Byungki Hwang - Musical Dynamo from South Korea

Underlying the rich variety of traditional musics worldwide is a variety of aesthetics and of purpose. Stylistic factors can have cultural, even philosophical roots and, although understanding this web of cause and effect is primarily the job of the musicologist, the amateur music-lover's experience of listening to music can surely be enhanced by some well-chosen contextual information. I'm grateful therefore to the issuers of the five book-and-CD volumes of Byungki Hwang - Kayagum Masterpieces, which document the work of an important South Korean composer and musician. Each of the sets combines fascinating music with beautiful B&W photography and an unusually rich and thoughtful set of notes (be aware, though, that all the sets have most of their notes in common).


The kayagum is an indigenous Korean zither, with close relatives in other Asian countries (e.g. Japan's koto, with which it shares a Chinese ancestor, the zheng). The accompanying notes refer to yet another zither, China's qin, with its playing tradition, dating back to Confucius, encouraging of introspection - to "please the mind, not the ear". There's certainly an introspective quality to much of this music, which may strike unfamiliar ears as stark minimalism. A meditative approach to listening is richly repaid, however. Hwang writes about the importance of the decay of a single plucked note, and how this arises from the Oriental philosophical aesthetic of man acting in accordance with nature ("The philosophy of the Orient is predominantly mystic."). Parallels are drawn with the spaces left in traditional Oriental paintings. Plenty of food for thought then, but the music is of course paramount...

Hwang is an accomplished musician who has been highly influential in the resurgence of the kayagum since the post-war emergence of South Korea, from the shadow of Japanese imperialism. He offers a great variety of sounds and styles across, and within each of, the five volumes. Both folk- and court-music traditions are drawn upon in his compositions. Strings are plucked, strummed, arpeggiated, lengthened for tonal variation and vibrato, and the body of the kayagum is used for percussive effects. The instrument is played solo, in combination with other Korean traditional instruments, and with voice. The results range from the traditional-sounding, meditative music described above, to an occasional verging on the avant-garde, with much in between.

This series is a feast for music-lovers, and should not be missed by anyone with an interest in Oriental music. Sound samples are available from Byungki Hwang's site. The discs are available, along with many other great South Korean cultural products, from the Seoul Selection bookstore.