- The Wonsamguk Period |
In the Old Stone Age, primitive songs, in general, had been one of the economic means for hunting. So, their view of the world was unilateral. As the New Stone Age arrived, farming made changes in people's life. Songs developed into mantras and hymns while being combined with religious elements. In addition, group dances were performed during wars, farming, working, and funeral ceremonies. These kinds of composite arts developed before the Three Kingdoms period.Mahan, a tribal country during the Wonsamguk period, that occupied the present Jeollabuk-do, was an agricultural society. It had seasonal festivals during seeding and harvesting periods. According to the Mahan part of the Wei history in 'Samgukji' ('A History of the Three Kingdoms in China'), people in Mahan paid tribute to God after seeding in May and enjoyed songs and dances with liquor and did the same in October. Therefore, it is our understanding that, at the 'Good Harvest Ritual' in May, religious songs and dances were performed.
- The Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC-668 AD)
During the Wonsamguk Period, music was strongly religious and associated with sorcery. In the Three Kingdoms Period, music was frequently used in national ceremonies to show the authority of the royal family. Goguryeo bordering on the continent had active exchanges with China, including music. For example, chilhyeongeum, or a seven-stringed instrument, was introduced from China to Goguryeo, which renovated the musical instrument to build the 'geomungo', or a six-stringed instrument, transmitted to the present. Besides, Baekje began to have a great influence on the musical circle of Japan from around the 6th century. There was a proof of this influence in that 'goemungo', made by Goguryeo, is actually called 'Baekjegeum' or 'kudara koto' in Japan. In particular, songs and dances of Goguryo were introduced to the Chinese countries of Su and Dang. Baekje developed the mask dance from China and introduced it to Japan. Silla had a rich musical legacy with popular 'gayageum', or a 12-stringed musical instrument, made by Ureuk in Gaya.After unifying the Three Kingdoms, Unified Silla freely incorporated cultures of Goguryo and Baekje and had active exchanges with Dang in China, so as to import its advanced culture, reflecting it in the culture of the country. As a result, the music of Unified Silla had succeeded the musical legacies of the Three Kingdoms and added something external to develop a unique musical culture.
- The Unified Silla Period (668-935)
Hyangak, or the representative music of Unified Silla, was completed with musical instruments of the three kingdoms, including Goguryeo and Baekje, and was featured with three kinds of stringed instruments (gayageum, geomungo, hyangbipa) and three kinds of wind instruments (daegeum, jonggeum, sogeum). Accepting musical instruments of the previous three kingdoms meant adopting the musical tones and musical structures made and played by those instruments. Therefore 'hyangak', of Unified Silla, can be featured by a variety of musical tones played in the music of Goguryeo and Baekje. Accepting those various musical tones played a critical role in developing new types of musical culture that the noble society, the major class for appreciating music with royal families in the center, demanded. - The Goryeo Period (918∼1392)
The musical culture of Goryeo can be summarized into the three kinds of 'hyangak', transmitted from Unified Silla and developed during Goryeo, 'dangak', introduced from gyobangak of Song, a Chinese country, and 'daeseongak', introduced to Goryeo in the 12th century. Also, there were small trends of music, such as 'gochwiak', field music for the noble class, and 'giak', or instrumental music evolved from performing arts.'Hangak', 'dangak', and 'aak' were developed with strong support from major music appreciators of royal families and the noble class. However, a variety of entertaining arts, stunts, and instrumental music called 'baekhuigamu' also formed a small stream of music at that time, meeting the cultural demands from the noble class as well as from commoners, including merchants and craftsmen. According to the music section of 'Goryeoseo', or the 'History of Goryeo', instrumental music is called 'giak-baekhui' and 'giak-jabhui'; and 'jabgi' is called 'jabhui', 'gamu-jabhui', 'gamu-jabgi', or 'baehui-gamu', meaning "entertaining arts and stunts". These instrumental music and entertaining arts and stunts were composite performing arts including songs, dances, and stunts as shown in their titles. Therefore, they are considered as important in music history as well as in the history of play and dance.
- The Joseon Period (1392∼1910)
Music of Joseon was blooming for a long time, which is known with hard evidences of comprehensive historical musical facts. Various genres of music created and developed by Joseon have been transmitted to the present as a significant part of Korean music. The music history of the Joseon period is featured by the royal music organizations rearranged, the musical instruments reinvented, a musical tuner called 'yulgwan' that was made, the musical theories organized, a new music notation that was developed, 'dangak-jeongjae' and 'hyangak-jeongjae' (court dances) that were created, and the musical scores and books published. Above all, the unique landmark of the music in this period is the creation of 'aak' (court music) and 'jeonganbo' (musical score).Through the latter half of the Joseon period, folk music emerged. 'Aak', 'hyangak', 'dangak', and 'gochiak' were transmitted to the latter period. Also, the middle and lower classes outside the palace also enjoyed their own music with new musical concepts called 'jeong-ak', or court music, and 'minsog-ak', or folk music. The rich middle class, including petty officials, translators, and also the rural gentility, supported folk music. Only with their strong support, 'pansori', or traditional Korean narrative songs, bloomed, and many tributaries of folk music took root, developed, and were transmitted among commoners.
▶ By genre
It is accepted in general that traditional Korean music is divided into 'jeong-ak', or court music, and 'minsog-ak', or folk music. 'Jeong-ak' was played in high-class music salons supported by scholars, and it included court music, songs, old forms of Korean verse ('sijo' and 'gasa'), and 'Yeongsan-hoesang' (a music score of court music). Therefore, 'jeong-ak' is generally called "court music". If folk music can be described as "being like bulgogi (marinated beef with sweet soybean sauce) that immediately waters the mouth", jeong-ak can be expressed as "being like rice and gimchi together that have no zesty relish but with which one cannot be fed up and feel tastier by taking the time to chew". That is, folk music is expressive, but jeong-ak is aesthetic in temperance just like the phrase of 'nagiburyu, aeibulbi', meaning "happy but not too much excitement, sad but not too much grief'.
source:www.koreamusic.org
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