• (The) Research of the performance art and culture
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• no.23
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• pp.159-183
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• 2011

Pansori has both the features of drama and music. In 19th century, prime time of pansori, it had balance of the features between drama and music. But after the late 19th century, pansori has lost the features of drama, and it has been changed into a music centered art performance. This is the phenomenon came from that the upper class accepted and dominated the pansori which had been a performance art of the lower class. The Korean upper class people tend to disdain drama, but to revere music. Nerremsae is dramatic action and ballim is musical gesture in pansori. In 19th century, pansori had plenty of nerremsae, which provided a elaborative symbolic system after the conventional rule of drama. However current pansori actors use only ballim except nerreumsae. Chuimsae like 'ulssigu' is the way to participate in pansori by audience. The actor provides the space for the audience to fill it after inducement by drummer. Through the chuimsae, actor, drummer, and audience share the sympathetic emotional experiences. However the audience in these days do not do chuimsae, but do applause like in western dramas. In western dramas, distinction between tragedy and comedy is relatively clear. The tragedy is constantly tragedy, and the comedy is also constantly comedy. However joy and sorrow are coexisted in Korean pansori. These two contradictory emotions are collided and produce a new strong emotion in a pansori. This is one of very important feature of pansori. Even though each of tragedy and comedy reveals the only one side of life, pansori comprehensively reveals a total human life. However these strong emotions have been much weakened nowadays. Currently pansori has been much declined. For restoration of pansori, it is necessary to revive the drama side in pansori performances.