This study aims to examine the transmission patterns of (雅樂), one of the traditional forms of Korean music still performed today, from multiple perspectives. In particular, it investigates the reorganization and transmission of the court aak for government operation ceremonies(Chohǒe aak 朝會 雅樂) as it was systematized during the reign of King Sejong, using a textual-historical approach. The aak used in early Joseon morning audience ceremonies was reorganized under King Sejong based on six pieces of “Soa(小雅. Shao Ya)” from the siak(詩樂. shiyue, poetry music) section of Zhu Xi’s(1130–1200) Commentary on the Classic of Rites with Explanations from the Classics and Their Commentaries(儀禮經傳通解). These reorganized pieces were included in the Aak-bo(雅樂譜, Score of aak) compiled during Sejong’s reign and recorded in Volume 136 of the Veritable Records of Sejong(世宗實錄). They have been transmitted to the present day. What deserves particular attention here is the fact that, compared to the extensive research on ritual aak(cherye aak), studies on the organization and transmission of court aak for audience ceremonies—especially as restructured under King Sejong—are relatively insufficient. While it is generally known that the original music of this aak, as recorded in the aak-bo, is based on six pieces of “Soa” from Zhu Xi’s text, further musical reorganization would have been necessary for their ceremonial use. Therefore, an in-depth examination is needed. Nevertheless, scholarly work so far has mostly limited itself to analyses based on the preface by Chŏng, Inji in Sejong’s Aak-bo, as well as on comparing two scores: the one in Zhu Xi’s commentary and the Aak-bo versions in the Veritable Records. This paper, therefore, seeks to provide a multifaceted understanding of the reorganization process, content, and transmission of the aak for audience ceremonies as recorded in Sejong’s Aak-bo, by examining additional documentary sources from after Sejong’s time. Notably, since the six Soa music pieces used as the basis for this music are composed in the ch’ǒnghwangjong-gung-jo(淸黃鍾宮調, a specific aak tonal system), the study also explores how this tonal structure was applied and maintained in subsequent periods. Through this investigation, several meaningful findings emerged. First, the inclusion of court aak for audience ceremonies in Sejong’s Aak-bo was made possible by the fact that the six “Soa” pieces from Zhu Xi’s commentary were reorganized to strictly reflect the musical characteristics of aak. These reorganizational details are more clearly revealed through documentary analysis presented in this study. Scholars have generally understood the court aak in the Aak-bo as a restructured form of Zhu Xi’s siak music into the aak style, and there have been independent studies analyzing both the Aak-bo scores and the original siak content. This researcher confirms, through further source analysis, that Sejong’s court aak reflects the musical principles(akri, 樂理) of ancient systems(koje, 古制) with great fidelity. Moreover, it was found that musical elements in the Hwangjongcheonggungjo tonal system from Zhu Xi’s siak continued to appear as late as the 18th century. Therefore, although based on tonal structures from siak, the reorganized court aak of Sejong’s era can be seen as an exemplary case that illustrates how traditional music of the 15th century retained the core characteristics of ancient orthodox music(koje), through the detailed process and content of aak reorganization during Sejong’s reign.
Yun-Kyoung chung (Thu,) studied this question.