Total work of art The German term Gesamtkunstwerk (translatable as total artwork) is attributed to the opera composer Richard Wagner, who coined it to refer to a type of artwork that integrates music, theater and visual arts. Wagner believed that Greek tragedy fusing all these elements, which are then separated in different arts, in fact, Wagner was very critical of the prevailing type of opera in his day, which he accused of focusing too much on music, which other elements were subordinated, especially drama. Wagner attached great importance to environmental elements such as lighting, sound effects or seating arrangements, to focus full attention of the audience on stage, thus ensuring their complete immersion in the drama. These ideas were revolutionary at the time, but soon came to be assumed by modern opera.Since its coinage, the term has been used to describe various artistic expressions that combine elements of various arts. In architecture, for example, uses this term to describe a building in which every part is designed to complement others within a whole. In recent times, the art of film and other popular visual manifestations have been described as “total artwork” for his combination of theater, music, image, etc.. The term was also used by artists belonging to the “Vienna Secession” in the early twentieth century to describe his aesthetic goal.