Together with Bach's St. Matthew Passion, St. John's Passion is one of the most beloved passions ever. One of the secrets of the play lies with the evangelist John himself. In his version of Jesus' Passion, the writer is more 'to the point' than the other evangelists. Bach makes clever use of this, because in St John's Passion there is speed and you hear more drama. This is reinforced by the choir's considerable contribution, as in the poignant opening choir 'Herr, unser Herrscher'. And of course there are beautiful arias like 'Zerfließe, mein Herze' and 'Ergwäge'. The Apollo Ensemble provides an impressive experience in passionate times.

"Only when I really have something to say, I play it," master pianist Hannes Lover told NRC Handelsblad. At the Bösendorfer Imperial Hannes has enough to tell you, because with four breathtaking pieces he takes you along the highest peaks and deepest valleys of human existence. With Beethoven's energetic Waldsteinsonate, Hannes puts you directly in full sunlight. Contemporaries nicknamed this sonata 'Dawn'. The night takes place in Schumann's Nachtstücke. And with Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit, Hannes conjures up a dark fairytale world of water nymphs, a gallows and the tease Scarbo

Bach wouldn't be Bach if he didn't also make the violin sonata something special. Until then the violinist stole the show in such pieces. The harpsichord player didn't have much more to do than working out a bass line. In his own violin sonatas Bach gives the harpsichord its own part. This makes violin and harpsichord equivalent to each other. Music that is in more than good hands with the twin sisters Steenbrink. As seasoned Bach specialists of the Holland Baroque ensemble, Judith and Tineke will take you on a spectacular journey through Bach's breakneck violin sonatas

Piano Quartet Corneille is a new ensemble consisting of four internationally acclaimed soloists. Pianist Vassilis Varvaresos, violinist Noé Inui, viola player Georgy Kovalev and cellist Ella van Poucke like to show how beautiful their combination of instruments is. With breathtaking piano quartets by Schumann and Fauré, these four musicians take you to German and French Romanticism, where the feeling is given plenty of space. Schubert's harmonious String Trio brings everything back into balance. Listen up!

Schubert's Der Tod und das Mädchen is without doubt the best-known string quartet ever composed. What makes this piece so special? And why do listeners want to hear it over and over again? Maybe because it's about the essence of existence. Life and death are circling around each other in the Tod and the Mädchen. For Schubert's masterpiece, there is hardly a better interpreter imaginable than the sublime Signum Quartet. This German ensemble is a specialist when it comes to Schubert. "The quartet plays transparently and animated," says Gramophone. "A top ensemble that provides heartwarming interpretations", writes OpusKlassiek.