The Total Work of Art: Foundations, Articulations, Inspirations (Spektrum: Publications of the German Studies Association Book 12)

For two centuries, __Gesamtkunstwerk__—the ideal of the “total work of art”—has exerted a powerful influence over artistic discourse and practice, spurring new forms of collaboration and provoking debates over the political instrumentalization of art. Despite its popular conflation with the work of Richard Wagner, __Gesamtkunstwerk__’s lineage and legacies extend well beyond German Romanticism, as this wide-ranging collection demonstrates. In eleven compact chapters, scholars from a variety of disciplines trace the idea’s evolution in German-speaking Europe, from its foundations in the early nineteenth century to its manifold articulations and reimaginings in the twentieth century and beyond, providing an uncommonly broad perspective on a distinctly modern cultural form. Foreword / Celia Applegate -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction / Margaret Eleanor Menninger. Part I. Foundations. The Play's The Thing : Schiller, Wagner, And Gesamtkunstwerk / Nicholas Vazsonyi -- From Gesamtkunstwerk To Music Drama / Sanna Pederson -- Richard Wagner, Parsifal, And The Pursuit Of Gesamtkunstwerk / Anthony J. Steinhoff. Part Ii. Articulations. Epic Gesamtkunstwerk / Joy H. Calico -- Gesamtkunstwerk, Gestaltung, And The Bauhaus Stage / Melissa Trimingham -- Exposing The Political Gesamtkunstwerk : Hanns Eisler's Nuit Et Brouillard / Amy Lynn Wlodarski -- Reconciling The Three Graceful Hellenic Sisters : Wagner, Dance, And Song-ballets Set To Ricahrd Strauss's Vier Letzte Lieder / Wayne Heisler, Jr. Part Iii. Inspirations. The Translucent (not: Transparent) Gesamtglaswerk / Jenny Anger -- Quiet Audience, Roaring Crowd : The Aesthetics Of Sound And The Traces Of Bayreuth In Kuhel Wampe And Triumph Of The Will / Theodore F. Rippey -- The Will To Heal : Gesamtkunstwerk And Memorial Music Since 1945 / Julia Goodwin And Marget Eleanor Menninger -- Consuming Voices : Musical Film And The Gesamtkunstwerk Of Mass Culture / David Imhoof -- Afterword : Gesamtkunstwerk As Epistemic Space / Kevin S. Amidon. Edited By David Imhoof, Margaret Eleanor Menninger, And Anthony J. Steinhoff. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS TABLES FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION I Foundations CHAPTER 1 The Play’s the Thing Schiller, Wagner, and Gesamtkunstwerk CHAPTER 2 From Gesamtkunstwerk to Music Drama CHAPTER 3 Richard Wagner, Parsifal, and the Pursuit of Gesamtkunstwerk II Articulations CHAPTER 4 Epic Gesamtkunstwerk CHAPTER 5 Gesamtkunstwerk, Gestaltung, and the Bauhaus Stage CHAPTER 6 Exposing the Political Gesamtkunstwerk: Hanns Eisler’s Nuit et Brouillard CHAPTER 7 Reconciling the “Three Graceful Hellenic Sisters” Wagner, Dance, and Song-Ballets Set to Richard Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder III Inspirations CHAPTER 8 The “Translucent (Not: Transparent)” Gesamtglaswerk CHAPTER 9 Quiet Audience, Roaring Crowd: The Aesthetics of Sound and the Traces of Bayreuth in Kuhle Wampe and Triumph of the Will CHAPTER 10 The Will to Heal: Gesamtkunstwerk and Memorial Music since 1945 CHAPTER 11 Consuming Voices: Musical Film and the Gesamtkunstwerk of Mass Culture AFTERWORD Gesamtkunstwerk as Epistemic Space Select Bibliography INDEX "For two centuries, Gesamtkunstwerk-the ideal of the 'total work of art'-has exerted a powerful influence over artistic discourse and practice, spurring new forms of collaboration and provoking debates over the political instrumentalization of art. Despite its popular conflation with the work of Richard Wagner, Gesamtkunstwerk's lineage and legacies extend well beyond German Romanticism, as this wide-ranging collection demonstrates. In eleven compact chapters, scholars from a variety of disciplines trace the idea's evolution in German-speaking Europe, from its foundations in the early nineteenth century to its manifold articulations and reimaginings in the twentieth century and beyond, providing an uncommonly broad perspective on a distinctly modern cultural form."--Publisher description For two centuries, Gesamtkunstwerk —the ideal of the “total work of art”—has exerted a powerful influence over artistic discourse and practice, spurring new forms of collaboration and provoking debates over the political instrumentalization of art. Despite its popular conflation with the work of Richard Wagner, Gesamtkunstwerk ’s lineage and legacies extend well beyond German Romanticism, as this wide-ranging collection demonstrates. In eleven compact chapters, scholars from a variety of disciplines trace the idea’s evolution in German-speaking Europe, from its foundations in the early nineteenth century to its manifold articulations and reimaginings in the twentieth century and beyond, providing an uncommonly broad perspective on a distinctly modern cultural form. The Total Work of Art -- Contents -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part I - Foundations -- Chapter 1 - The Play's the Thing -- Chapter 2 - From Gesamtkuntstwerk to Music Drama -- Chapter 3 - Richard Wagner, Parsifal, and the Pursuit of Gesamtkunstwerk -- Part II - Articulations -- Chapter 4 - Epic Gesamtkunstwerk -- Chapter 5 - Gesamtkunstwerk, Gesaltung, and the Bauhaus Stage -- Chapter 6 - Exposing the Political Gesamtkunstwerk -- Chapter 7 - Reconciling the ""Three Graceful Hellenic Sisters""--Part III - Inspirations In this wide-ranging volume's twelve compact essays, scholars from across the disciplines trace Gesamtkunstwerk-the ideal of the "total work of art"-from its foundations in the early nineteenth century to its manifold articulations and reimaginings in the twentieth century and beyond.