『樂章歌詞』는 궁중 의례에서 가창된 노랫말을 수록한 문헌이다. 특히 『악장가사』는 고려시대와 조선초기의 문학과 음악 자원을 담고 있다는 점에서 국문학계와 음악학계에 중요한 문헌이다. 그런데 수록작품의 문학성보다 가창성에 방점을 찍으면 ‘궁중 노래책’으로 규정 가능하므로, 음악 문헌이라는 시각에서 『악장가사』를 살펴보았다. 먼저 이본 3종의 편찬연대를 재고하여 17세기 말~18세기 초(1695~1720) 무렵 묶은 동일본에 기반함을 확인했다. 이후 묶인 상태 그대로 유지하거나, 일부만 삽입하거나, 후대의 신규 악장을 풍성하게 추가한 양상이 상이하게 나타나는데, 그 원인은 소장처나 사용자 등의 환경 요인에 의한 것으로 해석했다. 이본 3종의 편철이 일관되지 않은 이유는 악인들을 대상으로 사용했던 연습용 책이었기 때문에 필요에 의해 합쳐서 사용했던 상황에 기인한 것으로 보았다. 그리고 『악장가사』를 분권한 듯한 『아악가사』, 『종묘악장』 같은 소책자의 존재를 확인함으로써 역으로 이러한 소책자를 묶어서『악장가사』를 만들 수 있다는 가능성을 제시하였다. 또한 『악장가사』의 세 부분, 즉 「아악가사」, 「속악가사」, 「가사」는 실사용자인 악인과 긴밀성을 지녔고, 「아악가사」는 악생의 레파토리, 「속악가사」는 악공의 레파토리,「가사」는 주로 여악이 가창했던 레파토리임을 확인하였다. 아울러 세 부분의 표기방식이 악인들의 신분과도 관련된다고 파악하였고, 수록작품들이 음악적으로 구현할 때의 형태와 방식을 준수하였고, 첫 곡 배치도 『악학궤범』에서 나타나는 보편적 성격을 지향했다는 측면에서 악서에서 택한 성향을 공유하는 방향성도 규명하였다. 이렇듯 음악 자료라는 정체성이 분명한 『악장가사』는 양란 후 궁중음악 복구를 위한 노력과 궤를 함께하는 가운데 소실과 전승의 위기에 놓여 있던 궁중 의례의 노래가사를 계승하려는 목적으로 묶은 책자임을 확인했다. 전쟁 후 노랫말도 소실의 위기에 처해 전승이 어려웠고, 궁중의 노래를 연습하고 계승해야 한다는 현실적인 필요에 의해 장악원 소재 가사책을 묶은 결과물이 『악장가사』였던 것이다.
Akjang-gasa is a kind of literature that recorded the lyrics of songs played in the royal palace ceremonies. It is considered important in the studies of Korean literature and music, respectively as it contains literature and music resources from Goryeo to early Joseon Dynasties. Nonetheless, it is possible to define it as ‘song books for the royal palace’ once the focal point is placed in vocal singing that was played in memorial ceremonies and banquets in the royal palace. Therefore, in this article, Akjang-gasa has been examined from the point of view that it is a literature work of music. After the two major wars in Joseon, Akjang-gasa was compiled for the purpose of succeeding the lyrics of songs involved in ceremonial music of the royal palace which was under the crisis of loss and succession. The reason for the fact that the compiling of three different copies is inconsistent is that the book was for practicing by the musicians, and it was due to the situation where it was combined and used as needed at the time. And, under the circumstances, such as place of storage or user of the three different copies, the book was maintained just as in the binding condition around the end of the 17th century, with sometimes only part of it inserted, or enriched addition as part of a new movement in later times. The publication script is a different copy that reflects the most changes in music for Jangakwon musicians and affinity. Furthermore, with the presence of small books, such as, Aak-gasa and Jongmyo Akjang, which seemed like the sub-part of Akjang-gasa, they present the possibility for Akjang-gasa to be made by binding such small books in a reverse way. In order to perform ceremonial music of the royal palace in Yeojo and Jangakwon, various types of music data were displayed, and these data were available to government officers and musical professionals from time to time. In particular, those three parts of Akjang-gasa, namely, Aak-gasa, Sokak-gasa and Gasa showed closeness with each other by musicians, with Aak-gasa as the repertory of Aksaeng, Sokak-gasa as the repertory of Akgong, and Gasa as the repertory of mainly yeoak (female musician). In addition, it was learned that the indication method of these three parts was related to the identity of musicians, and the style and method of the time to materialize the listed works in musical ways were complied with, and in the aspect that the first song arrangement had the general characteristics appearing in Akhak-gwebeom, the scheme to share the opted tendency in the music writing was shown of its glimpse. As shown earlier, Akjang-gasa as musical data was the focal point of endeavors to restore the royal palace music after the two major wars, and it was the book compiled around the end of the 17th century to early 18th century (1695-1720), the later part of the King Sukjong’s reign. After the wars, most of the lyrics were lost, which made it difficult transmitted. Under the realistic need to practice and succeed the songs of the royal palace, the lyric books available in Jangakwon were compiled, which resulted in Akjang-gasa.