Angst is a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity.
Etymology
The word
angst was introduced into English from the
Danish language, Norwegian, and
Dutch language word angst and the
German language word Angst. It is attested since the 19th century in English translations of the works of Søren Kierkegaard and
Sigmund Freud.
It is used in English to describe an intense feeling of apprehension, anxiety, or inner turmoil.
In other languages (with words from the Latin pavor for "fear" or "panic"),
Existentialism
In
Existentialism philosophy, the term
angst carries a specific conceptual meaning. The use of the term was first attributed to
Denmark philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855). In
The Concept of Anxiety (originally translated as
The Concept of Dread), Kierkegaard used the word
Angest (in common Danish,
angst, meaning "dread" or "anxiety") to describe a profound and deep-seated condition. Where non-human animals are guided solely by
instinct, said Kierkegaard, human beings enjoy a freedom of choice that we find both appealing and terrifying.
It is the anxiety of understanding of being free when considering undefined possibilities of one's life and the immense responsibility of having the power of choice over them.
Music
Existential angst makes its appearance in classical musical composition in the early twentieth century as a result of both philosophical developments and as a reflection of the war-torn times. Notable composers whose works are often linked with the concept include Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss (operas Elektra and Salome), Claude Debussy (opera Pelléas et Mélisande, ballet Jeux), Jean Sibelius (especially the Fourth Symphony), Arnold Schoenberg ( A Survivor from Warsaw), Alban Berg, Francis Poulenc (opera Dialogues of the Carmelites), Dmitri Shostakovich (opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, symphonies and chamber music), Béla Bartók (opera Bluebeard's Castle), and Krzysztof Penderecki (especially Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima).
Angst began to be discussed in reference to popular music in the mid- to late 1950s, amid widespread concerns over Cold War and nuclear proliferation. Jeff Nuttall's book Bomb Culture (1968) traced angst in popular culture to Hiroshima. Dread was expressed in works of folk rock such as Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" (1963) and "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall". The term often makes an appearance in reference to punk rock, grunge, nu metal, and works of emo where expressions of melancholy, existential despair, or nihilism predominate.
See also
External links
