국립국악원 공연문화 원형탐구 시리즈의 공연 예술적 의의

Abstract

This paper aims at clarifying the artistic significance of Chosŏn court rite performance which was planned as part of 'Performance Culture Archetype Exploration Series' from 1999 on in The National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (NCKTPA). The court rite that was gorgeous in the Chosŏn dynasty took the style of general performance which showed a high level of various essence of Chosŏn court culture such as utensils and musical instruments, painting and architecture, including music and dance, dress and its ornaments and food. Therefore, it is the object we, today, will have to continue to explore in that it represents the archetype of the most elegant Korean culture. In particular, in consideration of its artistic values, it is important to develop it in the form of performance on the stage and develop it into a composite art secondary to a film or opera today. However, its vast scale, a difficult interpretation of it, and problems in interdisciplinary integration allowed only part-specific historical research and reproduction, not composite performance on the stage. The series tried to overcome such difficulty serially. Composed of the First Performance of Royal Ancestral Shrine Rite (April 1999), the Second Performance of Court Banquet Ceremony at Pongsudang (April 2001), the Third Performance of Sacrificial Rite at Confucian Shrine (Nov. 2002), and the Fourth Performance of Court Banquet Ceremony during the Reign of King Sukchong (May 2003), it had important significance in that it took the form of performance by staging the Chosŏn court rite which was only simply reproduced in the meantime and approached to the audience. In particular, such series of stage performances not only opened the possibility of staging traditional culture but highlighted the character of court rite based on the culture as a composite art and further became a chance of showing the possibility of creating dramatic performance in the large-scale situation of Korea. Also, converted into various digital contents, it opened the door to the important knowledge basis of the Information Society in the 21st century such as a photo, an image, and an animation. It was reperformed in Jeonju [Chŏngju] World Sori Festival, an event in commemoration of opening Goyang [Koyang] Cultural Foundation, and others. In particular, it showed the possibility that various traditional cultures could be spread in such a way as being invited to the APEC forum in Nov. 2005. This thesis concentrated on analysing the Performance of Court Banquet Ceremony for Lady Hong at Pongsudang which occurred in April 2001 and Sacrificial Rite at Confucian Shrine which occurred in Nov. 2002 among a total of four items related to court rite among the series. The former most clearly shows an auspicious ceremony at court in the literary source, Kukcho Oryeŭi 『國朝五禮儀 』(Five Rites of the Nation), prescribing the five rites at the beginning of the Chosŏn dynasty and the latter a happy ceremony. They are typical items of cultural heritage which we will have to restore and succeed today. Chapter 2 first developed the outlines of the four performances and introduced the whole of performances such as their dates and frequencies, a team of actors and historical research and production, and music and dance. Chapter 3 tried to make a detailed analysis of the two performances, which resulted in the detailed items such as an intention to planning and composing a team of actors, and construction of stage and music and dance for a rite. Besides, it was developed centering on the suggestions for the future development of this field. Chapter 4 analysed performances and guessed problems. The national rites of the four items presented in the series are but one among numerous national rites. Depending on whether they are developed or not, a high level of really various rites will be able to be seen to us in a new shape as a result of being newly transformed. It will become a good chance of announcing to the whole world as well as to Korea a high level of culture of the Chosŏn dynasty which looked upon itself as a culture-oriented country to progressively stage various rites and events on a national scale of the Chosŏn Royal Family from this performance.