The Spirit of Toegye Revived Through the Melodies of Korean Traditional Music

Harmony of Scholarship and Nature on Stage
Reviving "Dosan Twelve Songs" Through Korean Traditional Music

Dosan Twelve Songs (Dosan Sibi Gok), the representative poetry collection of Toegye Yi Hwang (Yi Hwang, 1501-1570), will be revived through the resonance of Korean traditional music. The Yeyak Korean Traditional Music Ensemble will present the performance "Restoration, Dosan Twelve Songs" at 7:30 p.m. on September 11 at Nakdong Hall, Andong Citizens' Center.

Toegye Yi Hwang's Dosan Twelve Songs Revived with Traditional Melody

◆ Harmony of Scholarship and Nature Unfolds on Stage

Dosan Twelve Songs is a Korean-language poetry collection that expresses emotions that could not be fully conveyed by the approximately 2,000 Chinese poems left by Toegye. The work is divided into "Words of Aspiration" and "Words of Learning," and over twelve pieces, it depicts realizations gained through communion with nature and the process of putting these insights into practice in daily life.

This performance is especially meaningful in that it faithfully restores and presents the traditional original form on stage, rather than being a simple creative reinterpretation.

The Yeyak Korean Traditional Music Ensemble will express the principles of the universe, human ethics, and the essence of Toegye's philosophy found in Dosan Twelve Songs through the language of Korean traditional music, offering the audience a new experience where scholarship and art are harmoniously blended.

◆ "Toegye's Poetry, Once Only in Words, Now Restored Through Music"

Director Kim Geontae stated, "Until now, Dosan Twelve Songs has only been passed down in written form, but with this performance, we are able to restore it through the melodies of Korean traditional music. This will be a meaningful stage that can resonate culturally not only locally but also nationwide."

The ticket price for the performance is 5,000 won, and the full amount can be refunded as local gift certificates through a local currency-linked payback system. Reservations can be made by phone.

"Dosan Twelve Songs, which embodies the spirit of Toegye, is brought to life again on the Korean traditional music stage. This event is a symbolic occasion that inherits Andong's tradition and scholarly identity with a modern sensibility."