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

[Jan Creutzenberg]

A good question indeed -- I guess it depends on what you're  
interested in.

In a 'literal' sense, spoken or sung text would not be literature,  
though in a broader definition (literature as the art of language),  
I'd certainly include pansori lyrics, mask dance "drama", as well as  
other forms of orally transmitted art such as Kim Keumhwa's gut  
liturgy. Dito, when using "literature" as a qualitative description.

On the other hand, in many cases qualification as literature simply  
does not matter very much. In the case of pansori, for example, what  
interests me more is how the process of creation/delivery/reception  
of such texts works in performance (and all the other things that go  
hand in hand), rather than the status of a resulting transcript.

Anyway, in the case of the ballet -- which could be considered a text  
only in a semiotic sense -- what makes it in my opinion an  
interesting addition ot the list is the narrative content of the  
piece, whether the story is written or danced.

Another work from the era might also be of interest, this time an  
"original comic opera" (or musical comedy) that takes the reverse  
approach (music:  Gustav Luders, words: George Ade, premiere in New  
York, 1904): "The plot is woven around an energetic Yankee who goes  
to Korea and finally becomes the Sho Gun."

The setting of the musical, which takes place in the present, sounds  
vaguely familiar: "Kachoo is an imaginary and secluded island in the  
Sea of Japan between Japan and Corea. It is supposed to be untouched  
by modern civilization." References of producer Henry W. Savage (the  
"Yankee impresario"), the writer and the composer include "Peggy from  
Paris", "The Sultan of Sulu", "Prince of Pilsen" and "King Dodo".  
Whether some of the characters are supposed to be "Koreans" is hard  
to tell -- names range from Kee-Otori to Hanki-Punk. The (scrambled)  
libretto can be found here: http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/ 
gustav-luders/the-sho-gun--an-original-comic-opera-in-two-acts-edu/1- 
the-sho-gun--an-original-comic-opera-in-two-acts-edu.shtml

Best, Jan


---

Jan Creutzenberg
Grünberger Str. 85
10245 Berlin, Germany

from December 2011:

서울시 마포구 서교동 485-14 영진Apt. 312호

Yeongjin Apartment, No 312
Seogyo-dong 485-14, Mapo-gu
Seoul, Republic of Korea

Email: jan.creutzenberg at fu-berlin.de
Mobile: +49-(0)163-2819 040
Blog: seoulstages.wordpress.com




Am 26.10.2011 um 12:20 schrieb koreanstudies-request at koreaweb.ws:

> A good questions. I have witnessed Kim Keumhwa, the Naramansin, on  
> several occasions teaching her apprentices and associates the gut  
> liturgy by presenting the libretto from her vast repertoire from  
> memory learned orally, and they were writing it down. It is a  
> striking experience to realize how, still, so much oral culture is  
> still accessible.
>
> Lauren
> -- 
> Lauren W. Deutsch
> 835 S. Lucerne Blvd., #103
> Los Angeles CA 90005
> Tel 323 930-2587  Cell 323 775-7454
> E lwdeutsch at earthlink.net
>
>
> From: Werner Sasse <werner_sasse at hotmail.com>
> Reply-To: Korean Studies Discussion List <koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
> Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:29:56 +0000
> To: list korean studies <koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
> Subject: Re: [KS] Korea and Koreans as featured in literary works  
> by non-Korean(ist) writers
>
> 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
> From: hoffmann at koreaweb.ws
> Subject: Re: [KS] Korea and Koreans as featured in literary works  
> by non-Korean(ist) writers
>
> Re: [KS] Korea and Koreans as featured in literary works b
> 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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