“Gagok wollyu,” the Beauty of Songs in Gagok
Learn about the Gagok wollyu owned by National Gugak Center and listen to its authentically handed down repertories
Male songNational Gugak Center
‘Gagok,’ the songs from poems
Gagok is one of the Korean traditional vocal genres with an orchestral accompaniment. The lyrics of Gagok are adopted from old poems consisting of 5 verses. Gagok’s repertoires vary according to singers’ sex: 26 male songs and 15 female songs, respectively, including one ensemble piece very at the end. With charming dignity, Gagok was designated as Korea’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 1969 and also listed on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
The front page of “Gagok wollyu”National Gugak Center
Gagok Wollyu owned by the National Gugak Center
Gagok wollyu owned by the National Gugak Center was designated as Seoul’s Tangible Cultural Heritage No.543 in January 2023. It is known as the top 3 song-lyric compilations of Korea including Cheonggu Yeongeon and Haedong Gayo. The collection is as detail as the singers put notes on every single rhythms, melodies, and sequences by hand writing.
Postscript of “Gagok wollyu”National Gugak Center
The writers: Bak Hyogwan and An Minyeong
Gagok wollyu was written by Bak Hyogwan and An Minyeong in the late 19th century. The two writers are of teacher-student relation. Especially, Bak Hyogwan was a professionally invited singer among many hobbist’s music groups, called Pungnyubang. In the collection, Mr. Bak cleared his purpose with such a sentence as “I and my student An Minyeong hereby compiled a new score so that the latter can easily take care of this music.”
The table of contents of “Gagok wollyu”National Gugak Center
Every emotions contained in Gagok
A total of 665 lyrics out of 30 male songs, and 191 lyrics out of 20 females songs are written in Gagok wollyu. Also, the musical characteristics and emotions of 15 songs - Chojungdaeyeop, Ijungdaeyeop, Samjungdaeyeop, Hujeonghwa, Ihujeonghwa, Chosakdaeyeop, Isakdaeyeop, Samsakdaeyeop, Soyongi, Pyeonsoyongi, Manhoeng, Nongga, Naksijo, Pyeonnaksijo, and Pyeonsakdaeyeop - are introduced in Gagok wollyu.
Musical explanationNational Gugak Center
The modes of Gagok
In Gagok wollyu, there are explanations of three different modes as Pyeongjo, Ujo, and Gyemyeonjo. Pyeongjo implies a grand, deep and peaceful sound, whereas Ujo draws a clear, sonorous, and widely open sound. Gyemyeonjo delivers a story with a sad, resented, and woeful emotion.
Maehwajeom jangdanNational Gugak Center
The beats and rhythmic patterns
Gagok is accompanied by an ensemble. Singers count beats composed by specific rhythmic patterns within the ensemble. Gagok’s basic rhythmic pattern is composed of 16 beats, and switched to 10 beats in faster tempo.
ChosudaeyeopNational Gugak Center
Yeoneumpyo
Yeoneumpyo is like a musical note expressing the pitch and duration by red symbols. The symbols are put right next to the lyrics so it can orders sliding up and down, or continuous melody for the singer.
'Chosakdaeyeop', a male song in Ujo mode
Seven male songs in Ujo mode are complied in the order of Chosakdaeyeop, Isakdaeyeop, Junggeo, Pyeonggeo, Samsakdaeyeop, Soyong, and Banyeop in Gagok wollyu. Of the first, 'Chosakdaeyeop, a male song in Ujo mode' adopted its lyrics from a poem entitled 'DongchangI(lit. the east window)' written by Nam Guman, the prime minister in the late Joseon dynasty.
Chosudaeyeop (2015-03-26) by National Gugak CenterNational Gugak Center
The meaning of the lyrics is as follows: A morning has broken and skylark is singing. Has the child who herds the cows not yet risen? when will he plow that long furrow? It is played with the feeling of a green willow tree swaying in the spring breeze.
PyeollakNational Gugak Center
'Pyeollak', a male song in Banubangye mode
In Gagok wollyu, there are 14 male songs in Gyemyeonjo mode including Chosakdaeyeop, Isakdaeyeop, Junggeo, Pyeonggeo, Dugeo, and others. 'Pyeollak, a male song in Banubangye mode' begins in Ujo mode at first. However, it turns into Gyemyeonjo mode in the middle. There’s no female song for this piece.
Pyeollak (2015-04-01) by National Gugak CenterNational Gugak Center
“Pyeollak, a male song in Banubangye mode” sings a heartbreaking farewell between lovers. A pheasant chased by a hawk. A despair facing pirates in storm. No one else’s heart is as much painful as mine.
DugeoNational Gugak Center
'Isakdaeyeop', a female song in Ujo mode
In Gagok wollyu, there are 5 female songs in Ujo mode, which are Isakdaeyeop, Junggeo, Pyeonggeo, Dugeo, and Banyeop. Isakdaeyeop, a female song in Ujo mode' is the first piece among the female songs in Gagok wollyu, with its lyrics of 'A willow became a thread.'
Isudaeyeop (2022-04-01) by National Gugak CenterNational Gugak Center
'Isakdaeyeop, a female song in Ujo mode' singer a loneliness of a singer, standing alone in the Spring field while birds are flying by the willow trees. Please enjoy the song implying a sentence from the poem, 'Who may say the early summer days are better than that of Spring?'
Pyeonsudaeyeop, a female songNational Gugak Center
'Pyeonsakdaeyeop', a female song in Gyemyeonjo mode
There are 8 female songs under Gyemyeonjo mode in Gagok wollyu, which are Isakdaeyeop, Junggeo, Pyeonggeo, Dugeo, Nongga, Urak, Gyerak, and Pyeonsakdaeyeop. Pyeonsakdaeyeop, a female song in Gyemyeonjo mode begins its word of 'Moraneun(lit. Peony)' in 10 beats.
Pyeonsudaeyeop-Bloomless (2021-06-23) by National Gugak CenterNational Gugak Center
'Pyeonsakdaeyeop, a female song in Gyemyeonjo mode' adopted its lyrics from a poem, written by Gim Sujang, a Buddhist monk in Joseon dynasty. Of all flowers, the peony is king; the most loyal is the sunflower. …Please meet the newly arranged version of this Gagok piece by naming the flowers to liken to specific personal characters.
TaepyeonggaNational Gugak Center
Gapiljudae ‘Taepyeongga’
'Here is the great peace of the age of the sages, and there, too, the age of the sages...' This is the beginning of the song, called Taepyeongga. Taepyeongga is unique in that it’s sung in chorus at the end of each male and female repertoires done.
Taepyungga (2020-10-04) by National Gugak CenterNational Gugak Center
Please feel the freedom within the melody of peace Taepyeongga.
Learn more stories about Gagok through the oral interview materials of Jo Sunja, the holder of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Production: Research Division, the National Gugak Center
Executive Producer: Kim Young-woon
Program Director: Kim Myeong-seok
Program Producer: Kim So-ri
Manager / Editor: Hong Se-ah
References
National Gugak Center, Musical pieces in the Hanguk Eumakhak Jaryo Chongseo 5: Gagok wollyu, National Gugak Center, 1981.
National Gugak Center, Classical Vocal Music Of Korea Reinterpreted, National Gugak Center, 2018.
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