Since the 1960s, composers of Korean music have been creating new music in keeping with the times. With his chamber ensemble work of 1969, Chunseong, Park Beom-hun also became part of this phenomenon, and has composed for various genres featuring Kore...
Since the 1960s, composers of Korean music have been creating new music in keeping with the times. With his chamber ensemble work of 1969, Chunseong, Park Beom-hun also became part of this phenomenon, and has composed for various genres featuring Korean instruments, such as instrumental solos, duos, chamber ensembles, orchestras, concertos, Korean orchestras and chorus, oratorios, music dramas, danced ramas, madangnori, Buddhist music and so on.
The subject of this essay, Dondollari for trio of 25-string gayageum, was composed in 2001 on the theme of a North Korean folk song of the same title which the composer heard when he participated in the first music festival for the reunification of the Korean peninsula organized by the late Korean-German composer Isang Yun. It was premiered at the debut concert of the Chungang Gayageum Ensemble in 2002.
There are two theories for the origin of the North Korean folk song, which is representative of Pukchong, a county in South Hamgyong Province: 1) It is derived from a song for Dallae dance 2) Dongteullal (A New Day to Dawn), a Western-influenced folk song of the 1920s which was sung to signal the advent of police or secret agents, developed into Dondollari. But the first theory is more plausible because Dondollari displays few signs of Western influence. It has now been revised to suit contemporary sensibilities, and is sung nationwide; a dance has also been created for this song and spread throughout the country.
This composition repeatedly varies in a number of ways the simple melody of the original song. Registral change diversifies the texture as the main theme moves from the first through to the third instrument, and melody and accompaniment cross over. Melody shifts through imitation and question-and-answer techniques. The entire piece consists of introduction and three movements. The methods and features of variation are as follows:
The first gayageum alone performs the introduction, which is in 12/8 time and has the metronome number of. This section implies the theme in flexible rhythm resulting from frequent use of ritardando and fermata. The first movement is composed of three smaller parts, a, b, and c. The movement is characterized by change in dynamics with the use of tied notes and appoggiaturas, and tension created by chromaticism and hemiola over repeated rhythmic patterns. It begins in 12/8 time in the key of Eb and modulates into Bb in part b, and then to Ab in 10/8 time over the rhythmic pattern of eotmori in the third part.
The second movement consists of four parts, and is characterized by all the players singing. They sing call-and-respond, in canon, and in unison. It also has certain passages in which the first and the second players tap their palms on the strings while singing.
The third movement cheerfully rushes over the lilting rhythmic pattern of hwimori in 4/4time. For most of the movement, the main melody is varied with semi-quavers of non-harmonic tones. Chromaticism in strong dynamics adds tension and drama while glissandi enrich the texture. There is a passage played in divisi in which each part requires two players for stepwise chromatic progressions and melodic tremolos. Though it is a trio, I believe each part requires at least two players to do full justice to the composition.
The 25-string gayageum is an improved version of the traditional 12-string instrument. The new instrument has a wider range to accommodate heptatonic scales and a variety of new performing techniques. Melodic tremolos, nail pizzicati, tapping, stepwise chromatic motions are some of the new techniques involved in this particular piece. Melodic tremolos and nail pizzicati are influenced by the Japanese koto as the piece was first arranged for a koto ensemble. There are several ways to execute melodic tremolos, but in this piece they quickly scrape the strings with nails to emulate the koto. Though this composition may be performed in its entirety, they often perform abridged versions. There are a few abridged versions to accommodate time limits on the stage.
This essay examines the overall structure of the composition and how the main theme is varied. It also considers how the elements of melody, rhythmic patterns, and range are effectively realized in the genre of gayageum trio. Finally it looks at the performing techniques characteristic of the piece. I hope that this essay will be of considerable assistance to those who intend to perform Dondollari for trio of 25-string gayageum.