more in the media

two old viols
The Haags Gemeentemuseum housed two old and relatively little known viols. Dr. M. Latcham and Gesina wrote about these instruments: whatever their origins, these two bass viols are of fine quality, in the same league as the instruments of Rombouts and Collichon. They're now part of the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam collection. Read the entire article here:

viols win award
The Spirit of Gambo have been awarded the Diapason D'or for their recording of John Jenkins' Consort music of four parts. Harold Lopparelli wonders in his review if Gesina Liedmeier's viols are the reason the recording sounds so good! Read the entire article:

Viol fantasias, in the 17th century, experienced a glorious Indian summer in England. Although by then the continent only swore by the violin, Jenkins, Lawes or Locke kept exploring the possibilities offered by consort music, in a cultural landscape which also included Van Dyck and Milton. Phantasm (Avie) and Hesperion XX (Astrée) had already looked into Jenkins' fantasias for five and six voices, followed by Jérôme Hantaï who counted on the efficiency of a mixed ensemble of viols and violins (NaÏve). The Spirit of Gambo (a beautiful name inspired by Tobias Hume) chose to record the four voices fantasias. It may be argued that the treble's interpretation - always perilous - is slightly less tidy than that of its partners. No matter, however: the Dutch ensemble is not looking for the immaculate perfection of its English counterparts, nor the sonorous splendour of Hesperion XX, nor the wild delivery of Ghielmi's team. What dominates is a sense of balance, a quest for natural beauty, and an interpretation devoid of affectation and brutality, which avoids blandness by paying particular attention to nuances of polyphonic lines. A pleasure so close to that of a concert is seldom found in a recording, nor is the convivial happiness the "consortists" share. Where does such an intelligible and wholesome approach come from? A lead: one of the ensemble's musicians (Gesina
Liedmeier) is also the inventive maker of their viols, and her instruments are integrally fitted with gut strings, which makes for great transparency and dynamics.