Parsifal

St Andrew’s Cathedral, Inverness Sunday 31st May 2026

Parsifal, The Mahler Players

St Andrew’s Cathedral may not possess the architectural grandeur of Chartres or Notre Dame, yet as a setting for Wagner’s Parsifal it proves unexpectedly ideal. The suspended crucifixion scene above the chancel screen forms a strikingly apt backdrop for an opera so steeped in paschal themes of sacrifice, redemption, and spiritual renewal. Few set designers could have devised something more resonant.

Following last year’s presentations of individual acts, The Mahler Players, under the baton of Tomas Leakey, have now delivered a magnificent semi‑staged performance of the complete work, presented in a reduced orchestration for forty players. The result is a compelling demonstration of how resourcefulness and artistic ambition can flourish outside major metropolitan centres.

The cast assembled for this performance was exceptional, not least the legendary Sir John Tomlinson, whose presence alone signals the calibre that the Mahler Players have achieved. From the opening bars of the prelude - one of Wagner’s most sublime creations - the orchestra held the audience in rapt attention, establishing a musical atmosphere sustained throughout the evening.

Tomlinson’s Gurnemanz was a masterclass in narrative authority. His sonorous bass, still remarkably powerful as he approaches eighty, carried effortlessly through the cathedral, shaping the opera’s vast spiritual landscape with clarity and gravitas. Julian Hubbard offered a wonderfully fresh and exuberant Parsifal, capturing both the character’s innocence and his bewilderment at the ritual world into which he stumbles after committing avicide. His energy provided a welcome contrast to the solemnity surrounding him.

Thomas Weinhappel’s Amfortas was a deeply felt portrayal of anguish and physical torment, his vocal colour and phrasing conveying the unbearable weight of inherited duty. Act Two brought a shift in tone, with Almerija Delic’s sumptuous, soaring Kundry aria forming the emotional core of the seduction scene. The flower maidens - Catriona Clark, Jessica Leary and Laura Margaret Smith - offered a charmingly light, coquettish counterpoint.

The final act’s journey from darkness to illumination was handled with admirable sensitivity, both musically and dramatically. Despite the spatial limitations and absence of conventional staging, the performers held their line with assurance, aided by subtle but effective lighting.

One of the production’s great triumphs was its imaginative use of the cathedral’s architecture. Positioning singers in the choir and gallery created an ethereal, almost other‑worldly resonance that would be difficult to replicate in a traditional opera house.  One could sense the audience’s wonderment as the invisible choir sang from the heavens.

The reduced orchestration, too, proved largely advantageous. While a full Wagnerian ensemble might have overwhelmed the cathedral’s acoustic, the clarity of detail here was striking. Only occasionally did the lone trumpet seem exposed, and the harp in the closing pages might have benefited from reinforcement - but these are minor quibbles in an otherwise superbly balanced performance. 

The sold‑out audience, the standing ovation, and the palpable sense of occasion all point to a clear appetite for more adventurous programming in the Highlands. While Scottish Opera continues to rely on a familiar rotation of crowd‑pleasers at Eden Court, it may well fall to ensembles like the Mahler Players to push artistic boundaries and enrich the region’s cultural landscape.