REVIEWING THE PARSIFAL AND THE EUROPERAS 1&2 IN THE GLIMS OF THE CONCEPT OF “GESAMTKUNSTWERK”

Abstract

In the 19th century, during the period of revolutionary artistic movements, Richard Wagner began a new musical current by putting the concept of leitmotif” and the notion of “endless melody”. In the early 20th century, at the time when new explorations were seen in music and art, a new period began with the 12-tone system that A. Schoenberg developed. In this period John Cage, the student of Schoenberg, pioneered all musical and artistic activities and provided a different perspective by bringing innovations to the performing arts. Cage, who asserted the non-necessity of strict rules in order to make a composition, offered a new canvas for visual and aural arts by employing the different mediums altogether. In this article, the operas titled “Parsifal” and “Europeras 1 & 2” will be reviewed by glancing at the concept called “Gesamtkunstwerk” and it will be discussed whether or not the “Europeras 1&2” can be viewed as “Gesamtkunstwerk” by revealing the similarities and differences between these two operas.