Hae-Maji Gut, 2001

Kang Joon-Il
Korea

Instrumentation:
jang-go (cylinder drum), cello, piano

The natural world plays a prominent role in the music of Korean composer Kang Joon-il. Hae Maji-Gut (A Shaman Performance to the New Sun) is based on samulnori [SA moolr NOL ree], a type of folk music popularized by Korean farmers. Samulnori is represented by four different percussive instruments. One such instrument is the jang-go [JANG go], an hourglass drum with two different leather heads and mallets. Significantly, one side of the drum has a higher pitch than the other. "In this piece," writes Kang, "I wanted to write for instruments that represented the natural land, as well as the people living on that land. Our music came from the horse-riding cultures of Mongolia and northern Eurasia, and I think this is what distinguishes our music from that of other Asian cultures. Just as the Silk Road Project presents a new way and perhaps, a very old way, of looking at different cultures, I would like to dedicate this piece to a new world where East and West work together." Here, Kang artfully sets the jang-go against the cello and uses the piano to balance both instruments.