This week’s theme
Words borrowed from German

This week’s words
gemutlich
anschauung
gesellschaft
gesamtkunstwerk
krummholz

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(guh-ZAHMT-koonst-vuhrk)

MEANING:

noun: A work of art that makes use of many different art forms.

ETYMOLOGY:

From German Gesamtkunstwerk (total artwork), from gesamt (total, whole) + Kunst (art) + Werk (work). Earliest documented use: 1939.

NOTES:

The concept is Gesamtkunstwerk is associated with the composer Richard Wagner who described it in a series of essays in an attempt to synthesize music, drama, dance, poetry, etc.

USAGE:

“Here all the arts were to amalgamate into one gigantic Gesamtkunstwerk: music, voice, song, dance, color, scent.”
Marjana Gaponenko; Who is Martha?; New Vessel Press; 2014.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: