UMS Concert Program, March 16, 1977: Pongsan Masked Dance-drama Of Korea --

Concert: Fourth
Complete Series: 4052
Rackham Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The University Musical Society
The ItDivcrxilv of Midrini
Presents
Pongsan Masked DanceDrama of Korea
Wednesday Evening, March 16, 1977, at 8:30 Rackham Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
ActorDancers
Kim Sonbong Yang Soun Kim Kisu So Sinwon Yun Ok Chang Yongii.
Chong Chaech'on Kim Chongyop Cho Unyong Ch'oe Changju Lee Kilson Lee Miwon
Musicians
Oh Myongok (p'iri and haegum) Park Doncsin (p'iri and changgo) Yun Ok (changgo)
Theresa Kija Kim, Stage Director
PROGRAM
The Pongsan Masked DanceDrama, originating in the province of Hwanghae in northwest Korea, is a festive comedy in which laughter triumphs over the fear and oppression imposed on the commoners by rapacious officials and overbearing gentry. Since the present form came into being around the turn of the century, this dancedrama is an example of the transformation and evolution of ancient ritual into folk entertainment, while still preserving the ancient conventions and techniques of the rituals themselves. The exorcism rites, inspired by awe of the forces of Nature, were dedicated to the expulsion of evil spirits. In the ceremony, masks with demonic expressions were worn by the shamans to frighten these spirits away. As the religious function of the ritual gradually diminished, the fear of the supernatural was replaced by the fear of the tyrannous ruling elite, called Yangban. The demonic expressions of the original masks became emblem?atic of class archetypes, as the ritual was itself transposed into social satire. The drama consists of a series of seven independent episodes, each satirizing the be?havior of some stock character from traditional Korean society. The dialogue is crude, filled with puns, parody, and irreverent mimicry.
Fourth Program
Sixth Annual Asian Scries
Complete Programs 4052
The four young monks salute the deities of the four directions (North, South, East and West).
Sangjwa (novice monks) . . . Kim Sonbong, Lee Kilson, Yang Soun, Lee Miwon
The Eight Buddhist Monks
Each monk introduces himself. All eight monks gather and resolve to forsake the religious life in favor of singing and dancing.
First Mokchung (Monk)...............KimKisu
Second Mokchung...............Kim Chongyop
Third Mokchung...............Ch'oc Changju
Fourth Mokchung...............Cho UnYong
Fifth Mokchung..............Chong ChaeCh'on
Sixth Mokchung.................Lee Kilson
Seventh Mokchung................So Sinwon
Kiglith Mokchung . ..............Chang Yongil
Dance and Songs by Sadang and Kosa
A dancing girl (Sadang) is pursued by an itinerant performer (Kosa). He is chased away by his fellows, who join the dancing girl in a lovesong.
Sadang (dancing girl)...............YangSoun
Kosa (itinerant performers) . Yun Ok, So Sinwon, Chang Yongil, Chong Chaech'on, Kim Chongyop, Cho Unyong, Ch'oe Changju, Lee Kilson, Lee Miwon
The Old Priest's Dance
Scene one: The Old Priest and the Young Shaman
The old priest falls in love with a young shaman and is seduced. He offers her his rosary, which is finally accepted.
Nojang (the old priest)...............Kim Kisu
Somu (the young shaman).............Kim Sonbong
Scene two: The ShoeSeller
The shoeseller tries to sell the old priest shoes for him and the young shaman (Somu). As he looks for the shoes in his bag, he is surprised to find a monkey, but quickly makes use of him to collect money for the shoes. The monkey comes back with a note in which the priest promises payment "in the alley of firewood." The shoeseller fears the priest will beat him with the firewood and runs away.
Sinjangsu (shoe seller).............Kim Chongyop
Wonsungi (monkey)...............Lee Kilson
Scene three: The Prodigal
As the priest and the shaman dance, the drunken prodigal challenges the old priest for the favors of the shaman. He forces the priest to leave and claims the shaman. After she gives birth to the prodigal's son, she abandons the child, but the proud father takes care of him and teaches him the Korean alphabet and the Chinese classics.
Ch'wibari (the prodigal).............Chang Yongil
INTERMISSION
The Lion Dance
The lion threatens to devour the monks for leading a venerable old monk astray. As the monks run away, one monk, who is also a horsegroom, remains and explains to the lion that the prodigal has made the monks go astray. He promises that all the monks will fulfill their religious vows from that day on. The lion and the monk rejoice together.
Saja (the lion).................Cho Unyong
Mabu (monkhorsegroom)............Ch'oc Chaiigju
The Noblemen and Their Servant
The servant Maltuggi makes fun of the noblemen with audacious remarks and double entendre. When they all start composing poems, it is the lowly Maltuggi who is the most profound.
Saennim (the oldest nobleman)............Kim Kisu
Sohanguim (the second nobleman)..........Chang Yongil
Toryongnim (the youngest nobleman)..........Lee Kilson
Maltuggi (the servant)............Chong Chaech'on
The Old Couple
Miyal is searching for her husband (who had been forced to leave their native village in the wake of a peasant rebellion) by describing his ugly appearance to a musician. The husband encounters the same musician and tells him of his ugly wife. They are thus reunited. When the husband's concubine appears, the two women fight. Miyal decides it is best to separate. During the fight over the division of the husband's property, Miyal is killed.
Miyal (the old wife)...............Yang Soun
Yonggam (the old husband)............Kim Chongyop
Tolmorijip (the concubine).............Lee Miwon
RlTl'AL FOR THE DEAD
An old man performs the ritual to comfort Miyal's soul and lead it to Nirvana. A shaman is called and becomes possessed by Miyal's spirit. Miyal speaks through her of her sorrow, and her desire to attain Nirvana.
(In Pongsan, the performance ended with the throwing of the masks into a bonfire)
Namgang Noin (the old man)..........Chong Chaech'on
Mansin (shaman).................Yun Ok
Watch for announcement in April of next season's Asian Scries in new 197778 brochure.
COMING EVENTS
Detroit Symphony OrchestraChoral UnionSoloists . . Sunday, March 20 Aldo Ceccato conducts Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis"; Benita Valente, Soprano; Elaine Bonazzi, Contralto; Seth McCoy, Tenor; Ara Berberian, Bass. Frans BRUEGGEN,Fe & Recorder .... (sold out) Tuesday, March 22
Yugoslav National Folk Ballet.......Thursday, March 24
Osipov Balalaika Orchestra........Saturday, March 26
Third Annual Benefit Concert........Friday, April 15
Guarneri String Quartet.....(sold out) Saturday & Sunday
April 16 & 17
Third Annual Benefit Concert and Reception
for the University Musical Society and School of Music
Eugene Ormandy, Guest Artist
conducting The University Symphony Orchestra
Friday, April 15, at 8:30, in Hill Auditorium
Continuing the precedent set in 1975 by Mstislav Rostropovich and continued last year by Yehudi Menuhin and Gyorgy Sandor, Maestro Ormandy most generously donates his artistry as he conducts this exceptional 100member student orchestra in the following program:
Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor
Debussy: Two Nocturnes -"Nuages" and "Fetes"
Respighi: "The Pines of Rome"
A reception in the Michigan League to "Meet the Artist" will follow the concert for those wishing to make an additional contribution to this unique benefit evening. Adding to the enjoyment of the evening will be dancing to the music of a 3piece combo.
Tickets are available at Burton Tower or by mail:
$25 includes a main floor concert ticket and reception ticket.
Concert tickets at $8 (main floor) ; $7 (first balcony) ; S6 and $4 (second balcony).
May Festival
Four concerts -April 27, 28, 29, 30
The Philadelphia Orchestra Eugene Ormandy, Conductor The Festival Chorus Jindrich Rohan, Conductor Gary Graffman, Pianist Norman Carol, Violinist
Jerome Hines, Basso Martina Arroyo, Soprano
Wednesday: AllRachmaninoff: "The Isle of the Dead"; Piano Concerto No. 2 (Graffman); Sym?phonic Dances.
Thursday: Wagner: Overture to Die Meistersinger von Niirnberg; Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor (Carol); Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5.
Friday: Smetana: "From Bohemia's Meadows and Groves"; Mussorgsky: Excerpts from Boris Godunov; Boito: Prologue to Mefistofele (Hines and Festival Chorus).
Saturday: Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D major; Barber: Andromache's Farewell; Verdi: "Pace, pace, mio Dio" from La Forza del deslino (Arroyo); Ravel: "Daphnis et ChloS" Suite No. 2.
Series of four concerts: $38, $28, $20, $16, and $12 Single concert tickets available in March, from $4 to $12.
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY
Burton Memorial Tower, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 Phones: 6653717, 7642538