True, John sadly improvisatin has been mostly erased from traditional East Asian classical music. Some wonderful exceptions are the Tsugaru Shamisen
style of northern Japan, specific Guqin players (Li Xiangtang, Cheng Gongliang, maybe others) and the remarkable Sanjo music of Korea. Exclamations
from the crowd might be considered rude in some cultures so perhaps Tarab didn't develop there like it did in the Arab world yelling Allah, or in
India with Wah Wah / Kya Baat Hai but in Korean Sanjo it is still there with Chuimsae:
'Chuimsae is a form of exclamation during Korean traditional music. The gosu drummer and the audience make exclamations such as Eolsigu! or Jalhanda!
), which mean Yippee! and Good! in Korean. The chuimsae connects musician and audience and creates a cheerful atmosphere.
Chuimsae makes performance more enjoyable. With chuimsae, the music can be more active and vivid. In pansori, a good audience should make chuimsae.
While in many styles of Western music the audience's sound is considered noise, the participation of audience is important in Korean music. The
musician and audience can interact with chuimsae. The chuimsae is intuitive, and audience members express their feeling, impression, and agreement
while listening to music. In addition, audiences make chuimsae when they feel completely enchanted by the music. In order to use chuimsae
appropriately, people should have a knowledge of Pansori and ability in making impressions.'
Sounds familiar! |
