Coro Innominata | The VocaLiszt
24 May 2026, Mosman Art Gallery, Mosman, NSW
Conductor & Musical Director: Dr Philip Eames
Pianists: Harry Tai & Silvina Wong
Baritone: Matt Gaskin
Soloists from choir: James Cox, Lynne Hancock, David Hoffman, Ari Romanenko, Tony Roscioli, Michael van der Kolff.
For most of us, mention of Franz Liszt conjures up his enormous output of virtuosic, and often fiendishly difficult, piano music. But how many of us knew that in his later years he composed a great deal for choir, both a cappella and for quite large forces? In fact, according to Coro Innominata’s Musical Director, Dr Philip Eames, he wrote more for choir than Chopin did for the piano. How did we not know? Eames himself has said this repertoire was a revelation to him, and that most of it had never been performed in Australia before.
As a choral conductor myself, who likes to explore hitherto uncharted territory, when I heard about this I was intrigued, and was determined to find out more. Attending the concert, I decided not to read the program notes ahead of time, but to just sit in the audience and absorb the sounds, reading up on the detail later. I’m glad I did, as it gave me the opportunity to appreciate the subtlety of Liszt’s writing for a cappella choir, as well as his ability to convey a range of what these days is known as “big feelings” in the larger works.
I know the Coro Innominata choir well, having worked with them a few times in recent years, however I had not attended one of their concerts for some time and this was the first time I had heard them under Eames’ direction. And what a treat it was!
This all-Liszt concert opened with his Easter Hymn from the Oratorio Christus, a setting for sopranos and altos of the Gregorian chant Alleluia. O filii et filiae. The purity and tonal blend of the female voices was exquisite, each singing in her own unique voice, but perfectly balanced with the others. This was followed by Crux! Hymne des Marins, a vigorous, almost Germanic-sounding sailors’ hymn performed with both gusto and sensitivity by the male voices of the choir. These two works set us up beautifully for what was to come.
From here, the program moved between further well-crafted a cappella pieces (Ave Maris Stella and Christus: Pater Noster), brilliantly played virtuosic piano works (Ballade No 1 in D flat Major and Hungarian Rhapsody No 12), and some astounding excerpts from Liszt’s Cantatas and Oratorios (Kantate zur Inauguration des Beethoven-Monuments; Hungarian Coronation Mass; The Bells of Strasbourg Cathedral and The Legend of Saint Elizabeth), with piano reductions arranged by Dr Eames.
There were too many wonderful surprises in this concert to name them all, including excellent solos and a nicely balanced vocal quartet, all from choir members, in the Beethoven-Monument cantata. Extra special mention though must go to the guest artists. Pianists Harry Tai and Silvina Wong absolutely shone in their solo pieces, as well as providing excellent accompaniment in the Oratorios. And the mighty fine voice and stage presence of baritone Matt Gaskin gave us a truly scary Lucifer in The Bells… as well as an impressively regal Emperor Frederick II in The Legend…
While the repertoire in this program highlighted Coro Innominata’s versatility, I felt that some passages in the Oratorios were a bit of a stretch and would have benefitted from having a few more singers. Despite this, their singing admirably conveyed the range of emotions in them – excitement, piety, fear, steadfastness, grief, love. By contrast, the a cappella pieces allowed them to play with colour and tone and to relax into the intimacy inherent in Liszt’s writing. All-in-all, this concert was a revelation to me, and marvellous to experience.
Coro Innominata is known for its adventurous spirit, with its Women Composers’ Development Program, championing contemporary Australian works in general, and exploring otherwise unknown repertoire from all over. The VocaLiszt was a fine extension of this tradition and I am sure, under Philip Eames’ direction, that there will be many more interesting and exciting adventures to come. I look forward to it!
Guest reviewer: Margot McLaughlin
