Juche-Oriented View on Famous Music Clarified in a Teenage

President Kim Il Sung said:

"Comrade Kim Jong Il is an outstanding leader possessed of the power of both pen and sword."

Famous music is the song and music that is loved by people as they are good to listen and yet meaningful. And it also embodies the essence of the times and people's desire into the most warm-hearted, beautiful and dignified way. So it is one of components indispensible in the ideological and spiritual life of the working people and it gives a powerful contribution to educating them ideologically and spiritually.

Today, many famous songs of the times have been created and they are contributing to the ideological and spiritual life of the people thanks to the Chairman Kim Jong Il's distinguished musical qualities.

With his extraordinary musical talent gifted, Chairman Kim Jong Il, who had a deep insight into the importance of music in people and their lives in his teens, clarified the Juche-oriented view on masterpieces.

On March 19, Juche 45(1956), Chairman Kim Jong Il, who was studying at the Pyongyang Secondary School No. 1, gave students precious instructions on having a correct understanding of famous music.

First of all, he clarified the basic features of masterpieces.

That day he said it was a good thing for students to live cheerfully while singing songs, and said that the song they had learned from yesterday was a world famous song. It was written by Tchaikovsky in the opera "Oprichinic".

He warmly taught the students that the musical attainment of masterpieces of the world is not enhanced by knowing them. What is important in improving musical attainments is how to perceive music and how to understand the world of music.

Correcting this idea of students, Kim Jong Il clarified clearly what songs could be masterpieces.

Saying that all the song composed by a famous composer cannot be called a masterpiece, he said that it is not judged by the people who have composed it but by how deeply the heartstrings of the people are touched.

He continued that only when the song reflects people's thoughts, feelings, inner world and aspirations honestly and simply can it touch the heartstrings of the people. And he added that it can be called a masterpiece that meets the people's thoughts, feelings and emotions, is easy to sing, is easy to hear and is long to impress.

That day, looking back on the history of the development of world music, he said that the symphony of Beethoven, the violin concertos of Tchaikovsky, the orchestral illusion of Glinka, the music of Verdi's opera "Camarinskaya", the piano sonatas of Mozart, and Niel's "Volunteer Army March" are famous songs well known throughout the world.

He said that the Korean people enjoyed singing from ancient times, saying that they created many beautiful and gentle folk songs for centuries and that after liberation our musicians had many excellent songs.

He said with pride that the immortal revolutionary hymn "Song of General Kim Il Sung" is a famous song enjoyed by not only our people but also the world people. He said that the wartime songs "Mungyong Pass", "At the Spring Site" and "On the Road of a Decisive Battle" are very vital and gave detailed instructions on the ideological and artistic qualities of the song "At the Spring Site".

Saying that the wartime song "At the Spring Site" is a song enjoyed by everyone, he said that it was a simple musical structure that accords with the sentiments of our people and a plain national melody that depicts the relationship between the army and the people in a lifelike way. This song is a masterpiece and our country will become a country of masterpieces in the future.

He also clarified the principled stand to be kept in dealing with the world famous songs.

He said that the world famous songs should not be sung at random if they are not suitable to our specific conditions.

He said that songs which do not suit our specific conditions are of no significance in educating people. And he emphasized that as we are the successors to the Korean revolution, so we must sing a militant and revolutionary song that suits our specific conditions.

Indeed, the valuable instruction by Chairman Kim Jong Il that day was an original Korean-style formulation on the famous music clarified on the basis of Juche oriented principle.

This has shattered the old understanding of the masterpieces of the people and opened up a bright road to creating masterpieces of our own style.

Indeed, Chairman Kim Jong Il, with his outstanding musical talent in his teens, solemnly formulated the basic features of famous music and clarified the principled stand arising in dealing with the world famous music, thus performing precious exploits for the development of Juche oriented music.