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영어

King Sejong's modification business for Aak (court music) started based on his intention to keep principles of music and courtesy and to head toward the period of musical neutralization of Zhu state. It was held in his 12th reign year. The piece of Aak which was modified during the modification business had been used in various important ritual and banquet ceremonies, and then they became form a nucleus. However, in the 29th reign year of the King Sejong, new piece of Hyangak to express merit and virtue of dynasty was created based on the transmitted Gochwiak and Aak. Since the advent of Hyangak piece in the court music, the tradition of existing Aak had been gradually declined. The first reason is that although the King Sejong created new piece of Hyangak to express the merit and virtue of dynasty, it was very meaningful since he sought new creative method and it served as a momentum to invent the traditional notating system, called Jeongganbo. The most important thing was that the banquet music in the court was changed from focused on the Aak (Chinese court music style) to Sokak (Native style). New pieces created by the King Sejong was designated to the banquet ceremony music in the reign of King Sejo. In the reign of King Seongjong, the system how to use those pieces of music in the real performances was finally established and transmitted to coming generations. The pieces of Aak were used as the center for twenty years since 1431 and usually used in some important ceremonies, whereas the pieces of Sokak were used in less important ceremonies such as Choch'am. Therefore, the Sokak was discriminated from that of Aak. In another words, Sokak was treated as minor means according to the dignity of the ceremony. However, as I mentioned at the beginning, Aak in annual ceremony was discontinued and Sokak took the place. Therefore, huge change was provoked in the stream of the banquet ceremony music during the early Joseon Dynasty. During such process, a new orchestra called Jeonjeong Heonga appeared and was in charge to perform previous Heonga's pieces of music. Eventually we now able to realize that two different orchestras were employed since the reign of the King Sejo. As a result, the Jeonjeong Heonga was used in the case of high-class ceremonies whereas Jeonjeong Gochwi was used in the less important ceremonies. The Jeonjeong Gochwi orchestra was already established before the time that King Sejong created new pieces of music, and this orchestra was treated to differentiate it from the Heonga which was previously used for banquet ceremonial music. Soon, this banquet ceremonial music, Heonga disappeared and new orchestra called Jeonjeong Heonga was established instead of Heonga. Since then Jeonjeong Gochwi continued to exist to practice the graded custom of the banquet ceremonial music. Aak was used for a short time as the ceremonial music especially during the early Joseon dynasty, while newly created Hyangak piece such as Yeominlak have been used for five hundred years as it. The long history of Hyangak in the court might have been the dream of the King Sejong when he composed these pieces.

한국어

세종의 아악 정비 사업은 악(樂)과 예(禮)를 갖추고, 주(周)의 중화(中和) 음악의 시대를 지향하려는 의도에서 비롯되었다. 세종 12년에 정비된 그 아악은 20여년간 왕실에서 운영한 의례 중에서도 차서가 높은 의례에 쓰이면서 제사악과 연례악의 핵심을 이루었다. 그러나 세종 29년(1447) 무렵 조종의 공덕을 형용하기 위해 전대의 고취악과 향악을 참작하여 만든 새로운 향악곡의 등장으로 기존의 아악은 쇠퇴 일로에 놓이게 되었다. 세종의 신악(신제 향악과 고취악) 제정은 조종의 공덕을 형용하는 수단이었지만, 이를 통해서 새로운향악곡의 창작 방법을 모색하고, 신악을 후세에 전하기 위해 정간보를 창안하는 계기가 되었다는 점에서 음악사적 의의가 크다. 무엇보다 중요한 것은 세종이 신악을 제정함으로써 왕실의 연례악이 아악 중심에서 속악 중심으로 바뀔 수 있었다는 점이다. 세종은 신악을 제정한 뒤 몇 년 지나지 않아 승하하고, 문종과 단종의 승하로 이어지는 국상으로 말미암아 신제 악곡은 세조대에 이르러 본격적으로 연례악으로 채택되고, 성종대에 그 용악의 제도가 확립되어 후대로 전해졌다. 아악은 세종 13년(1431)부터 20여 년간 오례의 중 차서가 높은 의례에 쓰이면서 한동안 연례악의 중심부에 있었고, 속악은 조참과 같이 상대적으로 격이 낮은 의례에 쓰이면서 아악과 차별되었다. 다시 말해서 아악에 비해 속악은 의례의 격에 따라 음악을 차등적으로 쓰는 수단으로 취급되었다. 그러나 세조대부터 연례악에 쓰인 아악이 폐지되고 속악이 쓰이면서(신제 악곡 외에 전대의 속악도 포함된다), 조선 전기 연례악의 흐름에 큰 변화를 가져왔다. 즉, 왕실의 연례악이 아악 중심에서 속악 중심으로 바뀌게 되었는데, 이러한 변화 과정에서 세종이 제정한 신악이 비로소 중요한 연례악으로 채택되었다. 조선 전기에 연례악으로 잠시 쓰였던 아악에 비해 여민락과 같은 신제 악곡이 세조대부터 5백년 가까이 연례악으로서 전통을 이어온 그 역사는 세종이 바랬던 향악의 미래였을 것이다.