For violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock, Tartini's Concerto in A major, D 91 provided the perfect vehicle to convey her many talents. Though based on the Vivaldian model, Tartini had a much more extended concept of the concerto. The long first-movement Allegro demonstrated just how many permutations a short theme can undergo. The Adagio was a very beautiful excursion into the minor with a cantabile feel. Blumenstock's violin sang most expressively. Taking full advantage of the possibilities in Tartini's score, Blumenstock established breathtaking contrasts between her lovely legato and spicy spiccato.

Emerging from the continuo group, harpsichordist Charles Sherman played an exciting Sonata in C Major by Scarlatti. It was good to hear the lovely Italian harpsichord by John Phillips of Berkeley in all its glory. Sherman's precise articulation and intimate acquaintance with the music was thrilling. Unusual in a concert of early music, Sherman played from memory.

Besides the solo works, the program also included two trio sonatas. The first, for two violins and continuo, was by Handel. Lisa Weiss and Elizabeth Blumenstock played off each other very well in long imitative passages. Weiss and Blumenstock both played with great bravura and sensitivity. The unity of sound when they would finally come together made it seem as if it were just one instrument playing.

Not so in Vivaldi's Trio in A Minor, but it is nearly impossible for instruments so diverse as recorder and bassoon to sound like a single instrument. On the other hand, Linsenberg and McCraw had such a unity of vision in this piece that an argument could be made. In what amounted to a show-off competition between the big bassoon and the diminutive alto recorder, the two soloists stretched their instruments to the limit. It is hard to say who won — Linsenberg's nimble fingers and beautiful cantabile sound (especially in the Largo cantabile) made a strong case for the recorder. But McCraw's gorgeous bassooning provided stiff competition. With McCraw playing a bubbling accompaniment, Linsenberg sang away in the Largo, creating an image of a toy boat floating happily down a babbling stream. Charming indeed.

Musica Pacifica saved the best for last. As a self-proclaimed Telemann geek, I was already going to be biased towards finding Telemann's Concerto in F major, for recorder, bassoon, strings and continuo, the most interesting piece. Yet Musica Pacifica exceeded even my expectations. Simply put, the Telemann rocked. From the galant Largo to the dancing final Allegro, Linsenberg, McCraw and their accomplices played this unusual work to the hilt. The show-off competition continued here with alternating solo passages, but Telemann's work also includes many charming duets for the elephant and the mouse.

In a program so heavy on the soloists, the fine musicians who made it possible for them to shine deserve full credit. Cellist David Morris and violonist William Skeen were rock solid in the bass. Their full sound added greatly to the fine improvisations of Sherman at the harpsichord. The ripieno, with Weiss, Blumenstock, Tekla Cunningham and David Daniel Bowes, was perfect in its responses to and motivations for the soloists. Altogether, this was an extremely fine concert. The audience's lengthy ovations bear testimony to that fact.