Pansori is a traditional Korean art in which an actor speaks, acts and above all sings a lengthy tale following complex rhythms, accompanied only by a single drummer, with only a mat and a screen for decor, and a fan as the only accessory.
While today only five “classical” (that is, from before the 20th century) pansoris remain, we know that at least twelve pansoris existed in the past.We came to be witnessing the current renaissance of Lady Sugyeong : this sixth pansori was resuscitated at the end of the 20th century by national treasure Mrs Pak Song-Hee (1927-2017), based upon memories of her apprenticeship at the hands of Mrs Pak Nok-Ju (1906-1979), herself a historical national treasure. Pak Song-Hee, having only received the second half of the work, reconstituted the entire beginning by relying on ancient novelistic versions, and transmitted her work to her young disciple Min Hye-Sung, who today is its sole depositary.
The recording of this piece is a world premiere.
