한국의 궁중음악과 산조

The Joseon court kept its music for five centuries, and the National Gugak Center in Seoul, the direct heir of the court's music office, still plays it. Three court pieces open this set: the music and dance of the royal ancestral rite at Jongmyo, the long-breathed Sujecheon, and Yeominrak, which goes back to the reign of King Sejong. Listen to how slowly they move, and how the hourglass drum holds the whole orchestra together.

The set ends with sanjo, the solo music that grew up outside the court at the end of the 19th century: one gayageum and one drum, starting slow and finishing fast. All four were recorded at the Center's Saturday concerts in Seoul between 2012 and 2015, with every player named, and the Center shares them under the Korea Open Government Licence.