Popular Introductory Gugak Lectures Conveying the Charm of Instruments and Genres
June 30: Haegum and Court Music, July 7: Piri and Gut Music Sessions
The scene of the city gugak lecture "The World Beyond Sound: Geomungo and Pungnyu" held on June 9. Photo by Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang announced on the 29th that it will operate the 2022 Citizen Gugak Lecture Series "Our Instruments, Our Music" to expand the introduction to gugak (traditional Korean music).
"Our Instruments, Our Music" is a citizen lecture prepared for everyone interested in traditional music. Active artists currently performing will directly conduct both gugak theory lectures and live performances, enhancing participants' understanding of gugak while allowing them to experience the charm of various instruments and music genres.
Each session is composed of classes featuring different instruments and music genres, covering the history and types of gugak instruments, musical characteristics, and appreciation methods, exploring the lives and diverse cultural contexts embedded in traditional instruments to offer a new perspective on gugak.
On June 30th, Gong Gyeongjin, the haegeum principal player of the National Gugak Center's Jeongakdan, will present court ritual music performed in the past royal palaces. The session will cover the history and tradition of our music, including Jongmyo Jeryeak, as well as Jeongjae, represented by Dongdong and Chunaengjeon, conveying not only the basics of the haegeum but also the elegant charm of court music.
On July 7th, Lee Seunghun, professor of the Department of Gugak at Chonnam National University, will conduct a lecture on gut music, which contains the hopes and life songs of our people, accompanied by piri performance. The lecture will include theoretical content such as the history and structure of the piri, as well as demonstrations of the piri's role in gut music, and the origins and characteristics of regional guts such as Seoul Gut and Jindo Ssikkimgut.
On July 14th, Lee Hwayeon, the ajaeng principal player of the National Gugak Center's Creative Orchestra, and singer Seo Jeongmin will conclude the lecture series with "Purification of Sorrow: Ajaeng and Pansori." They will present the process by which the ajaeng, used in court music, transformed into a representative folk instrument due to the popularity of gukgeuk (Korean traditional opera), and through pansori, inseparable from gukgeuk, offer a moment to approach traditional music that makes us cry and laugh.
This lecture series, where participants can directly hear the expertise embedded in the instruments from the creators themselves, will be held every Thursday evening at 7:30 PM from June 30th to July 14th.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
