Pansori is a traditional Korean form of musical storytelling in which a singer, soriggun, and a drummer, gosu, participate. The name pansori is a combination of the words pan, which means a place where people gather, and sori, which means sound or song. For Koreans, pansori represents not only an artistic form but also a framework for community gatherings.
By bringing together and connecting people of different socioeconomic statuses, ideologies, and ways of life, pansori has become a powerful method of education. Pansori performances continue to educate the audience and address topics such as human nature, morality, and social injustices. Each performance aims to encourage people to behave nobly and humanely, teach them how to express and manage their emotions more easily, and develop tolerance towards others.
The origins of pansori date back to the 17th century, during the Joseon dynasty, but as a narrative form, it has evolved from a much older and more complex Korean musical-literary culture of storytelling. Since ancient times, Korean shamans have used pansori as a tool for transmitting rituals and ceremonies from generation to generation. They would travel from village to village and sing outdoors to the gathered people. This is why pansori is multilayered – at first glance, its stories are simple mixtures of mythical and real events, but through a more detailed reading of the texts, many metaphysical elements and allusions to long-forgotten historical events are revealed. Unfortunately, because of this, they are often incomprehensible to modern people, as many keys to understanding the symbols have been lost over time.
Pansori slowly evolved and, in the 18th century, distanced itself enough from its roots to acquire certain technical characteristics that marked it as a separate musical genre. During its peak in the 19th century, it blossomed into a refined narrative art and gained popularity among members of the royal family and aristocracy. Singers, in order to make a better impression on the distinguished audience, began using increasingly advanced performance techniques. pokazuje reakcije i sudjeluje u izvedbi. Pansori izvođači često improviziraju, koristeći se tradicionalnim temama i pričama, ali dajući im svoj osobni dodir.
Pansori nije samo oblik zabave, već ima i dublje značenje u južnokorejskoj kulturi. Pjesme pansorija često prenose moralne poruke, podučavajući ljude o životnim lekcijama i vrijednostima. Također se koriste kao sredstvo izražavanja društvenih i političkih problema, služeći kao glas puka.
Iako je pansori doživio pad popularnosti tijekom nekoliko desetljeća, danas se ponovno cijeni i slavi kao važan dio južnokorejske kulture. Njegova unikatnost, emocionalna snaga i dubina privlače ljude širom svijeta i stvaraju trajnu vezu između prošlosti i sadašnjosti.
This is also true. The singer reacts to the audience in the same way and improvises and changes the lyrics according to their mood, which is why each pansori performance is unique and unrepeatable.
Pansori has always been transmitted orally and many songs have unfortunately been lost. During the Joseon era (1392 – 1910), there were twelve songs (batana), but only five have been preserved (Chunhyangga, Simcheongga, Heungbuga, Sugungga, and Jeokbyeokga). All pansori stories contain more than one thematic unit, each carrying a specific moral lesson. Chunhyangga teaches that moral values are more important than fleeting social customs. Simcheongga teaches the value of selflessness and loyalty. Heungboga shows the negative consequences of greed and materialism. Sugungga teaches the virtue of wisdom and its importance in resolving conflicts between people. Jeokbyeokga encourages honesty among friends and selfless work for the benefit of the community.
Of the other seven songs, only the texts have been preserved, not the melodies or rhythm.
Pansori originated A pansori performance can last up to eight hours, so nowadays only certain parts are performed. Performers wear traditional Korean hanbok, and the singer is only equipped with a fan. The singer sings with a sharp, rough tone of voice (very specific to this art), portrays each character through gestures and speech, and onomatopoeically imitates sounds from nature. Spoken and sung parts constantly alternate, with singing primarily serving to emphasize the poetic and dramatic aspects of storytelling.
In order to be able to perform these highly demanding techniques, the singer must undergo a complex training that has not changed for hundreds of years. All pansori singers go into seclusion in nature for at least three months. There, they sleep in modest accommodations and search for food on their own in nature. Every day, they spend most of the day singing right next to a waterfall – because the goal is to sing loudly enough for their voice to be heard through the noise of the water. This requires great effort and long-term work, resulting in the development of an exceptional vocal range. In addition to singing, they must also learn acting techniques. personi koja je uspjela prenijeti duh tradicionalne pjesme i njenu važnost u današnjem vremenu. ancient art that is the heritage of the whole world.