ABSTRACT
A folk music tradition is deeply connected to historical and ethnic memories and practices, yet its exterior is largely nonresponsive to the time’s call. In terms of pedagogy, performance and reception, narrative songs from earlier eras pose a unique challenge: unlike popular ballads ubiquitously available and acceptable, the narrative songs from bygone eras and less frequented places must first be uncovered from the antiquated and unfamiliar exterior. Pansori, the genre of Korean traditional sung narrative, presents a noteworthy example of restoration in tandem with reinvention. To describe pansori’s cross-temporal complexity, this essay indexes its history, textual and musical formation and innovation, orality and transmission, and the perspectives of singers, audiences, and learners.
