Classical Gayageum Music for Meditation 2 CDs

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This album is valuable recordings to appreciate the deep aesthetics of Korean classical music. Kim Chong-Ja's music is different from Western musical philosophy, which approaches music through acoustics; her music is rooted in the Confucian ideology of music that was used for personal and spiritual cultivation. The main principle implied in her music may be energy ("gi", or better known as "chi" in Chinese). She is interested in the flow of sound in slow music and the continuance of the tone produced by the plucked instruments. She always thinks of how the sound moves in accordance with universal energy when she plays the Gayageum (12-string Korean zither).

One of the most attractive elements in her Gayageum classical music is the elegant vibrato. The strings of her instrument have stronger tension than those of others. The strong tension creates an intense atmosphere and provides richer and more abundant timbre. This album perfectly represents the meditative character of Korean classical music.