A CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE TO UN-YUNG LA’S CHORAL MUSIC
AS REFLECTED IN EASTER CANTATA
Hanpil Ryu, BM, MM
Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
August 2016
APPROVED:
Richard Sparks, Major Professor and Chair of the Division of Conducting and Ensembles Jeffrey Snider, Committee Member Greg Hobbs, Committee Member Benjamin Brand, Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Music John Richmond, Dean of the College of Music Victor Prybutok, Vice Provost of the Toulouse Graduate School Ryu, Hanpil. A Conductor’s Guide to Un-Yung La’s Choral Music as Reflected in Easter
Cantata. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), August 2016, 54 pp., 8 tables, 17 musical examples, bibliography, 45 titles.
Un-Yung La was one of the first Korean composers of Western style choral music who used Korean folk elements in his compositions. According to Un-Yung La’s musical theory, which he demonstrated in Easter Cantata. Korean-style melody and rhythm were created based on Korean traditional scales and he also used Western-style harmonization. He attempted a new
Korean style of expression through Sikimsae technique in Korean traditional vocal music genres:
Pansori and Sijo.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss traditional Korean performance elements related to melody, harmony, and rhythm as employed in La’s Easter Cantata. The study will increase the knowledge of western conductors who wish to understand Korean folk music in preparation for performances of choral works such as La’s Easter Cantata. Copyright 2016
By
Hanpil Ryu
ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express special gratitude to my advisor Dr. Richard Sparks for the continuous support of my dissertation. Thanks are due to the member of my committee, Dr.
Jeffery Snider and Greg Hobbs for their insightful comments and encouragement. My sincere thanks also goes to Dr. Jerry McCoy for his encouragement and guidance at all stages of my studies and thesis.
Finally, I owe to special debt to my family for devotion and love.
iii TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……………………………………………………………………..…iii
LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………………..v
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES…………………………………………………………….....vi
CHAPTERS
1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………...1
2. UN-YUNG LA……………………………………………………………………………3
2.1 Biographical Information……………………………………………………………..3
2.2 Compositional Style and Influence…………………………………………………...6
3. INFLUENCES OF TRADITIONAL KOREAN ELEMENTS WITHIN EASTER
CANTATA …………………………………………………………………….………...10
3.1 Melody………………………………………………………………………………10
3.2 Harmony……………………………………………………………………………..16
3.3 Rhythm………………………………………………………………………………21
4. REHERSAL AND PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATION………………………….…27
4.1 Issues of Korean Performance Style………………………………………………...27
4.2 Manner of Rehearsal Presentation…………………………………………………...34
5. CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………….…43
APPENDICES...... 45
BIBLIOGRAPHY...………………………………………………………………………….....52
iv LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 1. Korean traditional scales in Fifth movement …………………………………………..14
Table 2. Central Note in Fourth movement……………………………………………………...20
Table 3 First Movement (Transfiguration)……………………………………………………….25
Table 4 Second Movement (The Entry into Jerusalem)………………………………………….25
Table 5 Third Movement (The prayer of Mt. Gethsemane)……………………………………...25
Table 6 Fourth Movement (The Way to Golgotha)………………………………………………26
Table 7 Fifth Movement (Hallelujah)……………………………………………………………26
Table 8 Pansori of voice colors……………………………………………………………….…29
v LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES
Pages
Example 1. Motive in movement 4……………………………………………………………….10
Example 2. Speech style of Pansori in movement 4, mm. 33-38…………………………………13
Example 3. Singing style of Sijo…..……………………………………………………………...15
Example 4. Movement 4, mm. 1-2……………………………………………………………..…17
Example 5. Ryukyu Scale in Movement 1, mm. 25-28……………………………………………17
Example 6. Kyemyogijo in Korean Harmony…………………………………………………….18
Example 7. Korean harmony (Mirroring) of Movement 1, mm. 11-12…………………………..18
Example 8. Korean harmony (Parallel) of Movement 2, mm. 37-38…………………………… 19
Example 9. Sae-ya Harmony and Mulgunamu harmony of Movement 5, mm. 49-51…………….20
Example 10. Cadence in movement 4, mm. 49-52………………………………………………..21
Example 11. Syncopated Rhythm pattern………………………………………………………...22
Example 12. Movement 4, mm.3-6………………………………………………………………22
Example 13. The basic pattern of the Taryung Changdan………………………………….……..23
Example 14. Taryung Jandan of Movement 4, mm.3 – 6…………………………………...…….23
Example 15. The basic pattern of the Saemachi Changdan………………………………………24
Example 16. Saemachi Changdan of Movement 5, mm.5-8……………………………………...24
Example 17. Korean Vocal Technique in movement 3, mm.3-5……………………………….…32
vi CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
In the late 19th century, various nationalist compositional styles appeared in Western music. Nationalism, defined as a purely musical phenomenon, represents a national or regional character in the music of the late 19th and early 20th century.1 Well-known choral composers of
Nationalistic music were interested in folk music, collected their native folk-tunes, and set them for vocal and choral music.2 Some examples are the Eastern European composers, Béla Bartók
(1881-1945), Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967), and the English composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams
(1872-1958). Among these composers, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály collected and edited popular folk songs of Hungary and nearby places.3 They employed folk tunes in their various works and played an important role in influencing future generations of music composers.4 In
Korea, three composers who followed this example are Jung-Sun Park (b. 1945), Hwo-Won Woo
(b. 1974), and Un-Yung La (1922-1993).
Un-Yung La (1922-1933) was prolific composer, theorist, teacher, choral conductor, and church musicians. Greatly influenced by Bartok and Kodaly, he advocated the marriage of Korean folk elements with Western techniques. Melodic and harmonic aspects of his music often rely on church modes. Among his approximately fifteen hundred compositions are nine cantatas (including those for Christmas and Easter) for various choral-instrumental combinations, many pieces for children’s choir, and some eleven hundred hymns. La’s ten-
1 Don Michael Randel, The Harvard Dictionary of Music 4th ed., (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003), 548. 2 Dennis Shrock, Choral Repertoire (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), 621.
3 Donald Jay Grout, A History of Western Music 7th ed., (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2006), 830. 4 Malcolm Gilles, “Béla Bartók” in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 2nd ed. Stanley Sadie, (New York: Grove's Dictionary Inc, 2001), 790.
1 volume music theory text-a standard resource for Korean musicians-includes a volume on choral arranging.5
Un-Yung La was one of the first Korean composers of Western style choral music who used Korean folk elements in his compositions.6 The purpose of this thesis is to discuss traditional
Korean performance elements related to melody, harmony, and rhythm as employed in La’s Easter
Cantata. There is a paucity of knowledge among western conductors about specific native Korean musical elements in La’s Easter Cantata. The study will increase the knowledge of western conductors who wish to understand Korean folk music in preparation for performances of choral works such as this.
5 Nick Strimple, Choral Music in the Twentieth Century (New Jersey: Amadeus Press, 2002), 287. 6 Mun-seung Lee, “Study of Un-yung La’ Compositional Style,” Umak & Minjok, 9 (1995): 54.
2 CHAPTER 2
UN-YUNG LA
2.1 Biographical Information
Un-Yung La was born in Seoul, South Korea on March 1, 1922 and was the youngest son of Won-Jung La and Jung-soon Park. He has been known as a bright musical talent since a little child. Un-Yung La's father, Won-Jeong La (1888. 6. 4 ~ 1929. 1.25) had a considerable knowledge of music, enough to be called an amateur musician, through he was a biologist as well as an educator.7 Particularly, his father was interested in traditional Korean instruments, and participated in musical activities while performing instruments with his friends several times a month. During his childhood, Un-Yung La was musically influenced a lot by his father, and showed interest in
Korean classical music while learning the Korean traditional instrument, Yang-geum, from his father.8 He came to learn voice and singing from his class teacher who realized his musical talent during his elementary school days, and he showed enough talent and musicality to compose short melodies. He then entered the Jung-ang Middle School of Korea, and after starting to study music by participating as a member of the Brass band, he started regular music study by entering the regular course of the Japan Tokyo Empire High Music School. After graduation, he studied composition with Moroy Saburo, entering the department of composition.9 In her Life of Un-Yung
La, Kun La says that Moroy Saburo advised him whenever giving a composition lesson, "Why do
7 Kun La, Life of Un-Yung La (Seoul: Un-Kyung-Chulpan-sa, 2013), 11. 8 La, Life of Un-Yung La, 12. 9 “Un-Yung La’s Life”. http://www.launyung.co.kr/life/La_life_web_04.pdf (accessed March 10, 2016).
3 you try to imitate only the western music? Make your own music, the music of your own country”.
Ever since that time Un-Young La composed Korean style modern music with a firm resolution to create a modern Korean music with a western style. 10 After returning to Korea in 1946, he established the National Culture Research Center along with Chu Jeong (1923~2013), and at age twenty four published the National Church Choral Music. In 1956, at age thirty four, he became a member of the International Folk Music Council and in 1957 was appointed to the Folk Song
Compilation Expert Committee of the Ministry of Education. He became an authority in this field by collecting, writing, and researching folk songs of Jeju-do in 1966, 1967, and 1970.
He was a prolific composer and covered a wide variety of musical genres such as symphonies, concertos, art songs, and cantatas. La contributed to the growth of Korean music as a composer, theorist, teacher, choral conductor, and church musician.11
La was an extremely religious man. He becomes a Christian at Gusegun Ahyun church at age eight and was baptized at age twenty two at Hyehwadong Catholic church. He then conducted the choir at the Seoul Church and, since age twenty six, led a religious life by serving as a conducting the choir and attending Seongnam Church. He was appointed as an elder at age forty nine at Seongnam Church, and at fifty six he effort at Seongnam Church to make sure all believers as well as the minster would rightly understand the importance of church music.12 Due to these efforts, Seoul Seongnam Church developed inspiring worship through music and produced many
10 Jungsu Hong, “Un-Yung La’s Music and Life,” Umak & Minjok, 10 (1995): 141. 11 Samuel Kyusam Kim. “A Study of Indigenous Korean Hymns, with Special Reference to Un-Yung La’s Easter Cantata”. (DMA diss., University of Southern California, 1995), 67. 12 Un-yung La, The Fourth Essay: The Lord is My Shepherd (Seoul: Sekwang-Umak-Chulpan-sa, 1985), 57.
4 church musicians. La retired from Seongnam Church after serving for thirty two years and pioneered a new church, Ungyung Church,13 at age fifty eight, and served there until 1993.
Un-Yung La's composed church music throughout his life, and his works have been loved and performed frequently by Korean church choirs and choruses. However, Un-Yung La was included in the list of composers who composed the Won Buddhism Buddhist hymn in 1960 and this damaged his reputation in the Korean Christian World. Un-Young La repented and reflected on his mistake. Consequently he left a great amount of church music, as many as 1,105 different pieces, by stopping composition in any other genres and concentrating only on sacred music. Since
1979, he has contributed to Korean church music by a continuing monthly presentation of a new hymn.14
Besides hymns, he composed masses and cantatas, and was devoted to church music. The
Easter Cantata is his most representative church music cantata, expressing Korean traditional musical elements within western music. The Easter Cantata consists of five movements describing the last day of Jesus Christ’s life on earth. Byung-Ki Kim wrote the libretto, based on the Biblical story.15
Un-Yung La’s outstanding achievements and his efforts in employing both Korean indigenous and contemporary music were internationally recognized when the University of
Portland conferred on him the honorary doctorate in Liberal Arts in 1974. Moreover, after La`s
13 Hosanna Church was renamed in 1987. 14 Kun La, phone conversation with son of composer, Seoul, Korea, October 10, 2015. 15 Yang-gum Ji. “La Un-Yung ui Cantata Boonseok Kochal: A analysis of Un-Yung La’s Cantata”. (Master’s Thesis, Sook Myung University, 1990), 13.
5 death, the Korean government posthumously presented him with the Kum-Kwan Arts Medal, which is the highest honor that an artist can receive in Korea.16 His accomplishments consequently became greatly known to many musicians in Korea.
2.1 Compositional Style and Influence
Un-Yung La composed primarily with western traditional common practice harmony in his earliest works. His major idea later was to put Korean folk music and styles, combining modern styles with traditional western music. In order to understand his music it is necessary to see how he created a new music by using Korean folk elements on the melody but utilizing western contemporary harmonies. In other words, the melody was very lyrical and utilized Korean intonation. His harmony shows traces of influence from western contemporary composers. In the same manner as Bartók and Kodály, La collected and edited folk tunes of his native Korea. His dedication to Korean folk music became an example that was followed by many Korean composers.
In an interview broadcast on Korean national television (1986), Un-Yung La mentioned that he himself was influenced by Arnold Schoenberg’s techniques, such as twelve-tone and Sprechstimme,
Igor Stravinsky’s (1882-1971) various compositions, and Claude Debussy’s (1862-1918) concept of harmony, 17 which is juxtaposed in nontraditional ways to create effects of chords moving in parallel motion with short motifs.18 In fact, Korean traditional music has no harmony.19 Prior to
16 Un-Yung La’s Life. http://www.launyung.co.kr/life.htm (accessed March 2, 2016). 17 Un-Yung La, Interview in Broadcast. http://www.launyung.co.kr/technote6/board.php?board=movie&indexorder=2&command=body&no=13 (accessed March 10, 2016). 18 Shrock, Choral Repertoire, 568. 19 Un-Yung La, “The First Essay: Theme and Variations (Seoul: Minjung Seogwoan, 1964), 10.
6 this, Korean composers combined traditional melodies and rhythm with Western harmony in order to compose pieces that express the Koreans’ spirit. Un-Yung La was not content with this situation and tried, therefore, to create a new harmonic system. Consequently, he produced what he called
“Korean Harmony”20 for vocal and choral music.
“Korean harmonization” is a very important factor in his music. He explains his harmonic theory this way: he felt it was a discord to attach western functional harmony to a Korean folklore melody based on the pentatonic scale. His suggestions were as follows:
Avoid major thirds if possible.
Do not treat major seconds and perfect fourths as dissonant.
Avoid the leading tone ‘Si’ if possible.
Treat the melody contrapuntally if possible.21
La's student, Il-Woong An explained his compositional style by dividing it into three periods.22
The first period was from 1942 to 1954, where he mainly composed instrumental music, using whole-note scales and harmonies, atonal melodies, parallel major triads, etc. During this period, the influence of Debussy and Bartok was primary and he was determined to combine
Korean folk music with western music in similar ways. That is, he began to study western
20 Korean harmony is defined by parallel and mirroring methods that create new or unexpected sonorities. Un-Yung La has employed Korean harmony where he uses voices to imitate the sound of Korean instruments. 21 Un-yung La, A Collection of Theses on Korean Music-In Commemoration of the 60th Birthday of Dr. Un-yung La (Seoul: Sekwang-chulpan-sa, 1982), 21. 22 Il-ung Ahn, “A study of Compositional Technique Reflected in the Works of Un-yung La”. http://www.launyung.co.kr/non/ahnil/ahnil.htm (accessed March 4, 2016).
7 modern and folklore works while realizing the importance of folk influences and trends of one's own country.23
The second period was from 1955 to 1959, and he composed choral music as well as instrumental works. During this period, he both studied Korean folk music and paid attention to more modern western styles. Particularly, he utilized the pansori melody of Korea and folk melodies by studying Schonberg's twelve-tone technique. He also injected Korean traditional instruments, Nong-ak into his works and used changdan, a Korean traditional rhythm pattern.24
The Third period was from 1960 to 1980. During this period, he continued to develop his sense of traditional folk music and modern western works. This was a time of experimentation and he composed large works such as symphonies and concertos; worked in experimental forms such as chance and primitive music; and continued his study of nationalistic music.25
Since 1980, Un-Yung La published regularly about the musical theories he developed, again by dedicating himself to the church music field. His work in church music was a great contribution to the Korean church and he gained respect.26 The next chapter will show how Un-
Yung La combined Korean traditional music and elements of western music through the Easter
23 Jungsu Hong, “Un-Yung La’s Music and Life,” Umak & Minjok, vol. 10 (1995): 141-142. 24 Un-Yung La, Interview in Broadcast. http://www.launyung.co.kr/technote6/board.php?board=movie&indexorder=2&command=body&no=13 (accessed March 10, 2016). 25 Samuel Kyusam Kim. “A Study of Indigenous Korean Hymns, with Special Reference to Un-Yung La’s Easter Cantata”. (DMA diss., University of Southern California, 1995), 66-67 26 Kun La, Life of Un-Yung La (Seoul: Un-Kyung-Chulpan-sa, 2013), 272.
8 Cantata, one of his primary works for the church music.
9 CHAPTER 3
INFLUENCES OF TRADITIONAL KOREAN ELEMENTS WITHIN EASTER CANTATA
Un-Yung La composed a variety of music with Korean traditional musical elements. In particular, he created his own style through unique characteristic that come from the Korean language, and also Korean traditional musical elements. This was an effort to bring Korean music to the rest of the world. His Easter Cantata is a representative work that created a harmonious style made by applying western harmony with Korean style melodies and rhythm patterns.
3.1. Melody
In analyzing the melodies of this work, it is important to understand how the motives were created. The example below briefly summarizes the motive in the fourth movement of the
Easter Cantata.
Example 1 Motive in movement 4 of Easter Cantata
a. Motif of addition technique of the fifth chord contour (mm. 1)
Un-Yung La repeatedly added perfect fifths above the traditional melodies. The above motive shows that Ab was added to the fifth.
10 b. Motif related to Korean language habit (mm. 3)
A common Korean linguistic rhythmic patter is what we refer to as a “Scotch snap”, which can be seen in the above example. Un-Yung La intended to express music based on the Korean language by continuously repeating this motif in the melody.
c. Motif (mm. 12) based on central tone (G)
This motive was created by a central tone, out of which the melody developed around it. The above example is a motif made based on central tone G.
d. Motif based on primary interval of a 3rd (mm. 20)
This motif is built around a third.
e. Pansori style melodious motif (mm. 40)
Un-Yung La's works frequently display a Pansori style motif, which has a continuously triplet rhythm and is built around a central tone. This expresses a typical Korean language intonation,
11 different from that of western languages, that is made of equal pitches without accent.
A Korean style melody is normally composed of a tune within a fourth, with a relatively simple, chordal homophonic style under a unison melody.27 As in the above motif, Un-Yung La repeatedly utilized melody structure within a fourth and a chordal homophonic style, frequent unisons, all typical characteristics of Korean melodies. Un-Yung La also created his Korean style melodies by changing the five motive styles above. His melodies can be divided into largely three characteristics.
First, what we might call a recitative style, created by applying the normal Korean language intonation and rhythmic characteristics to the melody. Often a pause comes after short motive, dividing the rhythm in triplets, in order to express proper rhythm for a Korean syllable. It is characteristic to use the same rhythm continuously, which is connected with reading Korean lyrics. While western languages have differing accents on certain syllables, the Korean language has no accent and the same level of intonation. In example 2 below the tenor soloist repeats the same tune and sings as if reciting the text, expressing the feeling of ‘Han’28, one of the primary
Korean cultural emotions. Since Korea has suffered invasion by foreign powers for many centuries, ordinary people have been an alienated class with and ideology derived from Confucisianism— they were also the target of the wealthy class’s exploitation. Ordinary people usually were required to perform difficult labor. Accordingly for them, life itself is difficult and became the expression of their life. This emotion 'han' has appeared with various looks in almost all artistic fields
27 Yeong Hoi Cha. “An Analytical Study of Korean-Based Sacred Choral Music: Korean Traditional Music and Its Relation to Fourteen Selected Korean Sacred Choral Works” (DMA diss., University of Washington, 2002), 109. 28 Han is a Concept of Korean culture. A culture of agony based on han due to consistent foreign invasion and endless domestic troubles.
12 including literature, dance, shaman plays, etc. as well as traditional music, which also appears as an adversarial attribute, i.e. impulses of achievement and destruction, hatred and love, patience and despair, passion and pathos, etc.29
Example 2 Speech style of Pansori in movement 4 of Easter Cantata (mm. 33-38)
Second, La’s melodies tend to use altered pentatonic scales derived from Korean traditional scales. Korean traditional melody is based upon three types of scales: Kungio, ono, and Kyemyongio.30 La added two notes, re-flat and la-flat, to Kungio, Pyongio, and Kyemyongio, and named the result “Um-scale.” La thought that this Um-scale was reflective of traditional
Korean music. Hence, he wrote many hymns and other pieces using this scale. Un-Yung La created the Easter Cantata based on this Korean traditional melody by transforming it. The table below is an example of the melody in the fifth movement, based on Korean traditional melody along with particular tempos and meters.
29 Myung-won Yoon. Korean Music, (Seoul: Music World Press, 2008), 29. 30 Kungio is a pentatonic scale ending in Do, Pyongio is a pentatonic scale ending in Sol, and Kyemyonjo is a pentatonic scale ending in La.
13 Table 1 Korean traditional scales in movement 5 of Easter Cantata
Texture Measure Tempo Meter Scale Intro. 1~4 quarter note=126 4/4 C-Kungio A 5~12 quarter note=126 4/4 G-Kungio+C-Kungio Bridge 13~14 quarter note=92 4/4 E minor B 15~21 quarter note=92 4/4 E minor A’ 22~29 quarter note=126 4/4 G-Kungio+C-Kungio C 30~36 quarter note=84 4/4 D-Kungio A’’ 37~44 quarter note=126 4/4 G-Kungio+C-Kungio D 45~53 quarter note=84 12/8 G-Kungio A’’’ 54~61 quarter note=126 4/4 G-Kungio+C-Kungio E 62~69 quarter note=92 4/4 E-Kyemyongio A’’’’ 70~77 quarter note=126 4/4 G-Kungio+C-Kungio Bridge 78~79 quarter note=132 4/4 E-minor7+D-Pyongio Codetta 80~95 quarter note=132 4/4 E-minor7+D-Pyongio Coda 96~111 quarter note=138 4/4 Trade Chord
Third, in various places of the Easter Cantata Un-Yung La utilized singing styles that come from those in Korean traditional music. Korean traditional vocal genres can be categorized into six types: Pansori (dramatic song), Kagok (lyric song), Sijo (another short lyric song), Kasa
(narrative song), Minyo (folk song), and Chapka (popular song).31 Un-Yung La composed his choral works by borrowing from these traditional Korean musical genres. One that he frequently uses is Pansori, 32 which is similar in certain ways to Western opera. It consists of sori (aria), aniri (recitative), and pallim (gesture). In Pansori, a professional singer and a drummer perform a
31 Hye-gu Yi, Introduction to Korean Music: Traditional Korean Music (Oregon: Pace international research, Inc, 1983), 9-15. 32 P’ansori is a form of traditional musical drama. The P’an refers to a place where people gather together, and the suffix sori means sound and refers to the singing voice or song. In performance, the singer delivers a dramatic story and the drummer accompanies the singer with barrel drum.
14 long dramatic story. However, in most ways it is completely different from that of Western opera.
On first hearing, aniri may be compared to the recitative of Western opera, because it is used for dialogue and narration, as recitative is. However, aniri does not have any designation of pitch, and is close to natural speech. For example, in the tenor solo of the fourth movement of Easter Cantata, it is necessary to sing the melody as much like speech as possible, using more chest voice than normal for such a passage.
In particular, Un-Yung La uses Korean traditional vocal styles in various sections of the Easter
Cantata through both the Sijo style singing method and the Pansori style singing method, one of
Korea’s most important traditional vocal music genres. As explained briefly above, Sijo is Korean traditional fixed verse, and usually when playing Sijo, there's a custom to play molto vibrato later in the passage while singing long notes non-vibrato at the beginning.
Example 3 Singing style of Sijo in Easter Cantata
Movement 2 (mm. 5-8)
Movement 5 (mm. 45-46)
15 Korean Pansori has similarities with western portamento singing. For example La intended to express Korean traditional music by regularly expressing a passionate melody in Pansori. In other words, it is to mimic the vibrato effect of traditional Korean instruments, Kayageum 33 or
Geomungo,34 by shaking tones one by one. Un-Yung La used this Pansori style melody regularly in the Easter Cantata. Example no. 4 is a representative melody composed with Pansori style.
3.2. Harmony
Un-Yung La considered harmony as a very important factor of music. He felt that Korean traditional music was inferior, since it doesn't have harmony. Accordingly, he insisted that a Korean harmony should be established for the right direction of Korean folk music.35
Un-Yung La used the term “Korean harmony” by creating a logical and original method described earlier.
La’s Korean harmony is based on a five-note chord which is derived from the three
Korean traditional scales: a) Kungio- do, re, mi, sol, la; b) Pyongio- sol, la, do, re, mi; and c)
Kyemyongio-la, do, re, mi, sol. These three scales can be subdivided into “yang scale” (nothing added) and “um scale” (re-flat and la-flat added). La’s harmony has a tendency to avoid triads, the basis of tonal harmony in Western music, wherever possible. He also he utilized parallel fourths and fifths, adding a second or sixth scale degree (Example 4 below).
33 Gayageum is a traditional Korean zitter-like string instrument, with 12 strings. 34 Geomungo is a traditional Korean stringed musical instruments of the zitter with both bridge and frets, with 6 strings. 35 Geun-Yong Lee, “A Study of La, Un-Yung’s Harmony theory,” Umak & Minjok Vol 11 (1996), 76.
16 Example 4: Easter Cantata Movement 4 (mm. 1-2)
As a special feature, he used the Ryukyu scale36 (Example 5 below) from Japan. La suggested the use of this to his followers for a new Korean harmonic system. The chords in his harmonic system created a unique timbre similar to quartal harmony as used by Debussy, based upon the pentatonic scale.
Example 5: Ryukyu Scale in Easter Cantata No. 1 (mm. 25-28)
In Example 4, the soprano and alto move in parallel perfect fourths, and tenor and bass move in parallel perfect fifths. Each pair mirrors the other in the progression, which is analyzed as yang-
Kyemyongio and Um-Kyemyongio. ( Example 6 below)
36 The word Ryukyu comes from the chain of islands in the south pacific, so called from the 15th century to the 19th century, modern-day Okinawa in Japan. The Ryukyu scale is a pentatonic scale of Do, Mi, Fa, Sol, and Ti, and it is intended to create an exotic mood.
17 In other words, which is II=V, III=IV, eventually composed of 3-type harmony structures.
Example 6: Kyemyogijo in Korean Harmony
The examples from Easter Cantata do not perfectly align with Korean harmony; but the music in
Examples 7 and 8 reflect the characters of Korean mirroring and parallel motion.
Example 7: Korean harmony (Mirroring) of Easter Cantata No. 1 (mm. 11-12)
18 Example 8 Korean harmony (Parallel) of Easter Cantata No. 2 (mm. 37-38)
This harmony created very rich and new sonorities and a distinctive sound produced by parallel movements among voices. It is a critical element in the understanding of his music.
Besides Mirroring and Parallel harmony, Un-Yung La created his own unique harmony with the name Saeya-hwa hyeon (chord) and Mulgunamu samhwaeum (headstand 3-harmony).
First, Sae-ya-hwahyeon is a hwa hyeon (chord) is a harmony made mainly with the composition tunes by being influenced by the melody of a Korean folk song 'Sae-ya sae-ya parangsaeya', accordingly, a name Sae-ya-hwahyeon was given. Mulgunamu samhwaeum (headstand 3-harmony) is a 3-note harmony piled under the tune and based on the melody. Therefore, Mulgunamu samhwaeum is really the tones of melody combined into harmony. In other words, the root tune is not on the bottom of harmony, but on the top—a harmony piled up in reverse like mulgunamu
(headstand). bar 49-50 of below Example 9 is the example of Sae-ya harmony, bar 51 is an example of Mulgunamu 7th chord..
19 Example 9 Sae-ya Harmony and Mulgunamu harmony of Easter cantata No. 5 (mm. 49-51)
However, despite developing and using his Korean style, Un-Yung La highly regarded and utilized the traditional polyphonic techniques of western music as well. Therefore, one can find western typical polyphonic technique in the Easter Cantata.
Un-Yung La also emphasized some traditional elements of western music through a central tone or key area. (Table 2 below)
Table 2 Central Note Easter Cantata Fourth movement
Measure Central Note 1~30 G 31~34 C 35~40 Ab 41~44 Eb 45~48 Fb 49~51 Ab
To see below Example 10, modern harmony can be seen in the cadence, the Db used instead of C in bar 50, the Fb used instead of F in bar 51, in bar 52 Db and Bb were added instead of C, and in
20 the in the last part, the Ab chord combined with the Bb7 Chord also can be seen as a part of modern harmony.
Example 10 Cadence in movement 4 (mm. 49-52)
3.3. Rhythm
To understand the rhythm of Un-Yung La's music, first, one must understand Korean intonation. Un-Yung La considered compound rhythmic patterns as more proper for Korean intonation and emotion rather than duple rhythmic patterns. The lyrics of Korean Pansori and Sijo,
Pansori are made up of 4-4 phrases, and Sijo mainly is made of 3-4 phrases. Accordingly, he considered that a 6/8 meter is more proper for this lyrics pattern rather than 4/4.37
Second, syncopated rhythms are closely related to Korean linguistic habits. For example, cutting by 2 letters is a linguistic habit that was influenced by Chinese music.38 Example 11 shows the variety of syncopated patterns regularly used in Korean music when in 6/8.
37 Mun-seung Lee, “Study of Un-yung La’ Compositional Style,” Umak & Minjok Vol. 9 (1995), 53. 38 Lee, “Study of Un-Yung La’s Compositional Style,” 64.
21 Example 11 Syncopated Rhythm pattern
Example 11 is an example of syncopated rhythm that came from cutting by two letters in the
Korean language. Un-Yung La utilized the third pattern above in his work Easter Cantata No. 4.
It can be understood when comparing motive rhythm of Example 12 with no.3 rhythm of Example
11.
Example 12 Movement 4 of Easter Cantata (mm.3-6)
Third, Un-Yung La variously utilized Korean rhythm types in his music. The rhythmic patterns exhibited in his Easter Cantata also reveal a melding of Korean and Western elements.
Changdan, which literally means long-short, is a rhythmic pattern that originated in Korea.39 All
Korean folk music is played with Changdan. Each of the Changdan was used to express a different atmosphere according to the story of a given song. Like other nationalistic musicians influenced
39 Robert C. Provine, “East Asia: China, Japan, and Korea” The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Vol. 7, (New York and London: Routledge, 2002), 841.
22 by the folk music, La based his music on traditional Korean recurring rhythm patterns, Changdan.
In his choral works he mainly utilized four Changdans, those being Semacji, Taryung, Gukguri, and Doduri.40 Among them, Taryung Changdan and Saemachi Changdan (Example 13, 15 below) is suitable for four-beat music and can be found in movements 4, 5 of Easter Cantata (Example14,
16 below).
Example 13: The basic pattern of the Taryung Changdan
Example 14: Taryung Jandan of Movement 4 of Easter Cantata (mm.3 – 6)
40 Mun-seung Lee, “Study of Un-yung La’ Compositional Style,” Umak & Minjok Vol. 9 (1995), 66.
23 Example 15 The basic pattern of the Saemachi Changdan
Example 16 Saemachi Changdan of Movement 5 of Easter Cantata (mm.5-8)
Example 16 adds the beauty of Korean style by expressing rhythm transformation of changdan through utilizing some part of Taryeong changdan for the upper chorus melody and the rhythm of Semachi changdan for piano accompaniment.
24 3.4. Overall Analysis (Form, Meter, Tempo, Scale)
Table 3 First Movement (Transfiguration)
Form Measure Meter Tempo Scale A 1-8 15/8, 12/8 ♩ . = 88 D-Pyongio A 9-16 G-Ryukyu B B 17-24 G-Ryukyu 9/8 ♩ 25-26 . = 44 E-D-E (main motive) C 27-34 G-Kyemengio 35-36 E-D-E (main motive) A’ 37-43 15/8 ♩ . = 88 D-Pyongio Coda 44-58 4/4 ♩ . = 104 D-Pyongio
Table 4 Second Movement (The Entry into Jerusalem)
Form Measure Meter Tempo Scale Intro 1-4 A 5-14 12/8 ♩ E-Kyemengio B 15-30 .= 88 C 31-42 A’ 43-48
Table 5 Third Movement (The prayer of Mt. Gethsemane)
Form Measures Meter Tempo Scale Intro 1-2 F-Kyemengio A A 3-6 15/8 Compositional color ♩ . = 44 mainly with 5-degree B 7-10 f-Kyemengio-c minor B C 11-16 15/8, 12/8 f-Kyemengio-c minor-
25 f-Kyemengio D 17-18 12/8, 15/8 f-Kyemengio
Table 6 Fourth Movement (The Way to Golgotha)
Form Measure Meter Tempo Scale Introduction 1-2 C-Kyemengio A 3-19 4/4 ♩ = 56
B 20-34 ♩ = 60 Eb+Gm/ C-Kyemengio C 35-44 4/4, 6/4, 3/4, Abm(mm. 39-44) 5/4, 3/4, 6/4 ♩ = 63 Coda 45-52 3/4, 5/4, 3/4, Dbm(mm. 45-48) 5/4, 4/4 Abm(mm. 49-52)
Table 7 Fifth Movement (Hallelujah)
Texture Measure Meter Tempo Scale Intro. 1~4 ♩ =126 C-Kungio A 5~12 G-Kungio+C-Kungio Bridge 13~14 ♩ =92 E minor B 15~21 4/4 E minor A’ 22~29 ♩ =126 G-Kungio+C-Kungio C 30~36 ♩ =84 D-Kungio A’’ 37~44 ♩ =126 G-Kungio+C-Kungio D 45~53 12/8 ♩ =84 G-Kungio A’’’ 54~61 4/4 ♩ =126 G-Kungio+C-Kungio E 62~69 ♩ = 92 E-Kyemengio A’’’’ 70~77 ♩ = 126 g-Kungio + C-Kungio 4/4 Bridge 78~79 ♩ = 132 em + D-Pyunggio Codetta 80~95 ♩ = 132 em + D-Pyungjio Coda 96~111 ♩ = 138 Trade chord
26 CHAPTER 4
REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS
4.1. Issues of Korean performance style
(Vocal techniques, emotion as an element of performance, articulations).
La insisted that choral music that includes Korean traditional elements should be performed using Korean style articulations rather than those of the West. Yet, many conductors and choirs have performed Korean choral music with Western style articulations because of insufficient information about that of the Korean style. The inspiration for this current study arose from a consideration of why most Western choirs, and even some Korean choirs, perform
Korean music in a Western style? This chapter will attempt to provide a detailed answer to this question beginning with a discussion of the concept of Pansori performance style.
First, the problems that western performers have playing Korean music, including Pansori, it's primarily about strong and weak syllables in the Korean language. Western music often starts with a weak syllable followed by a strong syllable. On the contrary, Korean music starts with a strong syllable and ends with a weak syllable. As well, western language has articles and prepositions that the Korean language does not have. And articles and prepositions in front of nouns are pronounced weakly with the following noun is pronounced strongly. For example, in the combination, “the school,” “the” is weakly pronounced and “school” is strongly pronounced.41
On the contrary, in the Korean language, which has neither prepositions nor articles, in the
41 Dae-cheul Shin, The Meaning and Emotion in Korean Music (Seoul: Minsokwon, 2003), 213.
27 Korean word for “school” 'hak' in 'hakgyo' is more strongly pronounced. When a Korean person pronounces, ‘Annyeonghaseyo’ (Hello), ‘An’ is pronounced strongly. However, when western people try this, they pronounce 'nyeong' and 'yo' strongly, following Western language traditions.
Accordingly, when playing Korean music with the dynamic structure of western languages, it would sound unnatural, so it is essential to consider dynamic structure of the Korean language.42
To see the lyrics displayed in Example 11 among the Easter Cantata, in case of Golgodaui eondeokguileun~, 'Gol', 'da', 'eon', 'guil' should be pronounced strongly.
Second, it's a matter of vocalization, that is, sound color. Just as the western bel canto technique and the singing technique of traditional folk music in the West are slightly different each other, singing methods in Korean traditional music are also different. Among them, singing methods and the method of vocalization in folk song or Pansori, are also different. Among folk songs in Korea, the singing methods are slightly different according to region. Of course, in this case, Korean traditional music is written in western staff notation. However Korean traditional music, which is distinctly different from western music, can still be performed utilizing Korean style vocal techniques in order to better express this music. It is also necessary not to lose the style of Korean folk music by over-emphasizing traditional Western singing technique while sounding near to Korean traditional vocalization.43
The vocalization method of Pansori is completely different from the western vocalization method. In Western classical technique, above all, singers use abdominal breathing using the upper
42 Shin, The Meaning and Emotion in Korean Music, 214. 43 Myung-won Yoon. Korean Music, (Seoul: Music World Press, 2008), 81.
28 part of the diaphragm. However, Pansori uses the danjeon breathing method that regulates sound by gathering power in the danjeon area below the belly button. In western music, it is important to make beautiful sounds, however the Korean sound can be said to be proper for making strong expressiveness with a rough sound and dramatic sound. Therefore, it sometimes strains the vocal mechanism when singing with this technique.44
To see how the compass of Pansori is different from western techniques, one can see that in the West voice parts are divided into male and female; then again, males into Tenor, Baritone, and Bass; and females into Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, and Alto. However, in case of Pansori, it is divided into male singing and female singing, and there's no division of compass. Usually Pansori can be performed when one can freely sound 4 octaves from low to high.45 Pansori has various kinds of sounds according to sound quality. (refer to Table 8)
Table 8 Pansori of voice colors46
Name of Voice Color Explain of Voice Color Tongseong Sound that is drawn directly from the abdominal cavity Cheolseong Firm as a steel hammer, strong and hard sound Suriseong Rough sound like a husky voice Seseong Very thin and feeble but distinct sound Hangseong Sound that comes by being curved out of the throat Biseong Echoed sound out of the nose Paseong Changed sound that comes out by being broken as the sound of broken gong
44 Mi-Yeon Hwang. Pansori, (Jeonju: Ma-Dang, 2002), 50 45 Hwang, Pansori, 52 46 Bo-hyung Lee. Sikimsae in Korean Music, (Seoul: Umak-nonpyung, vol. 13, 1999): 9-10.
29 Balbalseong Changed sound that comes vibrating Cheonguseong Popping out sound, that is, natural master singer's sound Gwigokseong Sound like ghost's crying Saengmok Sound without relieved throat Sokmok Sound within the throat without letting it out clearly Geotmok Superficially simply made sound Teokmok Sloppy and rough sound Norangmok Strong sound with too much power Dry neck Drily dried sound Gudeummok Sound that comes out stiffly Nugeunmok Low and sloppy sound Dwenmok High and bright sound Dunggeunmok Echoing sound Gunmok Sound that one shouts alone with delight Neolbeunmok Richly echoing sound
In this way, Pansori vocalization has a wide variety of sounds. Western performers can practice and perform the beauty of Korea correctly when they fully understand the Pansori style vocalization method.
Third, Korean music is breathing-centric music. The concept of 'beat' comes from the beating of the heart in the West. Since Korean songs originally came from manual labor, where fast breathing can be required in tough labor, while slow and leisurely breathing is required in labor that takes a long time. This breathing is repeated due to its periodicity, which is Changdan.
For example, Jungmori changdan has stability, while Jajinmori changdan is cheerful and light, and Hwimori changdan, whistlingly driving, is time unit expression of emotion that can be empathized by any Korean people. Therefore, when learning Korean style music, it is necessary
30 to learn changdan along with breathing, not only learning along with the melody.47
The Korean rhythm pattern, Changdan, is very different from the rhythm in Western music. A set of Changdan, determining time, tempo and mode, exists as a rhythmic pattern that generally is materialized through the playing of Korean traditional instruments such as Janggu or
Buk. Changdan is almost always employed as a triple rhythm, which may be related to the natural rhythm of the Korean language. The performer must understand characteristics of the Korean language as they relate to Korean rhythmic patterns.48
Fourth, the method of articulation should be understood, which is to express the “flavor” of the Korean style. Also, La insisted choral music that includes Korean traditional elements should be performed using Korean traditional ornamentation. Yet, many conductors and choirs have performed Korean choral music without Korean traditional ornamentation because of insufficient information. There are three typical types of ornamentation. These are Yoseng (rapid trill), Tweseng (retreat with a rapid portamento), and Pyoungseng (non-vibrato). Yosong is proper for the long primary note, Tweseng is proper for a note with added notes such as a very rapid portamento or grace note, and Pyungsong is a straight tone producing tension. The use of ornamentation is diverse and its application is quite broad among performers. It is mainly used for the fourth and fifth degree on the scale of Kyemengio- la, do, re, mi, sol. 49 This study will inform the western conductor of authentic Korean vocal techniques.
47 Shin, The Meaning and Emotion in Korean Music, 253-254. 48 Jae-suk Moon, Korean Music (Seoul: Minsokwon, 2009), 84. 49 Hae-Kyung Um, “Korean Vocal Techniques.” in The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Vol. 7 (New York and London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 1998), 818.
31 Such Korean vocal music technique as this western ornamentation is called 'Sikimsae', which technique is a very important musical elements in Korean traditional music that emphasize melody rather than harmony, which is an important element that creates Korean beauty and flavor.50
Yoseong is the sound that “shakes” along with music. In western music, vibrato or trills are used in many parts, however in Korean music, Yoseong usually appears in the primary melody.51
Tweseong is a method to reach low tone by dropping a high tone slowly, sliding downwards while the melody progresses from the high to low tone. However, in folk song or pansori genres, Sangtweseong is mainly used, which is to pull down by making a higher tone than original one.52 Un-Yung La's Easter Cantata primarily used pansori style, therefore, it is performed using Sangtweseong. Below note concretely shows singing with Sikimsae.
Example 17: Korean Vocal Technique in the third movement of Easter Cantata.(mm.3-5)
50 Han, Man-Young, New Gugak Gaeron (Seoul: Taerim Chul-pan-sa, 1996), 62. 51 Bo-hyung Lee, “Sikimsae in Korean Music,” Umak-nonpyung, Vol. 13 (1999), 9. 52 Lee, “Sikimsae in Korean Music,” Umak-nonpyung, Vol. 13 (1999), 9.
32 In the above note, 'ba' (F) of 'Abba' of the first bar is sung in Pyeongseong, the end part
(C) of 'Abeojiyeo (Father)' is sung by combining Pyeongseong and Yoseong with sijo style. While the Eb of 'beo' in 'Abeojiyeo (Father)' of the second bar uses Sangtweseong that pulls down by singing slightly higher than original tone. In other words, it sings F-Eb simultaneously much as the grace note of the West. This way, Un-Yung La again emphasized that Korean traditional beauty can be expressed when singing in Sikimsae technique of sijo and pansori style.
Fifth, there's another point that western performers should consider in respect of Un-Yung
La's harmony when preparing performance and practice.
Korean traditional music has no harmonic system. However, La created a new harmonic system, which is very different from the harmony in the West. La described the harmony of his new style in his theory book titled Contemporary Harmony (1991).53 He further characterizes his new harmonic system as more proper for vocal music than instrumental music. La’s system mainly relied upon parallel perfect fourths and fifths as well as altered pentatonic scales, and he did not treat major seconds as dissonant. Also, La’s harmony reflected the characteristics of Korean mirroring and parallel. Therefore, Western conductors must understand these harmonic implications as they relate to the performance of Korean folk music and how this music then influences the proper performance of La’s choral music.
The point that he created a new Korean style harmony based on western harmony in Korean traditional music, which had been based on melody and rhythm, should be considered as being connected with Korean emotion. Un-Yung La's Korean harmony is, as explained above, a
53 Un-Yung La, Contemporary Harmony (Seoul: Sekwang-Chulpsan-sa, 1991), 130.
33 continuation of simplicity, as told in chapter 2. It is directly connected with the Korean emotion
'han.' Korean music is usually thought of as music of 'Han'. To understand Korean music, one should know the emotion of Han that Korean people feel. From long ago, Korea has had to tolerate life while being invaded by foreign powers and deprived of human rights under an emotionally suppressed condition. It might be similar to the emotion that black people felt through their life as slaves. That might be the reason why Korean choirs have been interested in and enjoy singing
Negro Spirituals. When Western people play Korean music, it is very important to understand and express the suppressed sad emotions that Korean people feel. Un-Yung La, also, connected the emotion of pain, the Korean emotion of ‘Han,’ with the pain of Jesus on the cross in the Easter
Cantata.
Korean articulations can be said to be very lyrical, passionate, and dramatic. Un-Yung La's
Easter Cantata shows this strongly, the lyrical parts primarily in the chorus, while very passionate and dramatic elements appear in solo parts. This emphasizes the melody of Korean beauty, which shows an intention to make more colorful music through harmonic parts. Therefore, the balance of harmony to solo melody and chorus should be also considered.
4.2. Manner of Rehearsal Presentation
Un-Yung La's Easter Cantata is very simple, however it has very difficult parts for western performers to practice and perform. First, this research introduced an analysis table with Melody, harmony, rhythmic patterns, and the methods to practice Korean emotion hidden in simplicity through Korean intonation, Changdan, and traditional vocal technique.
34 1) Vocal training method
Korean style breathing is not abdominal breathing, but danjeon breating (lower part of the abdomen breathing). When breathing, it is necessary to repeatedly practice breathing slowly and deeply in, wait a while, then breathing out up to the deepest part of lower part of the abdomen a lot.
Vocalization does not make good pronunciation of Korean lyrics when singing with western style head tone, which is not easy to express Sikimsae. Therefore, there are many cases to utilize
Tongseong in vocalization of Sikimsae. However, in some cases, proper intersectional use of falsetto and Tongseong can be used to make a Korean style flavor according to the melody.54
2) Sikimsae instruction method
Sikimsae is each performer's individualistic character that expresses delicately and exquisitely in one tone, while putting beauty and energy in monotonous tones.
Pyeongseong can make sounds naturally as making western straight tone, however Yoseong and
Tweseong are quite different from western vocal technique, accordingly, they require proper explanation during rehearsal. Yoseong instructs the singer to start loudly with vibrating sounds, then instructs the singer to make sound by imagining waves, thick as well as small, with the vowels, a, e, i, o, and u. Tweseong should fall naturally like sliding when progressing from a high to low tone. The sound should made out of the abdomen with the feeling of throwing far away.
3) Chandan instructional method
54 Bo-hyung Lee, “Sikimsae in Korean Music,” Umak-nonpyung, 13 (1999), 12.
35 If western music is music of harmony, Korean music is of Changdan. Changdan is an important factor to understand Korean music, which is very variously utilized in song, instrumental music, and dance accompaniment. Korean Changdan does not repeat basic
Changdan without change, but performs variation of basic Changdan type according to melody or rhythm. In other words, it should keep the beat in the basic first beat accent, however the rest of the beats can be performed by freely changing extemporaneously. This seems to have similarities with western jazz, which regularly extemporizes. First, when instructing the chorus to perform Changdan, it would be easy to approach by practicing the basic rhythm pattern by using just hands and feet.
4.3 Interview questions and responses with two Korean Conductors
The following interviews were conducted with Myung-yeup and Dr. Shin-wha Park.
Ryu: Hanpil Ryu
Kim: Myung-yeup
Park: Shin-wha Park
a. Myung-yeup Kim
Myung-yeup Kim is director of the Seoul Metropolitan Chorus a fully professional chorus and holds Myung-yeup Kim is director of the Seoul Metropolitan Chorus—a fully professional chorus, the Seoul Bach Choir, the Seoul Church Music Academy, and the Zion Choir at
Namdaemoon Church. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Yonsei University. He
36 also studied at the Vienna (Austria) Conservatory. His interpretations of Korean choral works, the focus of his repertory, are regarded as outstanding throughout Korea. His interview will offer insight into understanding the specifics of Korean choral/vocal sound, emotion, and characteristics for performance, as well as general ideas about the interpretation of Korean choral music.
b. Shin-Hwa Park
Dr. Shin-Hwa Park is director of the Ansan City Choir. He holds his Bachelor’s and
Master’s degrees from Yonsei University, and a D.M.A. in Choral Literature and Conducting from the University of Colorado at Boulder. After returning from the U.S.A., he became the director of
Calvary Choir at Young-Nak Presbyterian Church and professor of music at the Ewha Woman’s
University in Korea. He has performed and recorded the Easter Cantata and Christmas Cantata in Korea, and will offer insight into the rehearsal process and his own ideas on the interpretation of these works.
INITIAL DISCUSSION TOPICS
Myung-Yeup Kim, conductor
Ryu: What advice would you give to a western conductor taking up this work for the first time?
Kim: Korean music is melodically centred music, and the music of nature. Therefore, when foreigners first see Korean music, it is important to see the music with a certain composure of mind. It is important to leisurely appreciate how the melody progresses and feel the beauty of nature in Korean music by slowly appreciating the melody.
37 Ryu: Please discuss your general thoughts about Korean choral sound. What do you want to hear when listening to a choir?
Kim: Korean sound is aimed for the sound of nature. In Korea it is important to make the sound as it is without being processed, whether of solo or chorus. The soft and refined sound of the
West is different from the Korean sound. Though it might be rough, but I think it is important to express the natural tone itself.
Ryu: What is your approach to addressing Korean sound in the choral rehearsal?
Kim: For example, Korean sound is to embody the sound of the nature. For example, it means the sound of natural sound of wind, sound of the ocean waves, and shaking sound of fallen leaves, etc. though the sound is rough.
Ryu: What difficulties do western singers encounter when singing Korean diction?
Kim: While singing Korean diction, foreigners feel difficulty in vowels. For example, pronunciation such as ㅢ, different from western vowel, is not easy for foreigners, because the position of the vowel is very different. Also, Korean words have no strong beat and weak beat.
However, foreigners are familiar to their language composed of stress and unstress in the words.
Ryu: What aspects of traditional singing techniques should be considered when singing La’s melodies, especially solo episodes?
Kim: Composer Un-Yung La's melody was composed in Pansori style, a Korean music genre.
Therefore, it is proper for Korean natural vocalization, voice, instead of head voice that is
38 important in the West. Also, it is very necessary to perform by properly using Sikimsae.
Ryu: What is different between La’s music and other Korean composers?
Kim: Most of Korean composers composed Korean style music by merely imitating using
Changdan only slightly, Korean rhythm pattern, based on the western music. However, Un-Yung
La's music can be said to be composed thoroughly based on Korean traditional musical theory from melody, harmony, and rhythm. Particularly, in respect of harmony, he is the only composer who newly created and used the theory of 'Korean harmony'. Of course, Un-Yung
La composed based on western music, however the point that he composed mainly with
Korean emotion and theory thoroughly compared to other Korean composers is his own unique music that nobody can deny.
Ryu: What is most important of Korean rhythmic pattern (Changdan)?
Kim: Korean rhythm pattern, Changdan, is made of 3-beat patterns, accordingly, it is very important to feel this 3-beat rhythm. Also, pattern is important in Korean rhythm. It is important to perform different rhythm patterns like sobbing just as dancing in 3-beat feel.
Ryu: What is different between the basic styles of Korean vibrato and Western vibratos?
Kim: Korean vibrato is wider and is not regular compared to western vibrato. Korean vibrato can be said to be various and very passionate compared to the West.
39 INITIAL DISCUSSION TOPICS
Shin-Hwa Park, conductor
Ryu: Please describe the rehearsal process with Easter Cantata. How did you introduce the work to the choir?
Park: At first, as I introduced this melody to the choir, I explained about Korean style Pansori vocalization a lot and practiced Sikimsae. Actually, I listened to the special lecture of Pansori vocalization by inviting a lecturer who majored in Korean music, and practiced together with the lecturer. They did not feel that this was difficult in tune and Changdan, however they felt much more awkward at vocalization, since they are a choir accustomed already to western vocalization.
Ryu: How long was your rehearsal period before the performance and recording?
Park: We had 7 rehearsals, twice a week for three weeks. The solo part was practiced during two sessions, and the chorus part was conducted separately for two sessions, and practiced solo and chorus together for the final 3 sessions.
Ryu: What issues of vocal techniques did you address in rehearsals, in order to capture the traditional Korean character of the music?
Park: Choir members felt it was very difficult to do Pansori vocalization. The members had already learned western vocalization for several years and were accustomed to it. Accordingly, we spent very hard rehearsals in the initial week. In the process of practicing western vocalization and Korean style Sikimsae, there was much awkwardness.
Ryu: What difficulties or challenges did you encounter when rehearsing the work?
40 Park: Singing was somewhat difficult since the tempo was slower than expected. Most of choir members were accustomed to 3-tone harmony, however sense training on consistent 5-tone harmony was difficult at first. One of difficult things was to decide breathing parts by dividing phrasing. Also, in the solo part it was difficult to make decisions about the tenor solo.
Ryu: Specifically regarding The Easter Cantata, how did you approach your score analysis and rehearsal preparation?
Park: I performed a basic form analysis, and analyzed musical elements such as melody, rhythm, and harmony. I also referred to the articles or papers that Un-Yung La's students submitted. For the performers accustomed to western vocalization, I prepared rehearsals for them to more naturally perform Korean style vocalization and the expression methods as Sikimsae.
Ryu: How do the functions of Korean harmony and rhythm differ from those of the West?
Park: Korean traditional music is not mainly for softness or harmonizing, but the beauty of it is in roughness and imbalance. Also, rhythm can be said to be the music to raise 'cheerfulness' for play with very repeated pattern, nevertheless non-variant compared to western rhythm, as a means to help emotional expression part in the music. Also, impromptu changes of rhythm can be said to be free compared to western music.
Ryu: Please discuss the importance of La’s religious beliefs as an influence on the performance of his music?
Park: The religious background is very important in Un-Yung La's music. I tried to musically
41 express religious nuance in each bar.
Ryu: Can you speak about La’s harmonic style and how it musically exhibits Korean emotion?
Park: Korean harmony can be said to emphasize emptiness. In other words, emptiness is the expression of sadness. Korean music is the music of 'Han', with suppressed emotion due to foreign invasions over many centuries. Accordingly, it would be proper to say ‘Han’ is the expression of this. Un--Yung La's harmony is not variant, however it well expressed Korean people's emotions mixed with their sigh in simpleness and emptiness.
42 CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION
In the 20th century, Korean composers have been much influenced by western composers who established and developed their country's folk music, and came to be interested in new music with Korean traditional musical elements. Un-Yung La, among them, is one of the representative composers who newly composed using Korean traditional elements on the basis of western music.
Due to his dedication and contribution, Koreans could prepare a basis to newly develop music with Korean style elements based on western music. In particular, he was deeply interested in church music, and strongly influenced other Korean composers.
According to Un-Yung La's musical theory, which he demonstrated in the Easter Cantata,
Korean style melody and rhythm were created thoroughly based on Korean traditional scales, harmony created by harmonizing with western harmony on this Korean traditional scale. Also, he attempted new Korean style expression of music through Sikimsae technique in Korean traditional vocal music genre, Pansori and Sijo, and Korean style vocalization on the basis of this melody, rhythm, and harmony, and showed Korean traditional part and modernistic music by well engrafting.
Through this research, western musicians should definitely consider the characteristics of melody, rhythm, and harmony related to Korean language rules when performing Korean traditional music as Un-Yung La's Easter Cantata, and should not miss Sikimsae technique,
Korean musical expression and emotion 'han'. Un-Yung La's Easter Cantata is a representative work that well expressed his musical grammar, which well mixed Korean traditional elements based on western style basic musical theory and completed with the vocal technique of Korean
43 traditional music.
Since the 20th century, each country has developed music with their own musical grammar based on nationalist music movements and as a result, many countries could develop their own music. Composer Un-Yung La can be said to be the pioneer who globalized Korean music by insisting on and using Korean traditional musical grammar. Due to his efforts, Korea also could cultivate excellent choral composers as Jeongseon Park, Hyowon Woo, and many others. American college and university choirs have sometimes performed Asian works from
China, Japan, and Korea. However, performances are often lacking in technical skill, since they do not have knowledge about each country’s music. The researcher hopes this research could be helpful for western conductors and performers with Korean music, particularly Un-Yung La's
Korean style music, since he is regarded as a pioneer of Korean music, and hopes this music and these works could be performed all over the world.
44 APPENDIX A
TEXT TRANSLATION
45 Easter Cantata text and translations
I. Transfiguration (변화산상)
이는 내 사랑하는 아들이니. 너희는 저희 말을 들으라!
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!
II. The Entry into Jerusalme (예루살렘 입성)
호산나 주님이 오시네.
Hosanna. The Lord comes.
주의 이름으로 오시는 이 복이 있을 지어다.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord
영원한 왕 주님이 오시네.
Hosanna in the Highest. The Lord comes.
III. The prayer of Mt. Gethsemane (겟세마네의 기도)
아바 아버지여 할만 하시거든, 이 잔을 떠나게 하소서.
Abba, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.
그러나 내 뜻대로 마시고 아버지의 뜻대로 하소서.
Nevertheless, not as I will but as you will.
46 IV. The Way to Golgotha (골로다의 언덕길)
골고다의 언덕길은 죽음의 길
Set in Golgotha where the Crucifixion of Jesus was held.
내 어찌 주님만을 보낼손가 엘리엘리 라마사박다니
My God, My God Why have you forsaken me
세상 죄를 지고 가는 하나님의 어린양을 보라.
Behold the Lamb of God. That taketh away the Sin of the World.
V. Hallelujah (할렐루야)
할렐루야, 주는 부활하시고 이기셨네
Hallelujah, the Lord has resurrected, and celebrates Jesus’s resurrection.
그 수욕된 십자가 고통 이기시고 저 천당에서 나를 불러 주시네
He calls me from the heaven after having overcome humiliating pain of crucifix.
보라, 저기 무덤돌 굴러나오고 찬란한 광채가 천지를 덮었네
Behold, those tombs roll out and brilliant sparkle covers the world
어제의 슬픔을 거두어라. 할렐루야
Forget the past sorrow. Hallelujah
주님의 부활은 나의 구원. 영원토록 주와 함께 살리라
Resurrection of Lord is my salvation. I will live with my Lord forever
47 할렐루야, 아멘
Hallelujah, Amen
48 APPENDIX B
KOREAN DICTION FOR IPA
49 Basic Korean Vowels
Korean Letter IPA English Example ㅏ A Spa ㅑ Ya Yard ㅓ ə, ɔ Under ㅕ yə Young ㅗ O Oh ㅛ Yo Yo ㅜ U Do ㅠ Yu You ㅡ Eu Moon ㅣ I Feet ㅒ E Yet ㅔ E Take ㅐ Yε Bet ㅖ Ye Yes ㅚ Oe Wet ㅟ Wi Win ㅢ Ui X ㅘ Wa Want ㅝ w∂ War ㅞ Wε West ㅙ We Wendy
Basic Korean Consonants
Korean Letter IPA English Example ㄱ k, g king, guess
50 ㄴ N Not ㄷ D Dog ㄹ r, l radio,like ㅁ M Mall ㅂ B Ball ㅅ S She ㅇ Ŋ Ring ㅈ J Judge ㅊ Ch Church ㅋ Kh Kid ㅌ Th Tall ㅍ Ph Paint ㅎ H House ㄲ K Skin ㄸ T Stay ㅃ P Span ㅆ Ss Sense ㅉ Ts Pizza
51 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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53 Morgan, Robert P. Twentieth-century music: a history of musical style in modern Europe and America. United States of America: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc, 1991.
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Score
Un-Yung La. Un-Yung La’s Cantatas. Seoul: Un-Kyung Umak-chulpan-sa, 1998.
Recording
Un-Yung La’s Christmas & Easter Cantatas, performed by Ansan City Choir, 1997.
Website “Un-Yung La’s Life.” Last modified January 6, 2014. Accessed March 10, 2016. http://www.launyung.co.kr.
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