National Gugak Center Folk Orchestra Performance on 6th-7th
15 Songs from 1920s-30s Phonograph Records on Stage
Recreating Contemporary Star Music Including Gayageum Byeongchang, Pansori, Shinminyo
During the Japanese colonial period, a traditional vocal music performance stage where audiences can experience the popular songs of the time is coming to the audience.
Poster for the National Gugak Center Folk Orchestra performance 'Gyeongseong Popular Song'. [Photo by National Gugak Center]
The National Gugak Center Folk Orchestra announced on the 4th that it will present the planned performance "Gyeongseong Popular Songs," which gathers popular songs recorded on phonograph records from over 100 years ago, at 7:30 PM on the 6th and 7th at the Pungnyu Sarangbang of the National Gugak Center.
This performance features 15 exquisite folk songs, pansori, and new folk songs by star vocalists who gained attention with the emergence of the new medium of phonograph records at the time, performed by the vocal members of the Folk Orchestra.
The National Gugak Center explained, "Phonograph records, which appeared in Korea around the 1920s, originally brought the stage of our traditional sounds, which were enjoyed in sound pans or pungnyu rooms, into living rooms and parlors. With the advent of the phonograph, anyone could enjoy sounds anytime and anywhere, and the vocalists of the time suddenly rose to stardom, with their songs becoming popular tunes sung by the public."
They added, "Due to the limited time of about 3 minutes and 30 seconds per side of the record, the emergence of phonograph records naturally sped up the tempo of music, allowing the public to consume music in a short time and contributing to the birth of various popular songs."
On this stage, representative popular songs recorded on these phonograph records will be introduced by categorizing them into traditional vocal genres and performed by the members of the Folk Orchestra.
The first stage, Seodo Sori, will feature "Seodo Seongjupuri" sung by famous vocalists Choi Soon-gyeong and Jang Hak-seon, as well as Choi Soon-gyeong’s "Banwolga" and "Hwatu Puri." Compared to today’s Seodo Sori, the emotional tone is less poignant but offers a calm and rustic flavor.
Also on stage are O Tae-seok’s "Baktaryeong" and "Dontaryeong," who stood at the center of popular songs with gayageum byeongchang, Lee Sohyang’s "Hojupmong," and Sung Geum-am’s "Sonyeonga." It was notable that the gayageum played not just a supporting role but showcased outstanding performance skills, which will be preserved in this performance to highlight the charm of the original sound and playing.
Five works by pansori stars of the time, such as Lee Hwajungseon, Im Bangul, Park Nokju, and Kim Chohyang, who were called legends of the era, will also be presented.
The genre of "Sinminyo" (new folk songs), born when popular folk songs met Western music and lyrics that captivated the public, will also be gathered and performed. Through Sinminyo, the concepts of composition and lyric writing emerged, and the accompaniment of traditional and Western instruments harmonized, making Sinminyo a representative genre of popular music of the era.
To revive the atmosphere of that time, an accordion (sonpunggeum) was added to enhance the flavor of the sound in this performance.
Yoo Ji-sook, artistic director of the Folk Orchestra, said, "In this era where K-pop has become the world’s representative popular music, we prepared this performance to introduce representative traditional vocal works that stood at the center of popular songs over 100 years ago, rediscovering the popularity of our sounds and pursuing artistic novelty again."
"Gyeongseong Popular Songs" can be reserved through the National Gugak Center website or by phone. All seats are 20,000 KRW.
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