Ahn Eak-tai

Infobox Korean name

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caption=Ahn Eak-tai in 1955
hangul=안익태
hanja=安益泰
rr=An Ik-tae
mr=An Ikt'ae|

Ahn Eak-tai ( _ko. 안익태) (1906 – 1965) was a Korean classical composer and conductor. He conducted numerous major orchestras across Europe, including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Rome Philharmonic Orchestra. Ahn composed the "Aegukga", now the national anthem of South Korea, "Korean Dance",cite web |url= http://dynamic-korea.com/culture/view.php?main=LEC&uid=200600034495|title= Korean Patriot’s Musical Scores Uncovered|accessdate=2006-11-29 ] "Nongae", and the "Symphonic Fantasy Korea". His unpublished works, some of which having been discovered recently, include "Poema Synfonic ‘Mallorca", "Lo Pi Formentor", and "The Death of Emperor Gojong".

Ahn Eak-tai was born in the northern part of the Korean peninsula just before Japanese occupation, and attended a school staffed by Catholic missionaries. There he developed interest in music as he played trumpet in the school orchestra. He received higher education from the Kunitachi Music School in Japan, and at the University of Cincinnati, and the Curtis Institute of Music in the United States during the Great Depression. Ahn continued his study at Vienna under Bernhard Paumgartner, and under Professor Kodai at the Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary. Upon a second visit to Vienna, Ahn received assistance from Richard Strauss to bring "Symphonic Fantasy Korea" to near completion. Beginning with a concert in Budapest, Ahn spent the next five years conducting in Europe. Escalation of the World War II brought Ahn to Spain, where he met Lolita Talavera, his future wife. After their marriage in 1946, the two moved to the United States, where Ahn conducted Philadelphia Orchestra. Then, in 1955, Ahn returned to South Korea, and conducted the Seoul Philharmonic until his death.

Early life and education

Ahn was born in Pyongyang, Korea, on December 5, 1906, as the third son of Ahn Dukhoon (안덕훈). Ahn's family was a branch of the extended family of Ahn Soon-hoong (안순흥), renowned for having produced patriots such as An Chang-ho (안창호) and An Jung-geun (안중근). [pp. 6-7 Baek Sukgi] Ahn's father desired western education for his children, and sent the eldest son Ahn Iksam to Tokyo to attend Japanese schools. Iksam, aware of Ahn's interest in music, enabled Ahn to take his initiatives by buying him a Suzuki violin, and a phonograph and records.cite web |url= http://enc.daum.net/dic100/viewContents.do?&m=all&articleID=b14a3218a|title= 안익태 [安益泰]
accessdate=2007-01-06 |work= DAUM Britannica] [p. 8 Baek Sukgi]

In 1914, at the age of ten, Ahn was admitted to the Pyeongyang Jongro Botong School.cite web |url= http://www.cucucu.com/ezboard/ezboard.cgi?db=korean&action=read&dbf=28&page=0&depth=1|title= Han-gook-in, Han-gook-in|accessdate=2007-01-06 ] Around the same time, Ahn began to play the trumpet.cite web |url= http://hishkim.com.ne.kr/l/comp/aniktae.htm|title= 안익태 (安益泰ㆍ1905년~1965년)|accessdate=2007-01-06 |work= 시대별 대표적인 작곡가] In 1918, Ahn was admitted to the Pyeongyang Soongsil Middle School, where he participated in the school orchestra; Iksam gave Ahn a cello as a congratulatory gift. [p. 10 Baek Sukgi] To find a tutor for cello, Dr. Mauri, the principal of the middle school, made connection for Ahn to a Canadian missionary called Mr. Greg.

In 1919, Dr. Mauri led the school orchestra into participating in the March 1st Movement, a nationwide effort among Koreans to protest against the Japanese rule over the peninsula. [p. 13 'Baek Sukgi] From this experience, Ahn developed fervor for the Korean independence movement, and began a student-held movement to protest against pro-Japanese teachers; the school deemed Ahn's actions as inappropriate, and sentenced retributions accordingly. Sometime in September, Ahn involved himself with an effort to raid a jail in order to rescue the March 1st Movement activists caught by the Japanese police. When the police raided one of the meetings, Ahn successfully fled to Dr. Mauri's. The doctor treated Ahn's injuries for a week, and, upon receiving requests from the police to submit Ahn, made a personal visit to the local police station to discuss alternatives. Impressed with Dr. Mauri's character, the department head let Ahn bypass imprisonment by forging papers that permitted Ahn to study music in Tokyo.cite web |url= http://www.ahneaktai.or.kr/|title= Ahn Eak Tai Foundation|accessdate=2007-01-06 ]

tudy in Japan

On October 6, 1919, Ahn took a train to Busan and boarded a ship toward Shimonoseki. During his stay with brother Iksam, Ahn succeeded in entering the Tokyo Seisoku Middle School. In 1926, Ahn was accepted to the Kunitachi Music School. On the summer of that year, Ahn came back to Korea on a music performance trip to gather funds for the reconstruction of a burned down church. He happened to meet Yi Sangjae, the founder of the Dokrip Newspaper, [p. 31-32 Baek Sukgi] and Jo Mansik, an independence movement leader who advocated the use of Korean-made products so that Koreans' debts might be paid. Upon Jo's request, Ahn led a demonstration promoting the use of Korean commodities by playing his cello in an automobile.

In 1928, Ahn's father died, and his mother faced financial difficulty in providing all five of her sons education. Therefore, Ahn was hired into a luxurious restaurant as a cellist. Even then, Ahn could not fully pay for the tuition, and the school disallowed Ahn to graduate. Furthermore, Ahn accidentally broke his cello, and had to borrow his classmates'. One of Ahn's Japanese peers expressed his respect for Ahn by purchasing him a new Suzuki violin. Eventually, Ahn was able to graduate when his teacher Hansford paid for all of Ahn's due tuition fees. [p. 41-42 Baek Sukgi] Ahn had a late graduation, and, although it was for one person, it proceeded as if it were for many. Upon his teachers' proposals, Ahn performed a concert with his cello; at this performance, a Japanese newspaper appraised Ahn as "the genius with bright future". [p. 43 Baek Sukgi]

In May 1930, Ahn returned to Korea. Upon his visit to the Soongsil Middle School, Dr. Mauri suggested to Ahn about continuing his study in the United States. After being prohibited by the Japanese police from holding a concert, Ahn concluded that to follow Dr. Mauri's advice would be necessary to avoid the social barriers placed on the Koreans. [p. 45-46 Baek Sukgi]

United States

Upon arriving in San Francisco, Ahn was jailed during the scanning process of the immigrants because he refused to hand his cello over to the officials. During the night, Ahn obtained permission from a prison guard to practice on his confiscated cello; unable to make connection between a musician and a criminal, the prison guard investigated the cause of Ahn's imprisonment and arranged for his release the next day. [p. 50 Baek Sukgi7]

Back in San Francisco, Ahn went to a Korean church introduced by Dr. Mauri. During a service led by Pastor Hwang, Ahn heard the first Korean national anthem, which was based on a Scottish song, "Auld Lang Syne".cite web |url= http://www.opm.go.kr/warp/webapp/content/view?meta_id=english&id=22|title= Anthem|accessdate=2007-01-06 |work= National Symbols] Ahn thought of the tune as unfit for a national anthem, and decided to try composing a new national anthem for Korea. [p. 54 Baek Sukgi] As Ahn waited in the train station to head toward Cincinnati, Pastor Hwang gifted him a black suitcase, and a fountain pen to write the national anthem. [p. 58 Baek Sukgi]

As arranged by Pastor Hwang, Ahn met Park Wonjung, Ahn's senior alumni at the Soongsil Middle School and the Kunitachi Music School, at the train station. Park, then a student a the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, assisted Ahn to enter the conservatory.cite web |url= http://www.topianet.co.kr/topia/4/4D/41d0901ye.htm|title= 안익태|accessdate=2007-01-06 ] Ahn had to work at a restaurant in order to make his living, at a low pay as expected of the Great Depression. [p. 59 Baek Sukgi] In 1930, Ahn was accepted to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as the first cellist, and, during the spring break of his second year, he toured around the United States to play recitals in major cities. In New York City, Ahn was allowed to perform in the Carnegie Hall, a show that New York newspapers wrote about with positive commentaries. [p. 59 Baek Sukgi]

After his successful tour, Ahn changed his career goal from a cellist to a conductor. In 1935, Ahn made a transfer to the Curtis Institute of Music in the University of Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1936. Around this time, Ahn successfully led a choir in Candem Church; having heard about Ahn and attended a service at the church, Leopold Stokowski invited him to the Philadelphia Orchestra. [p. 66 Baek Sukgi] On the downside, Ahn was unable to pay his rent, as he was focused in writing his first orchestral score called "Symphonic Fantasy Korea"; however, the Peables, Ahn's neighbors, offered to pay the rent. [p. 70 Baek Sukgi]

Ahn successfully submitted "Symphonic Fantasy Korea" to a competition in the Carnegie Hall, and Ahn was given the chance to conduct the New York Philharmonic for the work's premiere. However, the performance turned out to be chaotic, as the disrespectful orchestra body refused to fully cooperate. Greatly angered, Ahn threw down his baton. The audience followed with shouts requesting another fresh performance; Ahn refused, expressing his disappointment at the orchestra. [p. 72 Baek Sukgi] The Peables praised Ahn of his actions, and apologized on behalf of the Americans; they also offered to send Ahn to Europe to study and give support for the tuition.

Europe

On April 8, 1936, Ahn left New York City, and, upon landing in Europe, headed to Berlin. Here he completed the "Aegukga" and sent it to a Korean independence movement organization in San Francisco called the "Korean People Meeting". He also made final touches to the "Symphonic Fantasy Korea". [p. 78 Baek Sukgi] Ahn moved to Vienna in Austria to study under Bernhard Paumgartner, a famous composer and Beethoven interpreter. In 1937, Ahn went to Hungary to study under Professor Kodai, and applied his teachings specific to Asian music to composing the "Symphonic Fantasy Korea".p. 83 Baek Sukgi]

In 1937, Ahn was invited to Dublin, Ireland, to perform "Symphonic Fantasy Korea". It easily won the Irish audience, as Ireland had been under the British rule as Korea was under the Japanese rule. He then went back to Vienna and met with the famous composer Richard Strauss to discuss about "Symphonic Fantasy Korea". At the same time, Ahn was attending the Eötvös Loránd University with scholarship from the Hungarian government,cite web |url= http://www.chosun.com/national/news/200611/200611130590.html|title= “안익태선생, 헝가리정부 장학금 받아 공부”: 해외 유학 ‘학적부’ 첫 발견 코다이 등 대가로부터 배워
accessdate=2007-01-06 ] and, in 1939, Ahn graduated from the university. Complimenting on Ahn's talent, Mr. Strauss gave Ahn to conduct a concert in Budapest in place of him. Unfortunately, Ahn had spent countless hours in preparing for the concert that he collapsed on the last song. Even at this the Hungarian newspapers praised Ahn for his efforts. [p. 90 Baek Sukgi] At Strauss's recommendation, Rome Philharmonic Orchestra gladly accepted Ahn as its conductor; many other orchestras across Europe followed, and Ahn travelled all over Europe to perform.

In December 1940, Ahn was invited by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the world's greatest orchestra at the time. [p. 91 Baek Sukgi] The German newspapers filled their articles about Ahn with generous praises. Ahn continued to conduct many famous orchestras in Europe. On one occasion, however, Ahn was expelled from the Rome Philharmonic Orchestra for performing the "Symphonic Korea", which the Japanese government had discovered as unpleasing. [p. 93 Baek Sukgi] Ahn found another place to work, the Orchestre de Paris, but he was forced to leave in 1944, when Paris was liberated from the German forces. He was invited by the Spanish ambassador to conduct for the Orquestra Simfonica de Barcelona. [p. 94-95 Baek Sukgi]

In a social gathering, Ahn was introduced to Talavera Lolita,cite web |url= http://songpr.com/flag3-%BE%C8%C0%CD%C5%C2.htm|title= 애국가 작곡가 안익태|accessdate=2007-01-06 ] who had become a fervent fan of Ahn when she had seen a film on one of Ahn's performances. [p. 96 Baek Sukgi] Miss Lolita happened to be knowledgeable about the Japanese occupation of Korea, and Ahn felt understood. The two eventually became engaged, and, on July 5th, 1946, Miss Lolita and Ahn were married, [p. 97 Baek Sukgi] The two went to the island of Majorca, where Ahn founded the The Palma de Mallorca Symphony Orchestra.cite web |url= http://english.kbs.co.kr/news/zoom/1427540_11781.html|title= The Centennial Celebration of National Anthem Composer’s Birth|accessdate=2007-01-06 ] [p. 94-95 Baek Sukgi] In the same year, he sought to work in the United States, but his past association with Strauss, who was known to be a Nazi party supporter, obstructed his goal for two years; in the end, however, he was admitted to the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Return to Korea

On August 15, 1948, Ahn's "Aegukga" was sung in the ceremony commemorating the establishment of the Korean government. After the Korean War, President Syngman Rhee invited Ahn as a guest to be part of his 80th birthday celebration, and, on February 19, 1955, Ahn returned to his motherland after 25 years away from home. [p. 99 Baek Sukgi] The military band sang the "Aegukga" upon Ahn's arrival. Soon after, Ahn was awarded the Cultural Medal of Merit.

Under an invitation from the Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku, Ahn arrived at the Haneda Airport in January 1960, [p. 103 Baek Sukgi] and conducted a concert at the Yaon Hibiya Auditorium on the night of February 4. After the success in Tokyo, Ahn flew to Osaka where he held another concert. [p. 106 Baek Sukgi] After the concert, Ahn urged the Korean population in the area, who had been divided politically between the North and South, for further unity and cooperation.p. 107 Baek Sukgi] Later in 1964, Ahn conducted a concert during the 1964 Summer Olympics, as requested by the NHK. [p. 107-108 Baek Sukgi]

After a successful concert in Spain, Ahn organized three successive Seoul International Music Festivals, [p. 110 Baek Sukgi] but could not continue the event any further because it disrupted Ahn's work for the Seoul Philharmonic.cite web |url=http://listing-index.ebay.com/musicians/Ahn_Eak-tai.html |title= Musicians - Ahn Eak-tai|accessdate=2007-01-06 |work= Listing Index] On September 16, 1965, Ahn was stricken by a sudden illness and died while staying on the island of Majorca. [p. 111 Baek Sukgi] On July 8, 1977, Ahn's ashes were transferred from Majorca to the Korean National Cemetery.

ee also

*Korean music
*List of Korean musicians

References

*"Woongjin weeinjungi #34 Ahn Ikte" by Baek Sukgi. Woongjin Publishing Co., Ltd., 1987

Notes

External links

* [http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200503/200503160048.html Composer's Widow Recalls His Love for Korea] , Choson Ilbo, March 16, 2005.
* [http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/200511/kt2005112919343311710.htm "Berliner Symphoniker to Perform 'Fantasia Korea'] , "The Korea Times", November 29, 2005.
* [http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/200602/kt2006021622392111720.htm "Ahn Eak-tai's Sheet Music Discovered"] , "The Korea Times", February 16, 2006.
* [http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20060212/480100000020060212104505E5.html "S. Korea marks centennial of national anthem composer's birthday"] , Yonhap News, February 12, 2006.

Persondata
NAME = Ahn Eak-tai
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = 안익태 (Korean)
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Composer, conductor
DATE OF BIRTH = December 5, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH = Pyongyang, Korea
DATE OF DEATH = September 16, 1965
PLACE OF DEATH = Majorca