Many westerners will know little of the vibrant musical cultures of the East. The traditional music of South Korea found in Darha Nopigom uses 12 note scales, but the pitch and intervals are different to their western equivalent, as are the ‘modes’ used to determine the key, which along with rhythmic flexibility and the way the instruments are strung lends the music an other-worldly quality. As the superb sleeve notes explain Byungki Hwang (1936-2018) was a celebrated composer and performer who plays a 12 or 17 string gayageum on three of the tracks. There is also a geomungo (zither), an hour glass shaped drum the janggu, a daegeum (flute) and three numbers with vocals. The music is immensely varied, using traditional material and more contemporary idioms, but even in the faster sections there is an underlying current of quiet contemplation and this really is an exceptional album, full of beautiful music, beautifully performed. The LPs are identical to a digital album published in 2007 with the addition of the last track recorded at the composer’s home in 2016. The lacquers were cut from 24/192 digital masters, which explains why the sound is so good, with plenty of body, projection, depth, clarity and definition where instrumental timbres are vividly realised. Rob Pennock (Classical Source) ★★★★★
Tracklist:
Side A 달하노피곰 Darha Nopigom 1 . 경건하게 Reverently 2. 중중모리 Jungjungmori 3. 엇모리 Eonmori 4. 고요하게 Peacefully 5. 휘모리 = Hwimori 6 자시 (子時) = Jasi (Night Watch)
Side B 시계탑 = Sigyetap (The Clock Tower) 1. ♩ = 542 2. ♩ = 663 3. ♩. = 56 4. ♩. = 120~132 낙도음 (樂道吟) Nakdoeum 5. 느리게 (♩. = ca. 40) = Adagio 6. 중중모리 Jungjungmori 7. 중모리 Jungmori 8. 자진모리-휘모리 Jajinmori-Hwimori
Side C 하마단 Hamadan 1 . 중모리 Jungmori 2. 자진모리 풍으로 Jajinmori Cycle 3. 휘모리 풍으로 Hwimori Cycle 차향이제 (茶香二題) Chahyangije (Two Poems On The Fragrance Of Tea) 4. 여음 (餘音) Yeoeum 5. 차를 다리네 Brewing Tea 6. 차를 마시네 Drinking Tea
Side D 1. 고향의 달 = Moon Of My Hometown 2. 추천사 (鞦韆詞) = Chucheonsa (Swinging Song) 3. 침향무 = Chimhyang-moo For Gayageum Solo (previously unreleased Recording)
PERFORMERS Byeongki Hwang (gayageum), Chungsu Kim (janggu), Chongjin Hong (daegeum) Yoonjeong Heo (geomungo) Kwonsoon Kang (vocal) Jiyoung Yi (gayageum)
RECORDING INFORMATION Recodred by Hanchul Lee (Earmax Record) Dongchul Shin (Luna Acoustic) Mixed by Younghoon Oh (Gong Studio) Mastered by Deahwan Oh , Younghoon Oh
