At the Nieuwe Kerk , chamber music Nieuwe Kerk particularly intimate during Close Up: you’re seated all around the musicians, the sound is warm and immediate, and every nuance counts. In this concert, the harp takes center stage, serving as a unifying force between the strings and winds. From Debussy’s refined trio to Ravel’s sparkling ensemble work and Casals’ moving miniature: an evening where timbre and intimacy come together.

The four works demonstrate how composers around 1800 and 1900 sought new paths in sound and form. Debussy explores subtle balance and color in an unusual instrumentation, while Beethoven plays with sharp contrasts and energetic dialogue in his string quartet. Casals draws on a simple folk song and imbues it with a timeless, meditative glow. Ravel brings it all together in a virtuoso finale where elegance, tension, and transparency converge. Thus unfolds a program that constantly shifts in character and keeps the listener engaged.