Weekender Traditional Performing Arts Series Beckons Culture Seekers
Kim Young-jin
Contributing Writer
The curtains open and then the clap of a drum. Some 20 performers, dressed in magnificent traditional attire, launched into motion.
Wooden zithers called ``gayageum'' resonated with the strumming of their thick strings; two-string fiddles called ``haegeum'' cried out in high-pitched vibrato; and an hour glass-shaped drum called ``janggu'' thundered, together creating royal court music on a recent late Saturday afternoon at the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (NCKTPA) in Seoul.
Located in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, the center showcases a wide spectrum of traditional music and dance through its long-running Saturday Premium Performance series, which takes the stage every Saturday at 4 p.m. The series, established in 1986, is at the core of the center's mission ``to share Korean traditional culture with the people of Korea and the world.''
The sound of the court music, which led off an hour-long lineup of eight traditional acts of music and dance: regal, complex, and nothing like what you might hear in a cultural milieu dominated by Western influenced music, and, increasingly, pulsating, effects-laden beats.
Some may regard such traditional art as relics of the past. But beware: to simply write them off would ignore a trove of cultural gems that have been preserved by extraordinary efforts and disregard their value as ``living'' documents. At a time when many are looking for a window into the country's history and traditions (this year marks the 100th anniversary of Japan's annexation of the country and the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War), the NCKTPA and its artists are as relevant as ever.
Silla Kingdom to G-20 Seoul
``There is no present without the past, and no future without the present,'' wrote Lee Jae-hyung, chief of the center's performance division, in an e-mail interview with The Korea Times. ``Handing our traditional arts down from one generation to the next is something artists should strive to do.''
The endeavor has long been the main goal of the NKTPA, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Trace the preservation efforts back through the years and one finds the center has a long history of its own.
Its roots reach back some 1,400 years to an institution of the Silla Kingdom known as ``Eumseongseo,'' a body responsible for music at various rituals and banquets. During the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), an era when traditional arts flourished, it was known as ``Jangagwon'' and oversaw all music and dance performed at national celebrations as well as the training of musicians and composition of new music.
The institution's circumstances changed drastically with the onset of the Japanese occupation (1910-1945), a time when many performing arts academies died out and art forms were lost or distorted. But operating as The Royal Music Institute, a bare-bones staff persevered with the goal of preserving royal court music.
Then in 1948, shortly after the Republic of Korea was established, the government declared laws regarding the founding of cultural institutions. As a result, the center opened in Busan in 1951, in the midst of the Korean War.
``It was very fortunate we were able to open when we did,'' Lee wrote. ``But the real difficulty was in operating the center, as there were not many performers available and the budget was so scant that they didn't have enough instruments and uniforms to practice and perform with.'' Despite this, a dedicated group managed to weather the turbulent time.
Today, the center has regional branches in Busan, and Jindo and Namwon, in South Jeolla Province and performs overseas and at major events hosted by Korea. The main center in Seoul maintains an extensive schedule of regular performances, events, and programs for the general public, including a traditional music class designed for foreigners.
And this year, the center will have the unique opportunity to perform royal court banquet music for a modern-day version of such an event: the G-20 Summit to be held in November in Seoul.
One Artist's Dream
In all, the series showcases over sixty acts on a rotating schedule, from UNESCO-designated cultural assets such as ``pansori,'' in which a singer unwinds a long narrative tale, to the exciting form for percussion called ``samulnori.''
``That's the beauty of the series ― there's such a rich variety,'' singer Kang Hyo-joo, who has been with the NCKTPA for 10 years, told The Korea Times before the performance on Saturday, Jan. 30. ``It's hard to see so many at a single place, but you can through this series.''
Dressed in an emerald-colored ``hanbok'' (traditional Korean dress) for a performance of folks songs, Kang explained that a wide range of people attend the Saturday concerts - from young people learning about traditional culture; to foreigners getting a taste of Korean arts, to experienced listeners. The important thing, she said, is taking the time to come.
``The experience of seeing traditional Korean arts performed live is crucial to understanding it,'' Kang explained. ``In its natural form, it leaves a much deeper impression than a recording.''
A graduate of the School of Music at Ewha Womans University, Kang has been performing Korean traditional music for 23 years now.
``Given the size of our land, I'd say that Korea has a very high quality of traditional music,'' she said. ``I'm not saying this just because a musician. But the more I do this, the more I realize what a precious commodity it really is.
``The best thing I can do is to leave people with a lasting impression of our traditional music. This is my dream.''
`Really Worth It to Come See Live'
After the Jan. 30 show opened with the royal court music, Kang and two other female vocalists took the stage for a medley of ``Gyeonggi minyo'' ― folk songs from the Gyeonggi region.
Accompanied by ``haegeum,'' a two-stringed fiddle, each singer in turn impressed with nuanced vocal runs, maintaining a calm, full tone. Just as moving as the melody were their movements; they swayed as if in a slight breeze, hands falling gently to their sides.
The performance of samulnori, a quartet comprised of ``kkwaenggwari'' (a small, bright-sounding gong), ``jing'' (a mid-sized gong), janggu, and ``buk'' (a bass drum played with a mallet), was a burst of energy from start to finish. The drummers started moderately but accelerated each motif to become to a wall of sound worthy of twenty musicians. Each time, the flurry of their hands seemed impossible to top, but they always seemed to have a little extra to do just that.
The evening's finale, a traditional fan dance called ``buchaechum,'' featured some 20 dancers in billowing dresses gliding around the floor carrying large fans, converging in a series of synchronized forms. At one point they lined their fans into a long, undulating wave, drawing spontaneous applause from the audience.
The show ended with the dancers forming shimmering concentric circles with their fans, and after the curtains closed, the audience departed buzzing with praise.
``I thought it was great,'' said Simon Chan, a student from the United Kingdom studying at Kyung Hee University. ``The fan dance was really moving.
``I'm interested in Korean culture but I don't have much experience with the music. It really is worth it to come and see it live.''
For David Ritterling, a 47-year-old American whose wife is in Korea for research, it was not his first visit to the NCKTPA.
``I've been to quite a few of these (Saturday performances),'' he said. ``What really strikes me is the level of professionalism here. Classy - that's how I would describe it.
``What keeps me coming back is the chance to experience all the different performances.''
Indeed, these qualities - variety, professionalism, the ability to leave an indelible mark - make the Saturday performance series a jewel among Seoul's cultural resources. At a time when hit songs come and go, sometimes it's that which requires a sustained, extraordinary effort to keep that we should be keeping our eyes and ears open for.
