[News Culture reporter Lee Junseop] A gugak stage that reimagines tradition with unexpected twists is finding an audience. On Gugak Hanmadang, the episode titled "Reconstructing Gugak" showcases performances that layer contemporary sensibilities onto classical forms, stretching the genre’s boundaries.
What first grabs viewers is the blending of fairy tale and pansori. Ip-gwa-Son Studio’s original pansori, drawn from the bestselling novel Gingginbam, tightly weaves story, music and theatrical elements. The company reconstructs the narrative using traditional pansori techniques, sharpening the plight of Noden, the world’s last white rhino. Through sound and movement, the production broadens the novel’s emotional scope and leaves a lingering impression.
The sanjo program takes equally inventive turns. The improvisatory Seogongcheol-style gayageum sanjo finds fresh resonance when paired with the daegeum. Kim Yong-hoon and Cha Rubin perform a Seoyongseok-style daegeum sanjo together, their contrasting lines creating a taut musical tension. Reconstructed from recordings by 1980s masters, the performance honors tradition while adding a contemporary sensibility.
Gahyundang Gayageum Studio presents a trio—sanjo gayageum, cheol gayageum and low-pitched gayageum—whose differing registers blend into a rich, layered sound. Spontaneous melodic lines keep the music immediate and alive.
Performers who cross cultural and physical boundaries also draw attention. Cameroon-born pansori singer Mapo Ror offers an excerpt from Heungbo-ga—one of the five core pansori repertoires—part of his ongoing preparation for a full-length performance. Trained in Korea, he brings an interpretation that transcends language and cultural differences.
Visually impaired pansori singer Choi Yena channels delicate emotion through Chunhyang-ga; her focus on each vocal nuance deepens the audience’s auditory immersion. Meanwhile, the Gwanhyeonmyeongin Traditional Arts Troupe demonstrates music’s unifying power with an ensemble that dissolves the divide between disabled and non-disabled performers.
This "Reconstructing Gugak" installment does more than preserve the past: it shows how gugak engages contemporary audiences through fresh experiments and reimagined interpretations. The range of approaches onstage reaffirms the genre’s creative possibilities.
News Culture's Lee Junseop rhees@nc.press
