans () is a South Korean girl group formed by ADOR, a subsidiary of Hybe Corporation. The group is composed of five members: Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein. The group pre-released their debut single "Attention" on July 22, 2022, ...
with the music becoming a worldwide phenomenon.
BTS is the most successful group and the best selling artist in South Korea's history. They are the first Korean artist to earn a number one album in the US and second Asian artist to top the Billboard Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
. BTS have attained 25 ''Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'', including for the most Twitter engagements and for the most viewed video/music video on YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
in 24 hours, achieving the latter every year since 2018 and most recently with "Butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment ...
". Following their claiming of 13 world records in 2021 alone, the group was inducted into the record body's 2022 Hall of Fame. They have consecutively won ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'''s Top Social Artist award since 2017; are the only Korean group to win the Top Duo/Group award at the Billboard Music Awards
The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by '' Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of ...
; and are the most-awarded group in BBMA history as of 2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
, with 12 wins overall. They are also the only Korean group to win Favorite Duo or Group – Pop/Rock and Favorite Social Artist at the American Music Awards
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...
, and in 2021, became the first Asian act in the show's history to win Artist of the Year. They are the first Korean pop act to receive a Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nomination, and the first Korean artist to be nominated for a Brit Award
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
. BTS have also placed on the ''Time'' 100 in 2019, and are the youngest recipients of the South Korean Order of Cultural Merit. They were appointed Special Presidential Envoys for public diplomacy by South Korean President Moon Jae-in
Moon Jae-in (; ; born 24 January 1953) is a South Korean former politician, civil servant and lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea between 2017 and 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs an ...
in July 2021. In 2022, the group won 10 awards at the 36th Japan Gold Disc Awards
The is an award presented by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Associa ...
, including a record fourth consecutive Artist of the Year (Asia), to become the most-awarded—30 in total—foreign artist in the history of the ceremony. They are the only foreign artist to achieve that many consecutive wins in the category, and to receive 10 awards in a single ceremony. In 2022, BTS were invited to the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
in the United States of America, to speak with President Joe Biden about anti-Asian hate crimes and Asian representation in the United States of America.
Blackpink has also made history on the Billboard charts, as, among other feats, being highest-charting Korean female act on the Billboard Hot 100.
Their music, though often electronic pop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a r ...
, hip-hop and/or R&B in essence, is generally grouped under a genre called K-pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...
, which emerged during the 1990s and has since become increasingly and continuously popular as part of the Korean Wave.
See also
*K-pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...
*Music of South Korea
The music of South Korea has evolved over the course of the decades since the end of the Korean War, and has its roots in the music of the Korean people, who have inhabited the Korean peninsula for over a millennium. Contemporary South Korean mus ...
*Music of North Korea
The music of North Korea includes a wide array of folk, pop, light instrumental, political, and classical performers. Beyond patriotic and political music, popular groups like Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble and Moranbong Band perform songs about ev ...
*List of South Korean musicians
This is a list of musical artists that are of South Korean nationality. They may not necessarily be of full Korean ancestry, sing in Korean language, or reside in South Korea.
0-9
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
...
*List of North Korean musicians
This is a list of musical artists that are of North Korean nationality.
North Korean musicians
North Korean songwriters and composers
Music bands, groups and orchestras
See also
* List of South Korean musicians
* List of musicians
* ...
References
*Provine, Rob, Okon Hwang, and Andy Kershaw (2000). "Our Life Is Precisely a Song". In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), ''World Music, Vol. 2: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific'', pp 160–169. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. .
*''Korean Cultural Insights''. "Traditional Arts". Republic of Korea. p 27. Korea Tourism Organization
The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is an organization of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It is commissioned to promote the country's tourism industry.
The KTO was established in 1962 as a gover ...
, 2007.
External links
''A Study of Musical Instruments in Korean Traditional Music''
(The National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Korea, 1998)
''Kpop Radio Pdm''
Community dedicated to Korean Culture, music and Korean music radio)
''Generacion Kpop''
(Community websites dedicated to Korean music and Korean music radio)
''Overview of Traditional Korean Music''
Minyo
ranslation from Minsok Kyoyuk Jaryojip, published by Bongchon Norimadang
''News articles about Korean Music''
''Learning how to keep time in music''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Music Of Korea
South Korean music history