Tchaikovsky’s Manfred with Xian

Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony is an epic “Symphony in Four Scenes” based on a Gothic poem by Lord Byron. Tchaikovsky broodingly dramatizes Manfred’s guilty torment over an unnamed sin. In an attempt to forget his past, Manfred seeks solace in nature, wandering the Swiss Alps, witnessing the majesty of the mountain landscapes and meeting its inhabitants, mortal and imagined. Will these visions help him to find peace? A paean to individualism and a rarely performed masterpiece full of drama and emotional turbulence, the Manfred is one of Tchaikovsky’s most awe-inspiring works. In contrast are two shorter pieces featuring brilliant saxophonist Steven Banks, who first made his Seattle Symphony debut in 2025 with Xian conducting. Banks reunites with Xian and the orchestra to perform Ibert’s sprightly 1935 Concertino da camera for alto saxophone and Banks’ own composition, Come As You Are, a moving ode to family, spirituality and Black sacred music.