[KS] RE: Korean National Anthem

[Clark, Donald]

Hi Horace,

I think Franz Eckert's version of the national anthem was an earlier version
that had nothing to do with Auld Lang Syne and was wholly unlike what was
later the "national anthem" with music by An Ikt'ae and (arguably) lyrica by
Yun Chího.  Here's the passage from Ambassador Karl Leuteritz's mention of
Franz Eckert in TKBRAS 54 (1979) p. 7 which is the basis for the line in the
Yanghwajin cemetery book.  It is a (shall we say) an informal source with at
least one gross misstatement (about Eckert introducing Western music to
Korea).  It's interesting for the bit about Eckert being commissioned to
write the anthem, but our list members in Germany can probably improve on it
as can Gari Ledyard and others:

"At about the same time, we find the former Prussian military bandmaster
Franz Eckert in Seoul as 'Court Composers and Military Music Master,' and it
is through him that Koreans were first introduced to Western music.  Judging
by the results, his impact must have been enormous.  In 1902, he was
commissioned to compose a new national anthem, and for his successful
efforts, he was awarded the "Taeguk Order, 3rd Class" in 1903.  The music is
said still to be preserved in the National Archives, and from there also
came the surprising information that prior to Eckert's anthem, the tune of
'Auld Lang Syne'  had been used for official occsions. . . ."
 
Hope things are calming down in Seoul,


> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Horace H. Underwood [SMTP:hhu at fulbright.or.kr]
> Sent:	Tuesday, July 18, 2000 3:42 AM
> To:	Korean Studies
> Subject:	Re: Korean National Anthem
> 
> Charles Armstrong wrote:
> >"An Ikt'ae, composer of the Korean National Anthem (previously sung to
> >the tune of "Auld Lang Syne," as we all know), for example, studied under
> >Richard Strauss in Austria in the 1930s."
> 
> In the book, "The Seoul Foreigners' Cemetery at Yanghwajin: An Informal
> History," Ambassador Karl Leuteritz is quoted from an address to the RAS
> in
> 1979 as saying of Franz Eckert (who is buried at Yanghwajin):  "In 1902 he
> was commissioned to compose a new national anthem, and for his successful
> efforts he was awarded the 'Taiguk Order, 3rd class' in 1903."
> 
> Anyway, Seoul Union Church not long ago put up a marker commemorating the
> achievement of Franz Eckert.  It would have been nice to have gotten it
> right.  Who composed what?
> 
> Horace H. Underwood
> 


%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%