Label: Orchid Classics
BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Levon Parikian
Jack Liebeck, violin
Date of release: Friday 15 November 2019

Stuart Hancock is not a name that will be familiar amongst concert audiences: his craft since the noughties is undoubtedly as an award-winning composer of television and film. The album, Raptures, might therefore be considered a foray into something different. The result is a neatly presented album of orchestral music by the BBC Concert Orchestra under Levon Parikian.

The album opener, Variations on a Heroic Theme, does exactly what it says on the tin. The opening proclamation feels universal, almost familiar. The variations that follow the bold opening segue very neatly and are pleasantly detailed in their instrumentation. It’s a shame the work does not develop thematically, but nonetheless, it is a sparkling curtain-raiser to open the story.  

The Concerto for Violin and Orchestra sits at the heart of the album and is an emotionally charged work in neo-Romantic language. The long-flowing lines are eloquent and build in intensity with attractive harmonic twists at the climactic moments and arrival points. The candour of the solo line played here with beautiful expression by Jack Liebeck is sincere and deep felt. This is especially so when the orchestra enters a fugue-like passage and the soloist sings a heart-felt expression of love and of passion.  

The final piece on the album, Raptures – Suite for Orchestra, is a potpourri collection of movements, connected by a recurring theme. There is some lovely melodic and timbral contrast here. Indeed, it is perhaps in this suite that we hear the thoughtfulness of Hancock’s orchestral colouring with moments of intrigue and imagination. This I felt most in the opening of the fourth movement, Serpent.

Stuart Hancock’s music is intelligent yet frank. Clearly stimulated by the rich legacy of musical styles which lay before him, there is a strong sense of needing to voice his deeply-felt poeticism. The result is carefully woven music, balancing some fine detail with a very direct emotional appeal. 

The playing of the BBC Concert Orchestra under Levon Parikian is mostly clear, with the exception of the brass section which feels rather muffled in places. The introductory notes by Donald Sturrock show a clear admiration for the composer and allude to further works including opera and ballet. It would certainly be interesting to hear what a symphony by Hancock might sound like.

Shea Lolin
15 November 2019

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