HISTORY OF GEOMUNGO

ZERPCORP BARCELONA GEOMUNGO

CURIOUS FACTS

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HERE WE GO

Here is a historical account of the origin of geomungo. A long time ago, during the Goguryeo era, China sent a musical instrument to the people of Goguryeo. Goguryeo knew it was a musical instrument, but didn’t know how to play it. So then-Premier Wang San-ak왕산악 modified the instrument so that Goguryeo musicians could play it. When the instrument was finally played, a black crane flew over and danced to the tune. Those who hear this tale today would balk at the fact that there is no such thing as a black crane, but the important point here is not that, but that the geomungo music was beautiful enough to make a crane dance. In the East, the crane is a bird representing a peaceful and prosperous time. Creating music that brings nature and humanity together and motivates man and animals to live in harmony and peace is what ancient Koreans thought of as the geomungo’s role.

Music 1: Dodeuri/ Geomunto solo by Lee Oh-gyu

That was a geomungo solo titled “Dodeuri” and played by Lee Oh-gyu. “Dodeuri” is a short piece that has six beats per rhythmic cycle and a single note is played on every beat. So “Dodeuri” is neither slow nor fast, and requires no elaborate skills to play. To modern Koreans who are used to fast and intricate melodies, “Dodeuri” may sound very boring or casual. But, just as in food, people may be drawn at first to spicy or salty food, but it’s mild and seemingly plain food like steamed rice or water that people ultimately crave on a regular basis. The goal of ancient Korean gentlemen was to accept the way of nature as it is, rather than to go against it by adding artificialities. The aim was to find peace of mind by living in harmony with the world. Geomungo solo piece “Dodeuri” was the music that epitomized such noble spirit. Music historians believe that, judging from ancient relics like the murals in old Goguryeo-era tombs, a musical instrument similar to geomungo existed in Goguryeo way before Wang San-ak’s time. The story of geomungo’s birth in Goguryeo – how a Chinese instrument was modified to be suitable for Goguryeo musicians – illustrates how a culture can spread, change, and evolve over time.

Music 2: Geomungo byeongchang “Master Singers”/ Geomungo by Shin Kwae-dong

That piece was a geomungo byeongchang entitled “Master Singers” performed by geomungo master Shin Kwae-dong. The term “byeongchang” refers to a performance of singing and playing an instrument simultaneously. Byeongchang is not easy to perform, because a musician has to be good at both singing and playing. The first person who created the musical discipline of geomungo byeongchang was master geomungo player Shin Kwae-dong. Even now, no one knows how to properly perform geomungo byeongchang except for one student of his. Geomungo has long been loved by Koreans as an instrument of ancient gentlemen. At the end of the Joseon Dynasty, the geomungo was used to play folk music, which tends to freely express a range of emotions, from joy to sadness and anger. Old Confucian scholars thought it improper to use a noble instrument like geomungo to play this kind of music. However, geomungo has evolved over time and these days’ young musicians play many different versions of geomungo, such as a geomungo played with a bow like a violin, an electric geomungo, and modified versions with less or more strings. This is how culture changes and develops, with one group of people trying to preserve old traditions and another group of people trying to break out of the confines of tradition and create a new framework. Let’s conclude this week’s Sounds of Korea with “Geomungo & Tango” performed by the string ensemble Geomungo Factory.

Music 3: Geomungo & Tango/ Geomungo Factory

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