The 9th Symphony

Beethoven is one of the greatest musicians in the history. He had created countless incredible pieces of works. The 9^th Symphony is the last symphony that he created. After he had written 8^th Symphony, he did not present any new pieces for about ten years. By that time his hearing was gone, and people believed that he had reached his limits so he cannot create any other music. However, in 1824, he had finished 9^th Symphony. In the fourth movement of this symphony, it was combined with a chorus, An Die Freude, by Friedrich von Schiller. This chorus was written to praise love and harmony among all human beings. Nowadays, it is also used to symbolize world peace. When Beethoven was born in middle class family and in his twenties, he started loosing his hearing. As it became worse, he had fears about not being able to play music anymore. He even decided to commit suicide, but he could not commit it because of his passions for music. The music that was made after that incident was the 9^th Symphony. In 2002, this symphony was designated as the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. It is the very first music to be listed on the UNESCO.

            The main two themes of the 9^th Symphony are enlightment and fears. Nicholas Cook, an author, said, “Of all the works in the mainstream repertory of Western music, the Ninth Symphony seems the most like a construction of mirrors, reflecting and refracting the values, hopes, and fears of those who seek to understand and explain it.” Because Beethoven had lost his hearing when he was making this symphony, he had fears of creating music and hopes to finish making music successfully. Similarly, the chorus that was used in fourth movement in this symphony also symbolizes peace and harmony of human beings. At first, he was very afraid of creating the piece after he had realized that his hearing is gone. However, he had hopes that he could finish his piece well, and he finished it successfully. He was able to perform this music and it ended up being one of the most popular piece of work.

            I thought the 9^th Symphony was beautiful because it is unrealistic that he wrote this music piece without knowing how it sounds like. Because he lost his hearing in his twenties, he was not able to hear what it sounds like. The movements are very energetic and turbulent. The 9^th Symphony is one of the major pieces that combined human voice in a symphony setting. In addition, commonly the second movements are more soft and relaxing to make it contrast to the first movement. However, in this piece, it gets louder. In the fourth movement, the orchestra combines with the chorus, which amplifies the beauty of this music. It is one of the most popular classical music pieces in history. It is hard to appreciate it because of this fact, but it is still a beautiful piece. Also, I really liked how it combined with chorus in fourth movement. Since I play music in orchestra, I want to try to play this piece one day. I think the lyrics are very moving and I think that it maximizes the emotion. Because of these reasons, I believe that everyone should listen to and appreciate the piece.

TV Garden

TV Garden was created by Nam-June Paik in 1974. Nam-June Paik has worked with various media and had found video art. He led the Neo-Dada art movement, Fluxus, with other artists. This movement has asserted that people should remove commercialized culture. After this movement, in the beginning of 1960s, he was influenced by John Cage, and started using televisions as a medium of art. He had created various art works, including TV Garden. This garden is both natural and scientific. Nam-June used various plants to express garden. However, he used television to express flowers. One of his old friends had said that the inspiration to create TV Garden was from garden of Nam-June’s old house. Including this piece, many of his artworks are based on his experience when he was young. Also, he always wanted make television more nature friendly. The exhibition is surrounded by different trees and plants and in the middle of those plants, there are 20 to 30 televisions. As audiences walk around the exhibition, they will be freed from machine civilization and feel more calm.

            The main themes of TV Garden are different perspective and ecology. The televisions of his TV Garden are airing various videos, including Nam-June Paik’s video work called, Global Groove. He said that his video portrays the future, where people can watch any channels in the world on television. He believed that television could reduce communication gaps in the world and help world peace. In TV Garden, the trees and televisions compose a garden. In between various plants, televisions are placed to face upward or are slanted so the audience cannot watch televisions at the normal viewpoints. When multiple televisions are places different ways, people are able to see many of them at different viewpoints. By viewing televisions at different viewpoints, the audience can see television as a frame that shows regulated subjects. Nam-June Paik suggests the audience to look and understand the world at various perspectives. Moreover, by using numerous plants, he is trying to point out that ecology is the outlook of the world. He says that it is based on people’s belief on possibility to change and the circulation of the world. Like how the plants are watered everyday in his exhibition, people should try to change little things around their lives to improve the world’s ecology.

            I thought this artwork was very beautiful because it is very unique. Nam-June Paik was one of the first artists to lead media art. He used televisions in various ways to create numerous artworks. Also, I thought it was very creative to break out of ordinary and combine nature and media. TV Garden is a unique artwork that makes audience to have different viewpoints. Moreover, I thought the combination of plants and televisions to express his thoughts were very effective. Nam-June Paik once said that nature is beautiful just because it changes, not because it changes beautifully. I thought it is very clever that he was able to come up with this idea during 1970s, which is when technology was not developed a lot. It is a contemporary style of art that was new to late 1900s and it bridged the gap between 1900s arts and 2000s arts. I personally think that this is very beautiful just by looking at it, which was why I was intrigued at first. It is very inspirational piece of art that requires the audience to think deeply about this artwork. There is a Nam-June Paik Art Center in Korea, which I have never been to before, and I want to visit there when I go back to Korea this summer.

Changdeokgung

Changdeokgung, also known as Changdeok Palace, is one of the five grand palaces that were built during the Joseon Dynasty. Because it is located east of Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace, it is also called the East Palace. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Changdeokgung was the most popular palace among kings in Joseon Dynasty. Unlike other palaces, Changdeokgung was not built to show power and prestige. It was well blended with natural topography. The palace contains ponds, forests, and gardens. It was used more often than the main royal palace, Gyeongbokgung. It is also the most well preserved palace among all five palaces. However, there are still only 30 percent of the pre-Japanese structures due to Japanese occupation. Changdeokgung was built after Gyeongbokgung because the authority of the main palace was deteriorated from conflicts between princes and vassals. Although there is the main palace, Changdeokgung is the palace that kings had stayed the longest throughout Joseon Dynasty. Moreover, when Japanese Invasion occurred in 1592, all of the other palaces have burnt away. So kings have stayed in this palace after the invasion.

            The main two theme of Changdeokgung is to make it functional so kings can govern the country and to blend well with natural topography. The main function of palace is to provide place for the kings to live and govern the country. In the entire palace, there are numerous buildings that have different purpose. Huijeongdang Hall is the official king’s residence. Daejojeon Hall is official queen’s residence. Also, Seojeongjeon Hall is a place where daily meetings are held. Donhwamun Gate is the main entrance of the palace. Huwon is a king’s private garden. It had various trees, flowers, lotus ponds, and lawns. It was only used for king’s private usage. Even high officials were not allowed to enter this garden without his permission. Because it was so private that it was also called as Geumwon, which means forbidden garden. Unlike other palaces, Changdeokgung focused on natural topography when it was built. It tried not to ruin nature and combine well with its surrounding nature. Moreover, it used different patterns of flowers and colors to make the palace more vivid.

            I thought Changdeokgung was very beautiful because it displays history of Korea well. When Japan invaded Korea, they burned other palaces, which destroyed the original palace. Although they were rebuilt after the invasion, it was not perfectly rebuilt into former shape of the palaces. However, Changdeokgung remained its shape the most ever since 1592. Moreover, because the palace is surrounded by nature, the scenery of the palace is very beautiful. I have been to all five palaces, and Changdeokgung is the most peaceful and alluring palace. Since other palaces like Gyeongbokgung are placed in the center of Seoul, it is harder to feel Korean traditional scenery of palace. But, because Changdeokgung is placed within a large park, the palace is very calm and graceful. These days, it is very hard to see Korean traditional buildings because most buildings were westernized. Also, since Changdeokgung is the most well preserved palace in Korea, I believe that people should pay more attention to histories and traditions in order to pass these heritages to the future generations.

Hunminjeongeum

            Hunminjeongeum is a document that describes native script for the Korean language, which was invented by King Sejong. Hunminjeongeum means “the proper sounds to instruct the people,” It was designated as a national treasure number 70, and in 1997, it was also listed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Before he invented Korean language, Korea used Chinese to write and read. However, not all people were able to use Chinese. People in upper class were only able to use Chinese because it was hard for people to learn them. So many people were not able to read or write. Therefore, people did not have any information about their government and laws. Also, because people could not understand anything, people in the upper class took advantages over them and made laws that were beneficial for themselves. When King Sejong found out about this situation, he had decided to make new native language that is easy to read and write. After three years of invention, in 1442, King Sejong finally invented Hangeul, also known as Korean. Then, he published Hunminjeongeum, so that any one can learn Korean to read and write. Although there were five parts of Hunminjeongeum, but four of them were lost over the time, and only one of them is preserved.

            The two main ideas of Hunminjeongeum is to easily teach people to learn Hangeul and to help people to be more informed about their country. King Sejong is one of the greatest kings in Joseon Dynasty. He had invented several inventions, including Hangeul, sundial, water clock, and rain gauge. He was very thoughtful and cared a lot about his people. By inventing Hangeul, people who did not know how to read or write Chinese were able to learn new language. Also, when many people were able to use this language, people who were not in upper class were also able to participate in government and make laws that all citizens could have benefits. During Joseon Dynasty, many people did not know how to read or write Chinese because it was very complicated and there were no places for most people to learn them, other than upper class. So King Sejong decided to make a new set of alphabets that is easy to read and write. In Hunminjeongeum, it has 28 alphabets of Hangeul and detailed instruction of the ways to form letters.

            I found Hunminjeongeum beautiful for various reasons. First of all, without his invention of Hangeul, Korea would still use Chinese to communicate until now. However, after he had made new language, Korea finally had its unique language. Moreover, when I have learned his motivation of inventing Hangeul, I was able to feel how much he cared about his country and wanted to make better country. In order to make it simple, he made each alphabet to write how they sound. Also, while he was making new language, he had health issues. His eyesight suddenly became worse, and he was ill so he could not walk without cane in the dark. Even though he knew his health was getting worse, he did not stop the invention of Hangeul. This demonstrates how much he wanted to improve people’s lives. Furthermore, although during the same time period, other countries in the world tried to invent unique language, there are no other success stories. When many linguists have read about principles and usage of this language in Hunminjeongeum, they said Hangeul is one of the languages in the world that can be most easily learned. Therefore, I think Hunminjeongeum is very beautiful because it enabled Korea to have our own unique language. 

Reply 1988

Reply 1988 is a Korean television series that was set in 1988. This television series reenacts people’s lives in 1998 by portraying the daily lives of five families, who are living in the same neighborhood of Ssangmoon-dong for about 20 years. Each of those families has a child who is at the same age, who is in high school, and the development of friendships and love among those families are shown throughout entire series. Sung Deok Sun is a middle child who was born in a poor family. Kim Jung Hwan is crazy about soccer, and his family became rich overnight from lottery. Sung Sun Woo is a perfect model as a student, a son, and a brother. His mother has raised his younger sister and him after his father had passed away. Lee Dong Ryong likes hanging out with his four friends and dancing. His father is a dean at his high school. Lastly, Choi Taek has dropped out of school, and he is one of the best go players in Asia. Through the entire series, the friendships and love among five teenagers develops into stronger relationships.

            There are two main themes in Reply 1988. The first theme of this drama is family. Family was one of the main conflicts that were dealt in Reply 1988. Each family had different family issues. Sung Deok Sun, one of the main character, struggles as a middle child in a poor family. Because her and her older sister’s birthday was a day apart, she did not have her own birthday cake, and she always had to concede when there is not enough food. In addition, Kim Jung Hwan’s parents could not pay much attention to him because his older brother had heart diseases since he was little. So he was not used to expressing emotion and wanted to become a pilot because it was his brother’s dream job. However, throughout the drama, all five families overcame conflicts and became stronger family. The second theme of Reply 1988 is time. Unlike many other television series, it was set in 1988. It reenacted old memories like 1988 Seoul Olympics and college student movements. Also, the whole series of this show portrays the process of five teenagers becoming adults and finding their passions. From this story, people who lived in that time period can sympathize and relate themselves.

            I find Reply 1988 beautiful because the story deals with my parents’ generation. My parents were also watching this drama, and they were able to relate themselves to the stories shown in this television series. Also, while I was watching this drama, I was able to imagine how my parents were like when they were in my age. After watching this show, my parents have shared similar memories they had, which made me to understand more about my parents and become closer with them. Moreover, at the end of Reply 1988, all of the five friends gather and talk about how much fun they had when they were in high school and when they were living in the same neighborhood. After I finished watching the whole series, I have felt that I need to cherish the memories I have made with my family and friends. In addition, not only my parents were able to relate themselves, but I was also able to relate myself to this television show. Reply 1988 shows little family conflicts that are commonly happening in real world, such as fights between siblings and between parents and children. While I was watching this drama, I was able to realize my careless mistakes and understand my parents and my younger sister’s perspective.

The Starry Night

           Vincent van Gogh is a post-impressionist artist, who had created all of his artworks in just over a decade before his death. After he had ongoing conflict with Paul Gauguin, he cut his ear, and he was hospitalized in a mental hospital at Saint-Remy in France. While he was staying in the mental hospital, he created many well-known artworks, including The Starry Night. This painting was believed to show the landscape from his bedroom at the mental hospital in 1889.

            Van Gogh was born to an upper middle class family, and he spent his early age working as an art dealer. Although he drew when he was a child, he did not started painting until he was in twenties. When he first encountered Japanese artworks, he really enjoyed them and was influenced by Japanese woodblock prints. In a letter that was written to his brother, Theo, in 1888, he once said, “I envy the Japanese the extreme clarity of everything in their work. It is never dull and it never seems to be done in too much of a hurry. Their work is as simple as breathing, and they do a figure in a few sure strokes as if it were as easy as doing up your waistcoat.”

            The Starry Night shows van Gogh’s ongoing concern with death. In one of the letters he wrote to Theo in 1888, he said, “But to look at the stars always makes me dream, as simply as I dream over the black dots of a map representing towns and villages. Why, I ask myself, should the shining dots of the sky not be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France? If we take the train to get to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to reach a star.” Also, in this painting, there is a big cypress tree on the left. This cypress tree is one of the classical symbols for mourning, death, and afterlife. Moreover, because it is also the tallest and largest tree in the world, it also represents the connection between the earth and the sky.

            Another theme of this painting is a movement. Van Gogh uses thick, swirling brush strokes that give the impression of the movement. Also, around the stars and moon, he painted spiral-like shapes to express the lights. He also uses various shades of blue in the swirling patterns, which exaggerates the movement. He once said, “it often seems to me that the night is much more alive and ritually colored than the day.”

            Now, Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night is one of my favorite paintings. Before I did this project, I did not know a lot about the details of this painting. However, once I researched about him and this painting, I became to like this painting more. The sky in this painting is very different that the normal sky in the summer of 1889, which shows that van Gogh used his imagination to create this sky. Furthermore, I love how he used various brush strokes and colors to express the movement of intense and vibrant night sky. In addition, I like how this painting is full of contrasts. The village at the bottom of the painting seems very quite and peaceful, but the sky on the top is very dynamic and energetic. Also, when I first look at this painting, I thought that this was just beautiful. But, once I got to know the background of the artist and the details of this painting, it seemed kind of sad. Now that I understand the depth of this artwork, I would like to visit Museum of Modern Art to see this painting in person to feel the emotion and movement of this painting.