Literature Atlas

How Stories Are Told
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Genre

Pansori

Dramatic Genres

Pansori is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer. The term pansori is a compound of the Korean words pan and sori, the latter of which means sound; pan has multiple meanings, and scholars disagree on which was intended when the term was coined, among them a situation where many people are gathered, and a song composed of varying tones.

Facts
Place of Origin
Korea (Joseon Dynasty), with the Honam region as its principal site of development 1
Notable Example
Chunhyangga, the most celebrated of the surviving pansori madang, recounting Chunhyang's rise from humble birth to marriage with the governor's son and her steadfast loyalty. 1
Defining Trait
Musical storytelling performed by a solo vocalist (changja) singing narrative passages and a drummer (gosu) playing the buk drum, with audience participation through vocal encouragements called chuimsae. 1
Connections

Form Of Genre

Drama, Genres
Sources
1. Pansori (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • History section, Origins: 17th century
    It is unclear where in the Korean peninsula pansori originated, but the Honam region eventually became the site of its development.
  • Introduction, opening sentence (after the Korean-script gloss)
    is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer.
  • Themes section, on Chunhyangga
    Chunhyang relates the tale of a girl who was born into a humble household but transformed herself after marrying the governor's son.
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