Enduring Worlds, New Horizons: The Nature of the Gesamtkunstwerk in Three Re-Imaginings of the Nibelung Legend

Abstract

Stories are powerful. And even among stories, the enduring nature of some artworks is especially potent. Tolkien’s Rings is one example. Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen is another. This dissertation examines three artists – Richard Wagner, Fritz Lang, and J. R. R. Tolkien – each of whom made lastingly-famous artworks in their respective fields. All three attempted to create something new, an immersive experience that would push their medium to new limits. Each worked with multiple media their art, and reacted to their socio-political context in specific ways. Finally, all three draw on the Nibelung legend as inspiration. This dissertation seeks to come to an understanding of the term Gesamtkunstwerk to show that each of these artworks can be considered a Gesamtkunstwerk in their own right, and to bring Tolkien into conversation with Lang and Wagner, suggesting Tolkien’s work offers a valuable lens through which Lang and Wagner can be profitably explored.