Composers, Musicians Rushing to Release Korean Classic Albums

Mid-standing composers and instrument players in the field of Korean classic music have introduced a series of new albums.

Last week, Professor Park Beom-hun at Chungang University, also known as a leading Korean classic composer, released the Buddhist Music Series comprising three albums. And Professor Kim Jung-ja at Seoul National University launched `Classic of Kayageum`.

Prof. Park has composed opening titles for the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. Known to work on a full range of Korean classics, he in fact specializes in Buddhist music.

With the new series, he introduces both recognized old titles and new works. The three albums are entitled `Great Love of Parents`, `Free from Thoughts` and `Admiring the Buddha` respectively. Three well-known vocals, Ahn Sook-sun, Kim Sung-nyeo and Kim Young-im, sing songs in tune with the sound of the National Classic Music Orchestra.

Coree Music, producer of the albums, plans to release a full collection of `Park Beom-hun`s World of Music` over the next five years.

Prof. Kim Jung-ja formed `the Korean Royal Music Society` in league with young professors of Korean classic and respected Korean classic musicians back in 1976. Since then, she has been working to promote the Korean classic music enjoyed by the royal family and the noble class.

She is also known as a great Kayageum player who delivers tense and deep sound of the traditional Korean musical instrument with twelve strings.

In the latest album, she introduces `Gyemyeon-jo tuning` that she learned from her mentor Lee Chang-gyu, and plays `Gajin Hoisang` and `Pyongjo Hoisang.` Tuning is a musical performance made to coordinate sound of strings before a musician begins to play the instrument in earnest. It is now very rare to have a chance to hear Gyemyeon-jo tuning in Korea.

Sung-Won Joo swon@donga.com