Publications (abstract + link)

These are my recent publications, most of them peer-reviewed and from academic journals, with occasional book chapters. I provide bibliographic information, the abstract, and a link, if available to full-text content.

Jan Creutzenberg, “P’ansori in Germany: Korean Singing-Storytelling, from Representation of Culture to Creative Collaboration”

in Cross-border Interactions and Encounters between Germany and Korea, edited by Yonson Ahn and Jihye Kim, pp. 101–121, Lexington, 2023.

Abstract

Korean p’ansori singers have been performing in Europe since at least the 1960s. In this chapter, I historicize and conceptualize the reception of this singing-storytelling art in Germany. I analyze the diversification of performance formats, the expansion of audiences, and the agents that shape these interrelated processes. Based on performance programs and publicity, as well as press coverage, I distinguish the various purposes that p’ansori has served, from political agendas and nation branding to individual aspirations and artistic exchange. Looking at continuities and developments, from early encounters with traditional Korean music until the 1970s and festival appearances of p’ansori at Metamusik (Berlin 1976) and Horizonte (Berlin 1985), to the increasing number of full-length performances in the 2000s and more recent commissions and collaborations, I explore the contexts that planners and local intermediaries create in order to accommodate German audiences, including the Korean-German diaspora. Complementing earlier research on the globalization of traditional Korean music, the chapter attempts a sketch of local responses to p’ansori in Germany, the means of mediation and the conditions of creative cooperation, contributing to wider discourses on performative exchanges between Korea and Germany.

Jan Creutzenberg, “The Brecht-brand and German Theatre in South Korea”

Critical Stages 27 (2023)

Abstract

When German-language drama reached colonial Korea via Japan in the early twentieth century, reception first adhered to then common notions of “Western civilization.” Bertolt Brecht was first mentioned amongst other authors of German literature in newspaper articles in the 1930s. Along with his plays and theories, Brecht, then, experienced an interesting career in post-war South Korea, from countercultural idol of academics and forbidden fruit of theatre practitioners to modern classic, on the one hand, inspiration for experimentation, on the other. This essay explores Korean-German theatre relations by tracing the twists and turns in the reception of Brecht. The image of a distant yet timely author worth studying was cemented by scholars of German literature amidst Cold War censorship, decades before the first officially sanctioned production in 1988. Headed by a German guest-conductor and billed as a musical, this Korean premiere of the Threepenny Opera reached wider audiences but let down Brecht scholars. Responses to this and other productions showed that the newly attained liberty to stage, adapt and appropriate Brecht’s work had limits, imposed by the overarching “brand” Brecht had become. Recently, works by directors of different backgrounds show attempts of rebranding and reclaiming Brecht, though, from combinations with Korean tradition to playful remixes commenting on post-COVID society. Their implications, put in perspective with discourses on “German” culture at large, contribute to a mapping of performative exchanges between Korea and Germany, including the underlying imaginaries. The changing Brecht-brand, focal point of this essay, furthermore, offers a critical perspective on the cultural capital attached to his name, the use-value of his writings and the aspirations of his affiliates.

Jan Creutzenberg, “The P’ansori Experience in Europe: Invitation, Promotion, Commission, and Collaboration”

the world of music (new series) 11.1(2022): 109–132.

Abstract

Korean p’ansori singers have been performing in Europe since at least the 1960s. In this paper, I explore the reception of this singing/storytelling art in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom and analyze the diversification of performance formats, the expansion of audiences, and the agents that shape this process. Based on performance programs and publicity, as well as press coverage, I distinguish the various purposes that p’ansori in Europe has served, from political agendas and nation branding to individual aspirations and artistic exchange. Complementing earlier research on the globalization of traditional Korean music, I attempt a sketch of local responses to p’ansori in Europe that includes the contexts and audiences of performances, means of mediation, and the conditions of creative cooperation.

Jan Creutzenberg and Anna Yates-Lu, “Introduction: Korean Traditional Music on Global Stages”

the world of music (new series) 11.1(2022): 5–22.

Abstract

This article introduces the theme of this edited issue—live performances of traditional Korean music (kugak) outside of Korea, mainly in the ‘Western’ world; it lays out reasons for its relevance and shares issues and questions. The six articles are part of an ongoing exploration of what happens when music that is highly specific and has an identity relating to a certain place is performed away from its geographic origin. The authors discuss various genres, from solo singing/storytelling (p’ansori) and folk songs (minyo) to instrumental music (such as sanjo improvisation) and ensemble genres, as used by professional and amateur musicians in Europe, the United States, and other parts of the world. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and historical research, the articles demonstrate the diversity of what traditional music means to those who make, promote, and listen to it, crucially, in this case, including the Korean overseas diaspora. The authors share a consciousness of power dynamics that are at play when traditional music from a postcolonial nation is performed on ‘global stages,’ that is, in contexts dominated by Western hegemony. By responding to debates regarding nationalism and globalization, identity and community formation, as well as authenticity and cultural appropriation, the articles hopefully may serve as a touchstone for engagement with additional genres and regions.

Jan Creutzenberg, “Making Masters, Staging Genealogy: Full-Length P’ansori as an Invented Tradition”

in Invented Traditions in North and South Korea, edited by Andrew David Jackson, Codruța Sîntionean, Remco Breuker, and CedarBough Saeji, pp. 279–303, Univ. of Hawai‘i Press, 2021

Abstract

When people in Korea think of p’ansori, they think of affective vocals and old-fashioned stories. When they think of p’ansori performances, they think of five-hour events. The full-length (wanch’ang) format – one singer presenting a story from beginning to end in one sitting, resulting in over-length performances of up to eight hours – dominates the general perception of this traditional singing-storytelling art. However, wanch’ang p’ansori is a fairly recent invention: Park Tong-jin’s full-length presentation of Hŭngbo-ga in 1968 is generally considered the “birth” of the wanch’ang-format, which became common practice within a few short years.
Drawing upon news coverage and performance experiences, this chapter traces the development of wanch’ang p’ansori and analyzes its specific functions and performative potential. The chapter’s three sections cover 1) the peculiar historical “invention” of wanch’ang in the wake of the designation of p’ansori as a “national cultural asset”; 2) the subsequent transformation from a novel method of qualification to an obligatory rite of passage; and, 3) the staging of genealogy in performance pamphlets and by acts of affinity, followed by an outlook on recent attempts to reform the format.
The author argues that wanch’ang p’ansori, besides promoting p’ansori as Korean high art able to compete with other countries’ national genres, fulfills important functions both in the differentiation and the consolidation of the p’ansori scene. On the one hand, as a measure of mastership, wanch’ang performances proved crucial in the selection process of “Living Cultural Treasures,” singers ranked highest in the official system of preservation., and remains a necessary step in the career of any professional singer. On the other hand, aspiring singers, supported by their teachers and students, friends and family, enact their affiliation with a genealogy that connects a common past with a shared dedication to the future of the art form, thus affirming their role in the process of transmission.
Between promotion and preservation, wanch’ang p’ansori is an “invented tradition” engaged in constant re-invention. A close examination of the conventions and contexts that shape this process provides insight into various predicaments faced by a traditional art today—both on an institutional level and for the individual performer. This includes the drain in audiences beyond aficionados, attempts to streamline performances by cutting parts some consider essential, and matters of marketing.

이안 코이츤베악, 「해외의 판소리 연구사 – 영어, 독일어, 프랑스어 문헌을 중심으로」(Jan Creutzenberg, “A History of Overseas Research on Pansori, including English, French, and German Language Publications”)

전인평 외,『한국 음악계의 뜨거운 감자』, 서울: 아시아음악학회,  2020, 396–416.

[Romanized citation: Jan Creutzenberg, “Haoe ui pansori yeongu sa: yeong-eo, dogil-eo, peurangseu-eo munheoneul jungsimeuro” (A History of Overseas Research on Pansori, including English, French, and German Language Publications), in: Chun In Pyong, Seo Jeongmae, and Jan Creutzenberg, Hanguk eumakgye ui tteugeoun gamja (The Hot Issues of the Korean Music Society), 396–416. Seoul: Council for Asian Musicology, 2020.]

English Abstract

Pansori is arguably one of the Korean traditional performing arts best-known abroad. Besides guest performances and translations, academic scholars also conduct research on pansori. This paper explores the different contexts, trajectories, and approaches that inform research on pansori conducted overseas, as well as the results and their significance. Publications considered include theses on the MA- and PhD-level, research monographs, and papers published in journals or edited volumes. Further criteria for inclusion are 1) publication outside of Korea, 2) publication in English, French, or German, and 3) a clear focus on pansori.
The terminology and descriptions for pansori that are used in encyclopedic entries on Korean culture, music and theatre, as well as pre-modern testimonies about pansori performances by early Western visitors to Korea show that interest developed early and includes various perspectives on the genre. It was not until the 1970s, though, that overseas research on pansori began to emerge fully.
Following Marshall Pihl, who wrote the first PhD-dissertation on pansori in English after spending time as an exchange student in Korea, graduate students from Korea went abroad, to the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and France, and introduced pansori to academia. Since the 1990s, doctoral theses on pansori rooted in fieldwork in Korea emerged in the field of ethnomusicology and were later published as books. In recent years, overseas pansori research began to employ more diverse methodologies, particularly from the field of theatre and performance studies, also including non-traditional ways of performing pansori, such as newly-written works(changjak pansori) and changgeuk(staged pansori).
The “exchange” researchers since the 1970s include Marshall Pihl, Kim, Woo Ok, Sohn Yong-Chan, Lee, Wha-Byong, Chung, Kyo-chul, Kim, Daihyun, Chung, Sung-Sook Y. and Ra Jin-Hwan. The “fieldwork” researchers since the 1990s include Um Haekyung, Chan E. Park, Yeonok Jang, Heather Willoughby and Andrew Killick. The “interdisciplinary” researchers since the 2000s include Han Yumi, Anna Yates-Lu, Dorothea Suh, and Jan Creutzenberg. Recent publications by scholars such as Patrice Pavis, Jozefina Komporaly, Tara McAllister-Viel, Konstantinos Thomaidis, Ruth Mueller and others contribute to the growing body of overseas pansori research, while focusing on wider questions.
Nowadays, those who see, study, and sing pansori are not restricted to Korea, as could be seen at a symposium on “Pansori in Europe” held in Berlin in 2017. The “internationalization” of pansori research will further evolve and diversify, promising new perspectives on the possibilities of this artistic practice and cultural heritage.

Jan Creutzenberg, “Dreaming of a New Theatre in Cold War South Korea: Yu Chi-jin, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Seoul Drama Center”

Journal of Global Theatre History 3.2 (2019), pp. 34–53

Abstract

After World War II and the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule, the emerging Cold War influenced the cultural sphere in South Korea, both through official policies and private philanthropy. In this paper, I discuss director-playwright Yu Chi-jin’s interactions with Rockefeller Foundation officer Charles B. Fahs from 1948 to the late 1950s, leading to the conceptualization, funding, and construction of the Seoul Drama Center in 1962. Both Yu’s reading of Margo Jones’ book Theatre-in-the-Round and his year-long U.S. voyage, suggested and supported by Fahs, contributed to his dream of a new theatre for Korea. Based on internal documents of the Rockefeller Foundation and writings by Yu, I explore how geopolitical, aesthetic, and financial concerns shaped the making of the Drama Center and the theatre scene in post-colonial South Korea.

Jan Creutzenberg, “Between Preservation and Change: Performing Arts Heritage Development in South Korea”

Asian Education and Development Studies 8.4 (2019), pp. 485–497.

Abstract

Purpose
As intangible cultural heritage, traditional performing arts depend on transmission by individuals and collectives. The purpose of this paper is to explore how traditional performers practice their arts in South Korea. The analysis focuses on the transformations of performance conventions and contexts, as well as on new genres that developed in response to heritage legislation and social change during the last 200 years.

Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on a wide array of existing ethnographic research, the paper compares processes of transmission and transformation of three different genres: the solo singing-storytelling genre pansori, the ensemble percussion-dance genre pungmul and the various regional forms of mask dance drama subsumed under the label talnori. The paper argues that the artists, who perform these genres, while not unaffected by the expectations of their audiences, have the power to transcend traditional boundaries.

Findings
Due to early professionalization in the nineteenth century, pansori performers could adapt to the changing contexts of market-oriented modernity and survive until governmental intervention in 1962. Pre-modern pungmul and talnori was performed primarily by and for rural communities, resulting in an interruption of transmission when these contexts disappeared and partial re-invention in the wake of official preservation legislation.

Originality/value
The need for repeated performance in historically varying contexts makes the analysis of performing arts particular fruitful for understanding how practitioners of tradition (have to) adapt to change. A historical-comparative perspective provides concise insights into the dynamics of development that informs tradition today. The inclusion of offspring genres (changgeuk, madang-geuk, samulnori) furthermore shows the potential of heritage development beyond the official system of preservation.

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