Gesamtkunstwerk
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of Gesamtkunstwerk
First recorded in 1935–40; from German: literally, “total art work”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is a Gesamtkunstwerk comprising visual art, literature, philosophy, speculation, koans and sociopolitical commentary.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 22, 2021
A performance artist who has collaborated with the Royal Opera House choir, she imagined Bank Job as Wagnerian Gesamtkunstwerk, or a total work of art.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 15, 2020
The name Gesaffelstein is a portmanteau combining Albert Einstein with the Wagnerian term Gesamtkunstwerk, which can be loosely translated as “total art work.”
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 18, 2019
All this, in a genuinely Wagnerian spirit, is an effort to find a 21st-century meaning for the idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk — the total work of art.
From New York Times ● Jul. 26, 2018
When he discovered Wagner’s idea of a total artwork, or Gesamtkunstwerk, that includes visual, theatrical and musical elements, he found his calling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2018
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