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This album presents the masterful performance of Daegeum, a Korean traditional large bamboo transverse wind instrument which has a buzzing membrane that gives it a special timbre, by the master Lee Saeng-Kang. Daegeum dates back to 7th century Shilla dynasty. It is one of three transverse flutes, the large Daegeum, the medium-sized Junggeum, and the small Sogeum.
Daegeum has one blowing hole, six finger holes, and an extra hole covered with a thin membrane called Cheong (located between the blowing hole and finger holes). Cheong is a white resonant membrane cut from a reed's inner film which makes this instrument produce a distinctive buzzing sound that is refined and calm. There are two different types of Daegeum: Jeong-ak Daegeum (for classical and court music) and Sanjo Daegeum (for folk music). Of all Korean wind instruments, the Daegeum produces the softest and most graceful tone.
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This album is the musical recording celebrating Kim Duk-Soo's 50th anniversary as a musical performer. It presents an illustration of the footprints on his musical journey with the younger generation and his students; Red Sun band; and the hip-hop group Square of his loving son, Yong-hoon. They sang of impassioned hope, Kim Duk-Soo's past, and their future on the road.
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This album presents the improvisation based on traditional Korean musical aesthetics and the unique naturalism in music arising from natural Korean instruments. It also provides the audience with a chance to feel the very pulse of improvisation flowing in the veins of Korean traditional music.
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This unique album presents Kim Hye-Ran's magnificent Goot performance. Goot is a Korean shamanistic ritual done since ancient times to wish for a town's peace and a family's well-being. It's a symbol of Korean culture and shamanistic tradition. Goot mainly consists of music and dance. The main element of Goot is the female shaman, who sings and dances with food offerings. She asks ghosts to control the turbulence of life. Goot has a number of types and differs by region. The Goot in this album is the one of Seoul, which developed as a national Goot held in the royal court.
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This album leads to the wonderful world of Pansori, a traditional Korean art form combining storytelling and music, through the magnificent performance of a master Pansori singer Nam Hae-Sung. She particularly presents Sugung-ga (the song of the underwater palace), one of five extant Pansoris.
Sugung-ga is based on the story of the Dragon King of the Southern Sea, a turtle, and a wily rabbit. The king is suffering from an ailment that can be cured only with the liver of a rabbit. The King thereupon summons all the ministers to look for the liver of a rabbit on the ground. The turtle volunteers his service to journey to a forest and return with a rabbit. In Sugung-ga animals satirize beings, thus showing the world as it really is. From the expression of the various aspects of human nature through the music, the listener is able to hear the composer's consciousness and appreciate the perfection of his work.
The story is set in three different places: from the underwater palace to land, to the palace again and then back to land. The most beautiful music occurs in the third scene change where the hero, a rabbit, deceives the Dragon King and escapes. This part begins with the rabbit yelling, "Open my stomach?" (to remove his liver, which was thought to have medical qualities) to his cursing the turtle after arriving back on land. This part, in which the rabbit calls the turtle names, is made up of the unique musical idioms of Kyeongdurum, which is also called Kyeong-jo, refers to the supposed singing style of Seoul.
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Sanjo, literally meaning scattered melody, is a genre of traditional Korean folk music, involving an instrumental solo accompanied by drumming on the Janggu, an hourglass-shaped drum. Sanjo was established by the famous Gayageum player Kim Chang-jo at the end of the 19th century. He gained great renown and had tremendous influence on future generations. Many masters of Gayageum Sanjo followed Kim Changjo and Sanjo was also developed for other instruments such as Geomungo and Daeguem. Then all the important Korean melodic instruments have developed this genre. Sanjo became the most important genre of solo instrumental performance today.
Because Sanjo was not written down and had to be learned entirely by heart, many great players not only performed the melodies they learned from their teachers, but added new ones to those they inherited, to suit their own taste and mood, thus creating their own unique Sanjo. Although there were many Gayageum Sanjos that came about in this way, only about a dozen are extant.
Sung Gum-yeon style is outstanding of these. Its melodies are in themselves musical gems. They are at once radiant and beautiful, ad but sweet, fanciful but natural, soft but lively, sumptuous but refined melodies that embody the Korean ideal of feminine beauty. When Gayageum players hear this Sanjo, they compare it to the reflection of a splendid flower in a clear, cool mountain stream. If Sanjo is the flower of Korean music, Sung Gum-yeon Sanjo is the flower among flowers.
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Blog Directory ID: 2280
Blog URL: http://antiquealive.blogspot.com
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Blog Description: Korean traditional music station where people can listen to unique and diverse Korean traditional music and an online gallery presenting Korean arts and crafts in various art forms and .
Blog Tags: asian music - classical music - folk music - crossover music 
Blog Category: Music Blogs
Blog Owner: Steve Lee
Blog Added: April 17, 2008 09:19:12 AM
Audience Rating: General Audience
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Blog Country: Korea
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