North Korean folk Operas and Musical Politics of Selection - Focused on National Operas Prior to Revolutionary Operas

북한 초기 고전 각색 가극과 선별의 음악 정치 - 혁명가극 이전 민족 가극을 중심으로

North Korea has conserved operas in a selective manner. The subject matters of operas recorded in the history of North Korea can be divided into classical tales, translated foreign works, Korean War and war against Japan. Operas that adapted folk classics of the 1950s are considered valuable materials to verify the changes of genres posterior to division of regime between North and South Korea. The officially confirmed works include "Kumgangsan Palseonnyeo (Gyeonwoo Jiknyeo)," "Chunhyangjeon." "Kongjwi Patjwi (Kotsin)," "Ondal," and "Geumnaneui Dal." These works had gone through recreation in terms of realistic situation setting, abolition of class difference, adjustment of social rank and punishment of evil while the base lies in the original folk classics. People emphasized in adapted folk operas are described as those who are hard-working souls without giving importance of difference of social rank, content with the currently living space, devoted to their parents and full of patriotic spirit, and members of community who participate in organized fights against unfair exploitation. This was the fruit of encouragement of work creation supporting union between labor and individual life, destruction of old things and fight promoting this destruction. Folk operas of South and North Korea posterior to Korean War have similarities in that both deal with a love story transcending social ranks and the concomitant conflicts and they focus on the audience who enjoy the operas. Nonetheless, they are different in that this love in North Korea became a tool of educating people wished by the regime, while it became an object of securing the audience by adding the tragic element to love in South Korea. North Korean operas of the initial stage are characterized by playwriting method emphasizing difficult life and compensation of common people, realistic stage expression, accentuation of melody and agreement between notes and lyrics. This was efforts designed to continuously lead senses concentrated from the theater to everyday life of people. In effect, this is in line with the playwriting method of revolutionary operas. Adapted folk operas were subject matters ideal for easily approaching the audience and leaving them good memories at the same time. To realize socialist realism, they went through an experiment of reviewing "people" through the classic folk operas. The possibility of continuation of a work was determined by thorough evaluation after carrying out an experiment in terms of subject matters, theme, music and operation plans from the moment of which the work was on the stage. The sign consisted in the possibility of visit of "Kim Il-sung" to appreciate the work and presentation of directionality. By proposing the clear directionality of which hard-working people who deny social status system can be duly compensated, it encouraged the audience who saw the opera to voluntarily put this in practice. Thus, operas established the directionality through selective processes for creating public communion even before revolutionary operas.

북한은 혁명가극 이전의 가극을 선택적으로 보존했다. 이중 초기 고전 각색 가극은 1950년대 이후 남북한의 가극 장르 변화를 추적하는데 중요 단서를 제공한다. <금강산 팔선녀>, <춘향전>, <콩쥐팥쥐>, <온달>은 비현실적인 상황을 조정하고, 계급 문제를 제기하는 방향으로 각색되었다. 초기 고전 각색 가극에서 부각시킨 인민은 신분 격차와 상관없이 부지런히 일하고 애국심을 갖춘 이였다. 또한 부당한 착취에 대해 조직적인 투쟁을 함께하는 공동 구성원이기도 했다. 이는 노동과 개인 생활의 통일, 낡은 것의 파멸, 그 파멸을 촉진하는 투쟁을 지지하는 창작 독려의 성과였다. 선별 보존된 작품들은 극장에서 집중시킨 감각을 일상에서 유지시키는 일종의 모범 사례이기도 했다. 고전 각색 가극은 신분제도 반대, 국토 찬양, 긍정적인 근로 방향과 같은 국가 강령을 자연스레 관객에게 각인시킬 수 있었다. 하나의 작품이 무대화되면 소재, 주제, 음악, 운영방안 측면에서 평가를 거쳐 생존 여부가 판단되었다. 그 표징은 '김일성'의 관람 여부 및 방향성 제시였다. 김일성 일가의 수정 지시 사항을 받아들여 집단이 재창조하고, 해외 공연을 통해 선전하는 과정은 혁명가극의 극작 및 홍보 방식과 맞닿는다. 이렇게 선별된 가극은 인민, 여성, 문학 차원에서 스토리텔링화 되면서 모델이 되었다. 이렇게 북한 초기 고전 각색 가극은 공적인 교감과 음악정치 구축의 상관성을 보여주는 사례이다.