La Jolla Music Society produced a dazzling pair of weekend concerts at Copley Symphony Hall Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20 and 21. Each was filled with splendor and delight. Friday, the Munich Symphony Orchestra took the stage and the Steinway with principal guest conductor Philippe Entremont, who played and conducted Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Opus 73 (“Emperor”) from the piano. Both that performance and the other Beethoven works — Overture to “The Creatures of Prometheus,” Opus 43, and Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Opus 92 — were hallmarks of beauty and refinement. Within each of the three works, conducted without a score, there were moments of sheer joy, particularly the interplay between pianist and timpani in “Emperor” and the extraordinary ensemble in the Allegretto movement of the Seventh Symphony. Each section is a treat, with lustrous string playing, fine horns and winds completing the picture. The greatest joy, however, is provided by the 74-year-old maestro’s pianism (his rapid passages fairly sparkle) and conducting finesse, which are undimmed by the rigors of a 58-year professional career that still takes him all over the world, currently with this exemplary orchestra. As an encore, the ensemble offered a sparkling performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s Overture to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Saturday night’s sold-out recital brought the return of beloved violinist Itzhak Perlman, who utterly captivated the audience, not just with his extraordinary virtuosity but with his platform ease and humor. Before addressing the to-be-announced-from-the-platform second half of the evening, Perlman took a sheaf of papers from his collaborator, Sri Lankan-born pianist Rohan de Silva. “This is a list of everything I’ve played here over the past 40 years,” said Perlman, the implication being, God forbid he should repeat something. He could have played the Better Business Bureau’s directory and we’d have loved it. He introduced Olivier Messiaen’s ten-minute Theme and Variations by saying, “If you could hear this work eight to ten times, you’d probably love it.” The audience seemed to love the exquisite piece even though he played it only once. The first part of the recital was devoted to George Frideric Handel’s Violin Sonata in D Major, HWV 371, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Sonata in A Major, Opus 47 (“Kreutzer”). Both require a virtuoso pianist and Silva was indeed the man of the hour, providing a perfect array of voices, particularly in the Beethoven. La Jolla Music Society, presenter of these two unforgettable evenings, is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary. Times may be tough, the world may be at sixes and sevens, but the tough know where to find surcease from worry, and it is in the concert hall with these timeless artists. Next in the Celebrity Series Orchestra Series March 17 at Copley Symphony Hall is the London Symphony Orchestra with conductor Valery Gergiev and pianist Alexei Volodin in performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58. Also programmed are two Sergey Prokofiev symphonies, No. 1 and No. 6. To restore your sanity, see details of this and other programs at www.lajollamusicsociety.com or call (858) 459-3728.