[KS] Korea and Koreans as featured in literary works by non-Korean(ist) writers

[McCann, David]

Ah, the question!  And maybe a good opening for a discussion of the term Korean  'literature,' with illustrations from the materials to illuminate either the view that oral literature is literature, or the opposite.  I'd argue that we should tinker some with the concept, if by it we mean literary works written by identifiable 'authors' for circulation in a literary realm.  One problematic that we'd all know about is that the texts of the sijo songs/poems were not made until sometimes several centuries after the poem/song was said to have been composed or written.  By external details of the production and circulation, then, I'd offer the view that Korean literature-- let's say sijo-- from before the 18th century is a performance genre, perhaps an early form of text messaging.

David McCann


On Oct 25, 2011, at 6:29 PM, Werner Sasse wrote:

hi, Frank, great...
Question: are the texts of mask dances, pansori, muga, (add folk songs, maybe early sijo, the Cheoyong-ga...) literature?
Best,
Werner

________________________________
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:52:16 -0700
To: koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws<mailto:koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
From: hoffmann at koreaweb.ws<mailto:hoffmann at koreaweb.ws>
Subject: Re: [KS] Korea and Koreans as featured in literary works by non-Korean(ist) writers

This for sure is not literature -- but I thought I mention it anyway, given how important Chinoiserie and Japonism were for upper class arts and art collectors in Europe and North America, but that there was never anything like Koreanism -- this is as close as you get:

  "Die Braut von Korea" (The Bride from Korea)
  a ballet from 1897
  Music: Joseph Bayer (1852-1913), choreography: Josef Hassreiter

http://www.book1950.co.kr/main.html?menu=view&uid=283
(click on small images to extend size)

http://www.bildindex.de/obj07053790.html
shows a sketch for a costume by Franz Gaul
(click on small image to extend size)

The ballet was performed 38 times between 1897 and 1901 at the Wiener Hofoper (Vienna Court Opera)--that was the time when Gustav Mahler was the director there.


Best,
Frank


--


--------------------------------------
Frank Hoffmann
http://koreaweb.ws

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