The swell of holiday concerts and Messiah and Nutcracker performances has reached a deafening level this week. Still, there are some excellent concerts to hear, if you just need to get away from the tinselly, Santa-hatted madness. HEADLINES: >> Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero will give a nearly sold-out Washington Performing Arts Society recital on Saturday (December 15, 2 p.m.), Sidney Harman Hall. This new downtown venue, if an article in The Economist is to be…

Fans of classical music had a light schedule last week, but there is plenty to be heard this week to make up for lost time. Most evenings it is going to come down to a choice. WEDNESDAY: >> The Embassy of Austria (3524 International Ct. NW) is hosting a series of concerts called An das Lied: Festival of Song 2007, devoted to the greats of German-language song composition. The music starts this Wednesday, with a…

We are well into the season of seasonal concerts at this point. If you are looking for a performance of Handel’s Messiah or a Christmas or Holiday Concert, we’ve dealt with that. Here is what else is happening this week in classical music. NOT CHRISTMAS: >> Ironically, possibly the best performance this week also happens to be free, the latest concert in the excellent series at the Library of Congress. On Friday (December 15, 8…