1950년대 민속악계의 공연활동 고찰-대한국악원을 중심으로-

Abstract

It has been considered that the discussion on the circle of folk music in the 1950s is always stagnated due to the Korean War of which concept prevailed during the time, As a result, it couldn't properly progress. With a critical mind on this, the present study was aimed to confirm the actual situation of the folk music society in the 1950s by tracking down the affiliated groups and their members of the Taehan Kugak Center known as Taehan Kugawŏn (大韓國樂院) whose name was changed after the National Classical Music Institute called Kungnip Kugagwŏn (國立國樂院) was organized mainly by he circle of folk music right after the independence from Japanese colonial rule in the 1950. The main factor behind the survival of the Taehan Kugak Center during the Korean War, which was close to collapse all at once by the Korean War and became nominal, is the existence of women's theaters that actively worked for it, thinking of themselves as its umbellule organization. After the Korean War new women's theaters were additionally affiliated to the Taehan Kugak Center, together with mixed classical opera companies joining them, and thus the circle of folk music started to concert all its efforts on the Taehan Kugak Center. with the resolidarity of the folk music circle as a momentum, the Taehan Kugak Center finally appointed its director in 1954 after the war and embarked on systemizing the organization as the head of the society. Furthermore, the Taehan Kugak Center planned and performed its first Korean folk opera called ch'anggŭk 唱劇 (lit. singing drama) after the Korean War Ch’unhyangjŏn 春香傳 (Story of Ch'unhyang) in 1955 with its affiliated theaters. It was a big success and came to solidify the base of its existence. In 1957, the organization reshaped its leadership and turned itself into a corporation to renovate the structure. Subsequently, folk opera Simchŏngjŏn 沈淸傳 (Story of Sim Ch'ŏng) and ‘Folk Song Contest' became successful in a row, which revived Korean folk opera, otherwise it could have come near to collapse, and expanded the areas of activity. Like this, the Taehan Kugak Center fulfilled the role of a head of the circle of Korean folk music. In addition, women's folk music clubs established a folk art academy under the Taehan Kugak Center in 1955 and attempted to promote and transmit folk music to the next generations. Like this, the circle of folk music overcame the miserable reality of the war in 1950s and gathered together to the Taehan Kugak Center with a sense of duty that they had to preserve Korean folk music, actively performing. It contributed to making the circle of folk music more stable in the 1960s.