When Korean Traditional Arts Meet European Literature
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
There seems nothing in common between Korean traditional music and European literature, but through the arts, the two cultures might have something to share.
Jeong Ga Ak Hoe, a Korean traditional music ensemble, will hold a special performance in which Korean traditional music, dance and paintings are in harmony with European literature.
A total of 12 European books from nine authors such as Irishman William Butler Yeats, Frenchman Paul Eluard and Norwegian Olav Hauge will be read in their original language along with subtitles.
For the three-day performance titled ``Jeong Ga Ak Hoe Meets European Literature,'' the European masterpieces will be read first followed by Korean traditional arts.
After the literary works are read, the ensemble will perform traditional music such as ``Taepyeongga'' and dance motivated from the paintings by Korean painter Jang Seung-eop related to the themes of the literature based on the recitation of Korean poems by Hwang Jin-i and Im Je on stage.
Under the themes of human solitude and freedom from the experiences of love, waiting and war, European literature and Korean traditional arts will pair in each scene.
``There will be various formats in each scene. It will be a good opportunity for visitors to enjoy a variety of artistic genres without transforming their values to complete one story,'' Park In-hye, the organizer of the performance, said.
The ensemble consisting of eight members has attempted to reinterpret Korean traditional music since its inception in 2000 to better pass on traditional heritage from generation to generation.
As part of the reinterpretation efforts, it has made ``Contrabass'' by French novelist Patrick Suskind and Samuel Beckett's ``Words and Music'' into music dramas.
In ``Contrabass,'' the ensemble recreated traditional music using theatrical elements while ``Words and Music'' was tinged with shamanism music.
However, in the upcoming performance, there will be no change in their genres and instead various kinds of artistic genres will follow one after another.
Jeong Ga Ak Hoe has created new songs and specialized in ``gagok'' or Korean traditional vocal music. It also has offered performances through poems and music without using a synthesizer despite the strong trend of New Age, crossover, and fusion, which has affected the gugak scene.
The ensemble also introduces the values and philosophical meaning of Jeong Ga, or Korean traditional vocal music, to develop a new musical culture.
For the upcoming performance, the Norwegian session will be held at LIG Art Hall in southern Seoul, Dec. 16 with the Irish session Dec. 17 and the French session Dec. 18.
Tickets cost 15,000 won for students and 20,000 won for adults. For more information, call (02) 583-9979.