Yeongsan Hoesang, a suite favored by scholars of the Joseon Dynasty, will be performed alongside a meditation program.
The Court Music Orchestra of the National Gugak Center said on the 22nd that it will present its regular performance, "Yeongsan Hoesang," on Nov. 12 and 13 at the center's Yeakdang Hall.
Yeongsan Hoesang began as a song and developed into instrumental music over centuries of transmission, becoming one of Korea's representative traditional instrumental suites. The orchestra will perform three full versions — Yeongsan Hoesang, Gwanak Yeongsan Hoesang and Pyeongjo Hoesang — each with a distinct character shaped by its instrumentation, register and performance style.
Yeongsan Hoesang brings together the geomungo, gayageum, daegeum and haegeum for an elegant and delicate sound. Within a restrained volume, listeners can follow how each instrument's separate melody comes into harmony. Gwanak Yeongsan Hoesang, scored mainly for wind instruments, produces a powerful and expansive resonance, while Pyeongjo Hoesang is marked by generous, full melodies unfolding in a lower register. The Nov. 12 program pairs Yeongsan Hoesang with Gwanak Yeongsan Hoesang, and the Nov. 13 program pairs it with Pyeongjo Hoesang.
Another draw is the court music ensemble itself, performed without a conductor as the musicians listen to one another's sound and breathing. Audiences can observe how the players coordinate as each instrument's melody flows independently yet forms a single piece of music.
Before each concert, the center will run a program called "Opening Yeongsan Hoesang Through Meditation." It will be held on both days for one hour from 6 p.m. on the first floor of Yeinmaru, with 60 participants per session. Audience members can sign up by choosing the meditation package when booking tickets. Kim Chang-gon, acting artistic director of the Court Music Orchestra, said, "I hope it becomes a time to listen to each single note and follow the flow of the music in full." Tickets cost 20,000 to 30,000 won.