계면조 인식의 변천

Abstract

This paper examines the historical evolution of the perception of Gyemyeonjo within the Korean traditional music community. By clarifying the diverse and often inconsistent usages of the term Gyemyeonjo, the study aims to reveal the limitations of past modal research and propose new directions for future studies in Korean modal theory. The term Gyemyeonjo has appeared repeatedly in Korean musical discourse since the Sejong Sillok (Annals of King Sejong). During the Sejong era, Gyemyeonjo was described as a musical mode used in secular music, characterized by a sorrowful atmosphere. With the establishment of the Department of Korean Traditional Music at Seoul National University in 1959, many scholars engaged in rigorous debates to define the modal systems (akjo) of Korean music. Among these scholars, Lee Hye-gu, Jang Sa-hun, Han Man-yeong, and Hwang Jun-yeon attempted to classify contemporary modal systems based on the Pyeongjo and Gyemyeonjo categories mentioned in the Akhak Gwebeom. These scholars maintained the view that no modal system existed beyond these two, and particularly, Hwang Jun-yeon argued that “current discussions on Korean modes tend to neglect historical evidence and theoretical frameworks; thus, the terms Pyeongjo and Gyemyeonjo from the Akhak Gwebeom must not be discarded.” He regarded only two modes as legitimate in Korean music: Pyeongjo (based on sol) and Gyemyeonjo (based on la), thereby excluding the possibility of other modes. Lee, Jang, and Hwang also used the same modal names even when the constituent tones of the modes had changed. For instance, in the Yeongsanhoesang score from the Eo-eunbo (1919), the pitch Hyeopjong (g♭) was replaced by Taeju (f), transforming the original la-mode Gyemyeonjo (e♭-g♭-a♭-b♭-d♭) into a variant re-mode Gyemyeonjo(e♭-f-a♭-b♭-d♭). While Jang Sa-hun described this as a "distortion of Gyemyeonjo," he did not distinguish between original and variant forms, referring to both simply as Gyemyeonjo. Reviewing older scores reveals further modal transitions. In the Hangeum Sinbo (1724), the term Gyemyeonjo was recorded, but it disappears from later notations—suggesting that compilers may have omitted the term due to perceived changes in the mode. As research progressed, it became evident that Korean traditional music contains various modal systems beyond the binary division of Pyeongjo (sol-mode) and Gyemyeonjo (la-mode). Thus, such dichotomous classification is insufficient to capture the full diversity of Korean modal structures. Through this study, it has been confirmed that the term Gyemyeonjo carries different meanings depending on musical genre or individual interpretation. Consequently, using Gyemyeonjo as a basis for modal analysis often leads to confusion and communication difficulties due to its ambiguity. Therefore, this paper argues that future discussions on Korean modal theory should move beyond the traditional Pyeongjo-Gyemyeonjo framework and establish a new, more comprehensive classification system. The Korean traditional music field now faces a critical task: to establish a modal theory that is clear and accessible not only to Korean traditional music theorists and performers but also to scholars trained in Western music.