The viola da gamba is generally regarded as a chamber music instrument, which rarely seeks the accompaniment of an orchestra, but apparently this was more common than one assumes nowadays. The discovery of four hitherto unknown gamba concerts in the music library of the Eleonore von Munster (1734-1794) at Ledenburg Castle is a special stroke of luck, for one of the four works is by Carl Friedrich Abel, whose concerts have so far been considered lost. On this latest COVIELLO release Thomas Fritzsch and the Merseburger Hofmusik play gamba concerts of Abel, J.C. Bach, Raetzel and others. Thomas Fritzsch was born in Zwickau and grew up in the midst of a lively tradition of Saxon church and house music. After studying cello and viola da gamba at the Leipziger Musikhochschule, he began freelance activity as a specialist for the music of the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, he is one of the most revered gambists in the world.