Per Norgard: Der gottliche Tivoli

Der göttliche Tivoli (The Divine Circus) is Per Nørgård’s (b. 1932) marvellous portrayal of the Swiss schizophrenic artist Adolf Wölfli (1864-1930). It stands as a key work in contemporary Nordic music drama and in two acts presents two periods in Wölfli’s life; his harsh upbringing in Switzerland in the late 19th century and his confinement in an asylum, where Wölfli for more than 30 years produced an endless number of incredible artworks. The encounter with Wölfli’s life and art became a significant turning point in Nørgård’s music, which led to a series of great works, all dealing with chaos and catastrophe, among them The Divine Circus. The Divine Circus is here presented for the first time in a live performance from Stadttheater Bern in 2008.