On 20th and 21st September 2025 we invite you to join us for the continuation of our journey with Richard Wagner’s final opera, Parsifal. This concert performance of Act 2 follows our performance of Act 3 in November 2024. Also in the programme is Matthew King’s orchestration of a beautiful piano piece by Wagner, the Albumblatt für Betty Scott, which he wrote shortly after the completion of the Ring. The concert will begin with a brief fanfare-like work for the brass celebration the 100th anniversary of the birth of the French modernist composer Piere Boulez.
The version of Parsifal Act 2 for large chamber orchestra has been created by Matthew King, and it reduces the original forces of more than 100 players down to 45, while retaining all the essence of Wagner’s glorious music. It follows Matthew’s orchestrations of numerous other single act from Wagner’s operas, including Die Walküre, Tristan und Isolde and Siegfried. The performances will be conducted by Mahler Players Music Director Tomas Leakey.
Joining the orchestra will be old friends, including Sir John Tomlinson making his debut in the role of Klingsor, Magdalena Anna Hofmann in the role of Kundry and Julian Hubbard returning in the title role.
The performances will take place in the atmospheric surroundings of Inverness Cathedral and Strathpeffer Pavilion.
Parsifal Act 2
Saturday 20th September 2025, 8pm at Inverness Cathedral
Sunday 21st September 2025, 3pm at Strathpeffer Pavilion
Programme
Boulez Initiale
Wagner Albumblatt für Frau Betty Schott (orch. Matthew King)
Wagner Parsifal Act 2 (chamber orchestra version by Matthew King)
Klingsor Sir John Tomlinson
Kundry Magdalena Anna Hofmann
Parsifal Julian Hubbard
Flower Maidens Catriona Clark, Jessica Leary and Laura Margaret Smith
The Mahler Players, conducted by Tomas Leakey
These concerts were generously supported by the McDonald’s in the Community Foundation, Inverness Common Good Fund, Tony Shoults, HRI-Munro Architecture, Culture & Business Scotland, the Wagner Society, the Wagner Society of Scotland and the members of The Mahler Circle.
