Skip to Content

The Total Work of Art

From Bayreuth to Cyberspace

By Matthew Wilson Smith

Published March 9th 2007 by Routledge – 240 pages

Purchasing Options:

Description

The Total Work of Art provides a broad survey that incorporates many canonical artists into a single narrative. With particular attention to the influence of the Total Work of Art on modern theatre and performance, this brief introduction will also be of interest to students in such fields as film studies, music history, history of art, cultural studies, and modern European literatures.

Reviews

'Smith's writing is adventurous and stimulating… fascinating reading.' - Studies in Musical Theatre

Contents

List of Illustrations. Acknowledgments. Introduction 1. The Total Work of Art in an Age of Mechanical Reproduction 2. Total Stage: Wagner’s Festspielhaus 3. Total Machine: The Bauhaus Theatre 4. Total Montage: Brecht’s Reply to Wagner 5. Total State: Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will 6. Total World: Disney’s Theme Parks 7. Total Vacuum: Warhol’s Performances 8. Total Immersion: Cyberspace. Conclusion. Bibliography. Index

Author Bio

Matthew Smith is Assistant Professor of English at Boston University.

Name: The Total Work of Art: From Bayreuth to Cyberspace (Hardback) – Routledge 
Description: By Matthew Wilson Smith. The Total Work of Art provides a broad survey that incorporates many canonical artists into a single narrative. With particular attention to the influence of the Total Work of Art on modern theatre and performance, this brief introduction will also be of...
Categories: Art & Visual Culture, Theatre & Performance Studies