Tchaikovsky's ominous last score, and a tuba concerto

Piotr Ilitch Tchaikovsky conducted the world premiere of his own Symphony No. 6, the "Pathétique," on Oct. 28, 1893.

A little more than a week later, on Nov. 6, he was dead at 53, in circumstances that still inspire controversy. A natural death, due to cholera? Suicide, or forced suicide, inspired by a group of former classmates because the composer's concealed homosexuality was about to become a scandal?

No wonder the "Pathétique," which the Seattle Symphony will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday in Benaroya Hall, has forever been associated with Tchaikovsky's death. The unhappy composer, whose entire life was touched by melancholy and pathos ("Pathétique" in French), poured his heart and soul into this score, which positively throbs with the premonition of death.

It is impossible not to be touched by the symphony's finale, in which we can hear the fading heartbeat as a rhythmic background to what sounds like near-total despair. That despair already had caused one suicide attempt, after Tchaikovsky's disastrous marriage, and the composer was known to be depressed by the unenthusiastic audience response to the "Pathétique."

Scholars, including Alexander Poznansky (author of "Tchaikovsky's Last Days"), now are casting increasing doubt on the forced-suicide theory, but we'll probably never know whether the composer's death was really due to cholera or whether it was accidental or intentional. One fact is undisputed: Tchaikovsky's funeral, in St. Petersburg's Kazan Cathedral, was attended by 8,000 mourners, with thousands more lining the route to the cemetery. Tchaikovsky may have been melancholy, but he was certainly beloved.

Saturday's performance of the "Pathétique" will be led by music director Gerard Schwarz, along with the new Tuba Concerto by resident composer Samuel Jones. Christopher Olka, the orchestra's tubist, is the soloist in that concerto, commissioned by Sandra Crowder as a tribute to her late husband, James Crowder.

Jones, a lifelong brass enthusiast, was photographed in the offices of his New York publisher (Carl Fischer) with an 8-foot tuba that once belonged to band legend John Philip Sousa. The tuba is part of their collection of unusual musical instruments.

"It was fun establishing contact [literally] with an instrument once owned by Sousa and with the evolving tradition of tuba playing," Jones notes.

For information and tickets to the symphony program, call 206-215-4747 or visit www.seattlesymphony.org.

Conductor, keyboardist and former radio host George Shangrow (previously of KING-FM) has returned with his "Live By George" series at the Kirkland Performance Center. Known for his personal and colorful approach to the classics, Shangrow will host an 8 p.m. concert on Saturday featuring the Bacchus Piano Trio.

Bacchus combines three well-known players of this region: violinist Marjorie Kransberg-Talvi (Northwest Chamber Orchestra), cellist Mara Finkelstein (Northwest Sinfonietta) and pianist Judith Cohen (Governor's Chamber Music Festival). They'll perform chamber works of Haydn, Bridge and Shostakovich in the intimate environs of the KPC.

For tickets, call 425-893-9900 or visit www.kpcenter.org.

Lisa Bergman's "Mostly Nordic" chamber series, a popular lineup of Nordic concerts followed by gourmet smorgasbords of the host country, kicks off 2006 with a 4 p.m. Sunday program featuring artists and works with connections to Norway. Entitled "Two Norwegians and a Swede," the concert brings together the Swedish Bergman with soprano Lisa Ganung and violinist Svend Rønning, both with Norwegian backgrounds.

Of course, the concert will offer some Grieg, but it also ventures further afield with Brustad, Alnæs, Svendsen, Ole Bull, Sinding and others. You'll also hear some rare performances of traditional Norwegian Hardanger fiddle music.

The ticket price includes the Norwegian smorgasbord afterward. Concert and dinner both take place in the Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 N.W. 67th St. in Ballard (206-789-5707 or www.nordicmuseum.org).

Melinda Bargreen: mbargreen@seattletimes.com