The title of this CD is a reference to the great Vermeer exhibition at Pallazo Fava in Bologna in 2014, where the famous painting of the mysterious “Girl with the Pearl Earring” was the iconic teaser.

Just one street away from the Pallazzo, in the Museo San Colombano, you can find Fernando Tagliavini’s impressive collection of historical instruments.

The curator and musician Liuwe Tamminga came up with the idea of recording music from Vermeer’s time on some of these skilfully restored instruments.

As usual with his many recordings, Tamminga succeeds in putting together compositions that revolve around a particular theme, and he gathers musician friends around him to make the picture even more interesting.

This CD even features the late Jaap Schröder - one of the pioneers of early music in the Netherlands - and this may be his very last recording. Together with Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini and Peter Van Heyghen, these exceptional artists offer some fascinating moments with music from the Netherlands in Vermeer’s time, with works by Sweelinck, van Eyck, Schop and Reincken.