Jeokbyeokga

Jeokbyeokga is one of the five surviving stories of the Korean pansori storytelling tradition. The other stories are Simcheongga, Heungbuga, Chunhyangga and Sugungga. It is also known as Hwaryongdo.^[1] This story is a retelling of the Chinese historical legend of the Battle of Red Cliffs. Jeokbyeokga is a heroic story. Therefore, the expressions are grand, sublime, and strong. Accordingly, female singers rarely sing it.^[1] Jeokbyeokga has many scenes depicting conflict between the king, feudal lords and a commander, so the singer must have the capability of making grand vocalizations. A singer with an intense voice is aptly suited for Jeokbyeokga. Jeokbyeokga is considered to be the most difficult pansori, even though it is short.