Send 2016 on its way with ‘Four Seasons,’ Seattle Symphony and 2 tango dancers

For at least a couple of nights in the twilight of 2016, the equator will run through Seattle’s Benaroya Hall.

In an ingenious, illuminating and no doubt entertaining bit of programming, the Seattle Symphony will perform Antonio Vivaldi’s grand 1723 “The Four Seasons” on a bill with tango-music master Astor Piazolla’s “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires,” a 1965-70 variation on Vivaldi’s concept.

The program will not, as one would expect, present Vivaldi’s complete “Four Seasons” in the first half followed by post-intermission Piazolla. The individual seasons in each work will alternate in succession.

Thus, Vivaldi’s “Spring” will open the evening, followed immediately by Piazolla’s “Summer,” the first entry in “Buenos Aires.” (In the Southern hemisphere, summer coincides with our winter, December to March.)

From there, Vivaldi’s “Summer” will be followed by Piazolla’s “Autumn” and then “Autumn”/“Winter” and “Winter”/“Spring.” Potential confusion will be offset by the fact that “The Four Seasons” and “Buenos Aires” are a series of concertos for solo violin and chamber orchestra, and different soloists will handle each one. (“Buenos Aires” was adapted into concertos in the 1990s by Leonid Desvatnikov.)

Seattle native Simone Porter, who made her professional debut at age 10 with the Seattle Symphony, will be tackling Vivaldi. Now 19, she attends the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles and recently played Carnegie Hall.

Returning as soloist on “Buenos Aires” is Elisa Barston, SSO’s principal second violin. Barston first played the piece with the orchestra in 2012 and dived in again this past summer with the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra.

“It’s nice to come back to it,” she says. “It was a little scary the first time, and it’s been good to let it simmer over the years. It’s fantastic when you hear Piazolla’s seasons alternate with those of Vivaldi’s, because Desvatnikov put little Vivaldi quotes in ‘Buenos Aires’ but added them in the opposite season. For example, Piazolla’s ‘Summer’ has Vivaldi ‘Winter’ quotes in it. Hearing those tidbits come out, you go, oh! It’s really fun.”

Adding to the festivity of “Buenos Aires” will be the performance of Seattle tango dancers/teachers Eva Lucero and Patricio Touceda, who have danced with Cirque du Soleil and in programs across the country.

“Piazolla didn’t necessarily intend this music to be done to dance,” Barston said when the duo tangoed to the piece in 2012. “We’re adding that, and it’s just gorgeous.”

Seattle Symphony associate conductor Pablo Rus Broseta will lead Barston, Porter and the orchestra. He did a little informal reconnaissance in June when he was guest conductor with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic.

“I hope it will help me to find Piazolla’s character in the music. He wrote for that orchestra, so I felt a little closer to his thinking,” he said. “Also, I’ve tried to dance the tango to his seasons with my wife, but that never works. I hope I can do the music better than the dance.”