Basically Baroque Highlights Bach's "Brandenburg" Concerti

Join guest conductor and violinist Jamie Laredo, Seattle Symphony and select Seattle Symphony soloists in a series of Basically Baroque concerts featuring Bach's "Brandenburg" Concerti.

Three of Vivaldi's violin concerti also will be performed. The first concert will be a special performance at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Olympia on Thursday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. Then, it's back to Benaroya Hall for performances on Friday, Jan. 12, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 13, at 8 p.m.

Seattle Symphony's featured soloists include flutists Zartouhi Dombourian-Eby and Judy Kriewall, oboist Ben Hausmann, and violinists Maria Larionoff and Michael Miropolsky.

Of Jaime Laredo's debut at age 11 with the San Francisco Symphony, critics said, "In the 1920s it was Yehudi Menuhin; in the 1930s it was Isaac Stern; and last night it was Jaime Laredo." Having appeared with the world's major orchestras, Laredo has become one of the most beloved classical musicians of our time. Born in Bolivia, he was influenced by private coaching with Josef Gingold, Pablo Casals, Ivan Galamian and George Szell. Presently, Laredo is Music Director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Brandenburg Ensemble, Artistic Director of New York's Chamber Music at the Y series and a chair at the Indiana University School of Music. He has recorded nearly 100 discs and received the Deutsche Schallplatten Prize, seven Grammy nominations and one Grammy award.

J.S. Bach's six "Brandenburg" Concerti represent the apex of concerti grossi of the Baroque era. One of the most striking things about the concerti is that each varies in its combinations of instruments. Both No. 3 and No. 4 are in G major, but their instrumentation differs greatly, assuring sonoric contrast. The third "Brandenburg" lacks the woodwind and brass colors of most of the rest of the set, but the composer's imaginative deployment of the three string choirs-violins, violas and cellos-amply compensates. The effervescent fourth concerto gives full play to two recorders and violin against a small ensemble of strings and continuo.

Throughout Antonio Vivaldi's prolific career, he produced some 500 concertos in addition to all the other music he wrote. La tempesta di mare ("The Storm at Sea") derives its name from the tempestuous nature of its opening movement. His Concerto in A minor for Two Violins was much admired by Bach, who appropriated it for use as a solo in an unaccompanied organ concerto. The effervescent Concerto for Three Violins may have been composed for a festive occasion, given its buoyant and celebratory character.

Single tickets for Benaroya Hall concerts from $15 to $64 can be purchased by calling the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office at (206) 215-4747 or toll-free at (866) 833-4747, faxing the Symphony at (206) 215-4748, ordering online at www.seattlesymphony.org with the "Select-Your-Own-Seat" option, or visiting the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office in Benaroya Hall at Third Avenue & Union Street, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 1 to 6 p.m.

Single tickets for the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Olympia concert are from $28 to $40.

By www.seattlesymphony.org