A Study on Pyeongjo and Ujo in the Kim Sejong Version of Chunhyangga

This paper examines the characteristics of the musical modes--pyeongjo and ujo--in the Kim Sejong version of Chunhyangga, a work that holds significant influence in modern pansori (epic story-telling and singing) and plays a crucial role in the discussion of pansori's musical modes. The findings can be summarized as follows:In contrast to conventional beliefs, it was found that pyeongjo and ujo in the Kim Sejong version of Chunhyangga possess modal complexity. Pyeongjo, primarily based on the scale of sol-la-do-re-mi, also incorporates re-mi-sol-la-do (sol-la-do-re-fa) through modulation of variable tones and homophonic rows, taking on the form of sol-la-do-re-mi(fa). This suggests that pyeongjo is a complex system where multiple modes converge, thereby necessitating a reexamination of the previously understood nature of pyeongjo. As opposed to pyeongjo that blends elements within the same modal family, ujo is distinctive in its fusion with the contrasting pyeongjo. Ujo, fundamentally la-do-re-mi-sol, shares melodic forms, stable tones, and structural tones with pyeongjo through homophonic modulation. This results in the infusion of pyeongjo's characteristics into ujo, particularly in faster tempos like huimori, where the blending becomes so intense that ujo and pyeongjo appear intertwined as a single mode. Therefore, the modal complexity of ujo leads to a stylistic ambiguity. While the modal complexity of pyeongjo and ujo revealed in this study is specific to the Kim Sejong version of Chunhyangga, it provides insights worth considering in the broader discourse on pansori's musical modes. Notably, the various differing opinions in existing pansori mode studies may ultimately converge on the modal complexity of pyeongjo and ujo.