Theme: New Year’s Concert 2018, 《조선의 모습》 “Appearance of Korea” – but in practice a music diplomatic “proposal for north-south reconciliation”, seen in the contents of the repertoire, almost total lack of missile imagery, and perhaps even camera work.
Artists: State Merited Chorus & Moranbong Band
Conductor: Ryu Hyon Ho 류현호
Place: Pyongyang Arena = Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium
Audience: State and party high officials, teachers and students, scientists, technicians and various kinds of invited foreigners
KJU: not present. He attended a different concert a couple of days earlier.

NK Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4SMvsOXAzo
stimmekoreas: https://youtu.be/x7thSutjHpU
dprknow: https://youtu.be/bq8YCCmC4VM
KCTV 8 min news clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNQZYe-IsWg

1:29 설눈아 내려라 Sŏlluna neryŏra Let the snow fall in New Year’s Day 正月の雪よ降れ 新年的雪啊尽情地下吧
Composition & lyrics: 리종오 Ri Jongo, 1991.
The same kind of arrangement as seen during the 2013 Moranbong Band New Years’s Concert. This song is very important diplomatically. An analysis at the end of the song list.

7:01 Narrative poem
인생의 영광 Insengye yŏngkwang Glory of our life 人生の栄光
Narrators: 리옥향 Ri Ok-hyang & 김철우 Kim Choru of SMC
The narrative poem of course displays the achievements of NKorea, but its remarkable feature is that it concentrates on civilian achievements and the unity of the country, with far less attention on military feats, and not at all on nuclear weapons and missiles (excepting one small glimpse).

24:00 내 나라 제일로 좋아 Ne nara jeillo joa I love my country best 私の国は一番のお気に入り
Composition: Ri Jongo 리종오, 1991
This song is almost always performed instrumental, with small solos for all musicians. Also this time.
MBB

28:56 내 심장의 목소리 Nae simjang ye moksori The voice of my heart 私の心の声
Composition: Rim Kum-song 림금성, lyrics: Ri Hye-jong 리혜정, 2014.
Vocals: 김옥주 Kim Ok-ju.
This song was scheduled to be in the programme of the Beijing concerts in December 2015, and has not been heard since by the MBB.

33:41 인민은 부르네 친근한 그 이름 Inminŭn purŭne chingunhan kŭ irŭm The dear name called by people 人民は呼ぶ親しいその名前を
Composer: U Jong-hui 우정희, lyrics: Cha Ho-gun 차호근, 2014
MBB quintet: 김옥주 Kim Ok-ju, 김유경 Kim Yu-kyong, 류진아 Ryu Jina, 정수향 Jong Su-hyang, 조국향 Jo Guk-hyang

40:00 당이여 그대 있기에 Tangiyŏ kŭde itgie Oh Party, because you exist 党よ、あなたがいるから 党哟，因为有您在
No creation info; a song created for the WPK 70th Anniversary in October 2015
SMC, vocalist 김광명 Kim Kwang-myong
GrandTour song

45:44 사회주의전진가 Sahwejuye jŏnjinga Advance of socialism 社会主義前進歌
Composition: Kim Un-ryong 김운룡, lyrics: Ri Ji-song 리지성, 2017
MBB quintet: 박미경 Pak Mi-kyong, 조국향 Jo Guk-hyang, 정수향 Jong Su-hyang, 김유경 Kim Yu-kyong, 류진아 Ryu Jina

48:41 행복의 래일 Hengbok ye reil Tomorrow of happiness 幸せの明日
Composition: Rim Kum-song 림금성, lyrics: Cha Ho-gun 차호근, 2015
MBB Quartet: Jong Su-hyang, Kim Yu-kyong, Pak Mi-kyong, Jo Guk-hyang
Performed once before by the MBB in the 20150427 concert.

52:05 A group of food prosperity songs, SMC&MBB, from the GrandTour
바다 만풍가 Pada manphunga Song of high haul in the sea 海の豊漁歌 海洋大丰收之歌
Composition: Kim He-song 김해성, lyrics: Cha Ho-gun 차호근, 2014

55:06 벼가을하러 갈 때 Pyŏgaül harŏ kal te Going to harvest rice 稲取り入れをしに行く時
Composition: 황학근 Hwang Hak-kun, lyrics: 김순석 Kim Sun-sok, an old song, possibly from the 1950s

56:57 황금산타령 Hwangŭmsan tharyŏng Golden Mountain Ballad 黄金山打令 黄金山谣
Composition: Kim Jun-do 김준도, lyrics: Kim Sang-ho 김상호, 2008 or earlier
Jangsenap solo at 58:40 . A comment on this instrument at the end of the page.

59:39 흥하는 내 나라 Hŭnghanŭn ne nara My flourishing country 栄える我が国
Composition: Hwang Jin-yong 황진영, 2000

———————————————-

1:04:57 관현악 세계만곡묶음 World famous songs instrumental medley
SMC
If someone wants to see signs of cultural diplomacy here, the medley can be seen as a friendly sign towards the EU and Russia, but not towards China, the USA, or Japan. Towards the domestic audience the medley can be seen as signalling possible diplomatic engagement with the outer world, because during high military tension foreign elements as a rule are totally banned. A large number of diplomats in the audience of course also politely calls forth foreign songs, but I suspect that the cultural diplomatic meaning this time was deeper.

The foreign songs themselves tend to be always more or less the same. Apparently the education of musicians requires knowledge of a definite set of foreign melodies: a number of European popular classics, most of them in the list below; a smaller number of Soviet pop songs, and a few Chinese revolutionary classics. When the occasion to perform foreign music arrives, all orchestras can easily put forth a collection of international golden oldies. Almost always as a medley, and almost always a similar list.

1:05:11 세상에 부럼없어라 Sesange purŏmŏpsŏra We have nothing to envy in this world この世に羨むものなし
Composition: Kim Hyok 김혁, lyrics: group, 1961

1:06:09 검투사들의 입잠 Entry of the gladiators = Vjezd gladiátorů
Julius Fučík, 1897

1:07:48 모짜르트 교향곡 40번 1악장 Mozart’s Symphony no 40 – 1st movement = 40. Sinfonie, erster Satz: Molto Allegro
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1788

1:08:56 뛰르끼예 행진곡 Turkish March = piece of Piano Sonata No. 11
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1783

1:10:03 아득히 먼길 Those were the days = Дорогой длинною
Boris Fomin Борис Иванович Фомин, 1925

1:10:38 검은 눈동자 Dark eyes = Очи чёрные
Yevhen Hrebinka Євген Павлович Гребінка, 1843

1:11:37 락엽 Hulló levelek/Les feuilles mortes
Joseph Kosma, 1945

1:12:07 가극극장의 유령 Phantom of the opera
Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1985

1:14:05 띠꼬띠꼬 Tico-tico no fubá
Zequinha de Abreu, 1917

1:14:44 레드강골짜기 My Bonnie lies over the ocean
Scottish traditional, 18th century

1:15:30 백조의 호수 Swan lake = Лебединое озеро
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1876

1:16:15 스케트타는 사람들의 왈쯔 Les Patineurs Valse
Émile Waldteufel, 1882

1:17:47 라데츠키행진곡 Radetzky Marsch
Johann Strauss Vater, 1848

1:19:13 카르멘서곡 Carmen prélude
Georges Bizet, 1875

1:20:13 오, 나의 해님 O sole mio
Eduardo di Capua, 1898

1:20:41 푸니꿀리 푸니꿀라 Funiculì, funiculà
Luigi Denza, 1880

1:21:46 빛나는 조국 Pinnanŭn joguk Brilliant motherland 輝く祖国
Composition: Ri Myŏn-sang 리면상, lyrics: Pak Se-yon 박세영, 1947

————————

1:22:54 천리라도 만리라도 Chŏllirado mallirado Whether 1000 li or 10 000 li 千里も万里も
Composition: Hyon Kyong-il 현경일, lyrics: Jo Kwang-chŏl 조광철, 2015
MBB

1:27:40 조선의 모습 Josŏn ye mosŭp The shape of Korea 朝鮮の姿
Composition: Om Ha-jin 엄하진, lyrics: Kim Jong-hun 김정훈, 1989
SMC

1:30:59 설눈아 내려라 Sŏlluna neryŏra Let the snow fall in New Year’s Day 正月の雪よ降れ 新年的雪啊尽情地下吧

1:33:20 Applauses and ending ceremonies

---

 

 

Ri Jongo (리종오 李钟旿, 1943-2016) was one of the most important North Korean composers. He started his composing career in the late 1970s, though most of his hits date from the 1990s. ”Sŏlluna neryŏra” used to be one of his less well known songs until New Year 2013, or rather until 2017. The song first attained wide publicity as the starting piece of the Moranbong Band in its 2013 New Year’s concert (2013.01.01); the version picked from there has been published repeatedly in YouTube by many publishers. As no creator info was available, speculations of an old folk melody existed, but as the oldest video in YouTube by Samhero date only from 2013, it suggested that this song was not necessarily an old New Year’s custom. Apparently, the MBB established it as a custom in 2013. In 2017 it was first noticed in North Korean records that the song was created in 2013, and a bit later that it was originally created in 1991.  Like in the case of ”Tansume”, also here the masterful arrangement and performance by MBB in 2013 turned the originally nice melody into a well recognizable hit.
The poem is politically important because the words contain so little politics. Below my attempt at translation.

고드름 처마에
흰까치 울고 울어
새해의 이 아침에
노래불러준다네

설눈아 내려라
어서야 내려라
산에도 들에도 하얗게
태양의 축복받은
삼천리강산에
어서야 펑펑 내려라
설눈아 내려라

On an icicled eave
a white magpie cries and cries
in this morning of the New Year
she sings her song.

Fall, snow of the New Year’s Day
fall fast
turn the mountains and fields white.
On sun blessed
rivers and mountains of the 3000 ri
fall fast and nice,
fall, snow of the New Year’s Day.
(repeat)

Magpie (까치/kachi, Pica pica, harakka, skata, Elster, Сорока, カササギ, 喜鹊, etc.) is a common bird with various subspecies throughout the Eurasian landmass. It is regarded as one of most intelligent animals. At the European end of the landmass it is often considered a mischievous bird, because it intelligently gets some of its nutrition from the resources collected by humans, but in East Asia sighting it is usually considered a good omen. A very rare white magpie is considered an especially auspicious omen, and in the poem she is singing for a long time on the roof. The New Year thus starts with an abundance of good omens.

3000 ri ≈ 1200 km ≈ length of the Korean peninsula. The song thus wishes for beauty and blessing for the whole Korea, without raising the difficult question of unification.

”Sun” is a tricky part, because in the North Korean context it 1) may refer to Kim Il Söng. However, in a historical sense it 2) can also refer to the whole Korea, as 朝鮮 Josön, Morning Freshness, brings out the image of the sun rising. The name of Japan also has similar imagery, both countries being situated to the east of China, and thus towards the morning sun. Of course nowadays the 朝鮮 root appears only in the name of NKorea, but not in that of SKorea. These possibilities notwithstanding, it is also possible to 3) see the word “sun” in a non-metaphoric sense, simply as the sun in the sky, which makes the white snow sparkling and increases the beauty of whole Korea.

펑펑 / phyöng-phyöng I take to mean the ”sound” and sight of falling snow, and translated it as ”nice”. I know of no direct and sensible way of translating it.

These lyrics contain a minimum of direct political messaging, staying mostly at the level of beautiful and auspicious natural images, for the whole Korea. The piece is thus an excellent opening song for a concert hinting towards inter-Korean reconciliation. In the 2013 New Year’s concert this image was accompanied by views of snowmen holding missiles, and rising missiles leading to nuclear explosions, especially in the greatest MBB hit ”Tansume”. Consequently, in that concert the message was mixed, and did not lead to any kind of international thaw. This time, five years later, all missile imagery was abolished, so that a conciliatory message came clearly through without any incongruences. Thus, the concert can be seen as a support argument to the equally conciliatory New Year speech by Kim Jöng Ün.

As a matter of fact missiles were seen twice on the screen, but only briefly. In both cases they were in a horizontal position, not a vertical one, and in the background behind a group of men, making the triumphant soldiers the main idea. This is practically nothing considering all the strong military posturing throughout 2017. From the point of view of the domestic audience it would have been strange  if there had been no reference to missiles during a narration of the achievements of North Korea in the past year, but they were kept to a minimum. These missiles were not threatening South Korea.

 

—————————————

 

 

김옥주 Kim Ok-ju. First appearances in the Moranbong Chorus & performances with the Unhasu Orchestra, then in the Chongbong Band, and since September 2017 as the head singer and senior official in MBB. She gets a lot of camera attention. The MBB custom nowadays is to employ one singer, who is a bit more senior than the others. This may have something to do with simple military hierarchy; Kim is 소좌 少佐 sojwa = major. It is unknown how much of the original leadership structure of the MBB is left, if any, now that it acts only as a special section of the State Merited Chorus. As most MBB members still are only junior lieutenants (소위 sowi 少尉 ) – though after various promotions and demotions – perhaps the organizational structure simply demands at least one person with a higher officer rank.

This instrument has an interesting sound and an interesting history. It originates from horns that travelled east and west over the silk road during the past couple of millennia. They made loud and piercing sounds, and were useful in ceremonies and festivities outside. One of them was adopted for use in China with the name 嗩吶 (suǒnà), which means “loud wind instrument”, or simply “loud pipe”. This probably is the origin of the instrument’s Korean name 새납 (senap). This still is the name used in the north, but as the languages drift apart, in the south it is nowadays called 태평소 (thepyöngso, 太平簫), “fat peace pipe”. I do not know why.

Beginning in the 1950s, and gathering strength in the 1960s, there emerged in the north a strong nationalist policy regarding art, as a strand in the development of the juche (주체) ideology. In music this focused attention in traditional Korean instruments, but at the same time also western style orchestra’s had to be developed, because they enabled deeper and wider control of sound, suitable for rousing propagandistic songs. The solution to the dilemma was to start a programme for systematic development of old instruments, corresponding with the ideals of technical modernization. Instruments were thus improved so that traditional sound timbres were retained, but tuned differently in order to fit with western type melodies and orchestras. As Hwabuk expressed it in Forum: “The Saenap is tuned in the pentatonic scale (only the tones of the black keys of the piano), but the Changsaenap is tuned in the diatonic scale (all the tones of the white and black and keys of the piano).” Uriminzokkiri tells in a small 2007 article that in the case of senap the development became fulfilled during the 1970s. Similar programmes of modernization of musical instruments took place also in China – or even in Spain, for that matter.

Because the new instrument became longer than the original senap, it was named logically 장새납 (jangsenap, 長嗩吶), “long loud wind instrument”. Once you get used to it, it has a nice sound. It indeed works well with a modern orchestra, though is not used often; only in tradionalist songs.