Sanjo Sonata
for solo violin (9:15)
Written for and premiered by Dr. Salley Koo
Sanjo is a genre of Korean traditional solo instrumental music that roughly translates to “scattered melodies.” Having studied sanjo during my time living in Korea, I couldn’t help but notice the parallels between sanjo and its western counterpart; the sonata. Sanjo, much like sonata, progresses through a variety of sections (movements) while exploring and elaborating on various themes, however unlike sonata form each section of a sanjo gets faster and faster through a combination of natural accelerando and metric modulation. The arrangement of the melodies, or themes, in a particular sanjo vary among schools; sanjo is an oral tradition, wherein thematic material may be adjusted, extended, or omitted depending on the unique practices of a given school. Sanjo is also highly virtuosic, combining the expressiveness of Korean traditional music with a plethora of unique attributes executable by a given instrument.
The sections of this piece are outlined as three movements which are based on rhythmic cycles found in traditional Korean music - Jinyangjo, Jungmori, and Jajinmori-Hwimori. Jinyangjo is a word derived from the South Jeolla dialect, “jil-da,” meaning “very sluggish.” The slow nature of Jinyangjo makes it suitable for expressive, lamenting passages of music with profound vibrato and dramatic pitch bends. Jungmori can be thought of as something similar to andante. The word “jung” in “Jungmori” means “not too fast and not too slow,” while “mori” means to “drive” something forward. Jajinmori is a fast rhythmic cycle that is frequently used across all genres of Korean traditional music, characterized mostly by the implied 3:2 polyrhythm that it creates. Lastly, the finale is Hwimori, the fastest rhythmic cycle, meaning “as fast as a whirlwind.”
*As part of Dr. Koo's Dari Project, this work is also available in an abridged format for students, dubbed "Sanjo Sonatina"
Written for and premiered by Dr. Salley Koo
Sanjo is a genre of Korean traditional solo instrumental music that roughly translates to “scattered melodies.” Having studied sanjo during my time living in Korea, I couldn’t help but notice the parallels between sanjo and its western counterpart; the sonata. Sanjo, much like sonata, progresses through a variety of sections (movements) while exploring and elaborating on various themes, however unlike sonata form each section of a sanjo gets faster and faster through a combination of natural accelerando and metric modulation. The arrangement of the melodies, or themes, in a particular sanjo vary among schools; sanjo is an oral tradition, wherein thematic material may be adjusted, extended, or omitted depending on the unique practices of a given school. Sanjo is also highly virtuosic, combining the expressiveness of Korean traditional music with a plethora of unique attributes executable by a given instrument.
The sections of this piece are outlined as three movements which are based on rhythmic cycles found in traditional Korean music - Jinyangjo, Jungmori, and Jajinmori-Hwimori. Jinyangjo is a word derived from the South Jeolla dialect, “jil-da,” meaning “very sluggish.” The slow nature of Jinyangjo makes it suitable for expressive, lamenting passages of music with profound vibrato and dramatic pitch bends. Jungmori can be thought of as something similar to andante. The word “jung” in “Jungmori” means “not too fast and not too slow,” while “mori” means to “drive” something forward. Jajinmori is a fast rhythmic cycle that is frequently used across all genres of Korean traditional music, characterized mostly by the implied 3:2 polyrhythm that it creates. Lastly, the finale is Hwimori, the fastest rhythmic cycle, meaning “as fast as a whirlwind.”
*As part of Dr. Koo's Dari Project, this work is also available in an abridged format for students, dubbed "Sanjo Sonatina"
