[YeitSuda] The Charm of Korean Gagok We Forgot

The 'Uri Norae' performance presented by the National Symphony Orchestra at the 2022 Korean Art Song Festival. Photo by Changwon Cultural Foundation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Actor Kang Seokwoo, who showcased seven art songs he personally wrote and composed out of his deep love for the genre in a performance last May, introduced them as “the emotion conveyed by the Korean language, the calm beauty that touches the heart, which is the charm our art songs hold when compared to Western art songs.” In the 1980s, TV programs exclusively featuring art songs were popular, and music videos of art songs were scheduled without fail for about five minutes right before the 9 o’clock news. It was not uncommon to see people singing art songs like “Boribat” or “Seonguja” at talent shows, but since then, art songs gradually faded from public memory due to changes in the popular music industry environment and the restructuring of vocal music education programs centered on German and Italian art songs and opera.

Research on Korea’s first art song is still ongoing, but generally, Hong Nanpa’s “Bongseonhwa (1922)” and Park Taejun’s “Dongmusenggak (1922)” are cited as the pioneers. The 1920s, when art songs were born, was a period of severe national suffering under Japanese oppression. Poet Kim Hyeongjun likened the sorrow of the Korean people oppressed by Japan to the withering balsam flower and wrote a poem, which was then set to music by composer Hong Yeonghu, who lived nearby and was commissioned by Nanpa Hong. “Oh balsam flower standing under the fence, your shape is so pitiful / During the long summer days, when you bloom beautifully / Lovely young ladies used to welcome and play with you.” For the people despairing over the loss of their country, art songs with lyrics written in Korean were a sad self-portrait of a lost nation and sometimes a warm friend offering comfort, faithfully standing by their side.

After liberation, through the Korean War and industrialization, art songs experienced a golden age. Art song night concerts flourished nationwide, and the creative passion of university students who loved music gave birth to many masterpieces through university art song festivals. Kim Hyogeun, a professor at Ewha Womans University and the first grand prize winner of the university art song festival, pursued a career in business administration but also worked as a composer, releasing famous art songs such as “My Soul Becomes the Wind” and “First Love.” The musical “First Love,” composed solely of his 13 art songs, premiered last September and was praised for offering a unique atmosphere and romance, presenting a new genre of art song musicals. Playwright Oh Sehyuk, who directed “First Love,” explained, “Art songs composed of poetry contain narratives condensed and matured over long periods and time beyond the momentary emotions expressed in their short and straightforward lyrics.”

As the popularity of poetry waned and popular music diversified, art songs, which adhered to classical language styles, gradually distanced themselves from the public. Moreover, the pro-Japanese activities of lyricists and composers who created art songs during turbulent historical times changed the fate of art songs. Early pioneers who laid the foundation of art songs, such as Hong Yeonghu, who created the first art song, Kim Dongjin of “Azaleas” and “Gagopa,” Jo Dunam of “Seonguja,” and Hyeon Jemyung of “In Front of That House,” were all listed in the pro-Japanese Biographical Dictionary, leading to the exclusion of their once beloved representative songs from the stage. This was the shadow of modern Korean history cast over art songs.

Confucius said in the Taibai chapter of the Analects, “Excitement arises from poetry, order is established through rites, and perfection is achieved by music,” meaning that poetry stirs emotions, rites set proper intentions, and music completes one’s character. Art songs, which embody the beauty of the Korean language reflecting the lives and daily experiences of the people, are music, art, records, and culture in themselves. Enrico Lagasca, an American vocalist who performed on the stage of “Korean Art Song Night” last August, defined Korean art songs as “music that richly expresses the beautiful landscapes of mountains, rivers, and seas like a painting, emphasizing emotion over mechanical singing.” Marking 100 years of Korean art songs, various stages and performances themed around the once distant art song are returning to us like a bridge of love.

Editor's NoteYeitsuda (藝It Suda) is a shortened form of “art chat,” a column covering issues and trends across the arts, including music, fine arts, and performances.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.