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"The Instrumentalist is more than a history lesson—with this novel, Constable has crafted an engrossing tale about an unexpected coup de musique." —The New York Times
Anna Maria della Pietà was destined to drown in one of Venice's canals. Instead, she became the greatest violinist of the 18th century.
Anna Maria has only known life inside the Pietà, an orphanage for children born of prostitutes. But the girls of the Pietà are lucky in a sense: most babies born of their station were drowned in the city's canals. And despite the strict rules, the girls are given singing and music lessons from an early age. The most promising musicians have the chance to escape the fate of the rest: forced marriage to anyone who will have them.
Anna Maria is determined to be the best violinist there is—and whatever Anna Maria sets out to do, she achieves. After all, the stakes for Anna could not be higher. But it is 1704 and she is a girl. The pursuit of her ambition will test everything she holds dear, especially when it becomes clear that her instructor, Antonio Vivaldi, will teach Anna everything he knows—but not without taking something in return.
From the opulent palaces of Venice to its mud-licked canals, The Instrumentalist is a "searing portrait of ambition and betrayal" (Elizabeth MacNeal, author of The Doll Factory). It is the story of one woman's irrepressible ambition and rise to the top. It is also the story of the orphans of Venice who overcame destitution and abuse to make music, and whose contributions to some of the most important works of classical music, including "The Four Seasons," have been overlooked for too long.
For fans of The Queen's Gambit and Fingersmith, The Instrumentalist is an "enthralling, passionate, vivid" (Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies) exploration of art and ambition, genius and exploitation, and loss and triumph.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
August 20, 2024 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781668035849
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781668035849
- File size: 3644 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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March 1, 2024
London-based journalist and filmmaker Constable debuts with a story set in 18th-century Venice that is inspired by the real life of Anna Maria della Piet�, an orphan and violin prodigy who studied under Antonio Vivaldi. Despite her challenging circumstances, she became his star musician and inspired several of his compositions. Prepub Alert.
Copyright 2024 Library Journal
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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June 24, 2024
Constable’s mellifluous debut draws on the life of composer Anna Maria della Pietà (1696–1782), an orphan who became a violin prodigy at the age of eight and was tutored by Antonio Vivaldi. Raised at the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice, Anna Maria dreams of becoming the youngest member of the orphanage’s renowned orchestra. She’s learned to play the flute and the oboe, but she finds her calling when she hears the violin. Sure enough, her new teacher, the virtuoso Vivaldi, sees promise in Anna Maria’s playing. When she’s 13, he invites her to collaborate with him. Anna Maria says she’s been thinking about writing a piece about spring, which gives Vivaldi the idea for his Four Seasons concerti. By the time Anna Maria is 17, she chafes at Vivaldi’s insistence on keeping her contributions secret. When she claims she’s destined for greatness as a composer in her own right, Vivaldi belittles her. Anna Maria then leaves the orphanage in a huff, and struggles to survive after pawning a necklace and living in a hovel. Constable richly portrays the city’s opulence and its seedy underside, and she charms in her portrayal of her fiery young protagonist. This will appeal to fans of historicals with strong female leads. -
July 1, 2024
Constable's debut novel chronicles the rise of Anna Maria della Piet�, a Venetian orphan living at the Ospedale della Piet� (a convent, orphanage, and music school) and student of violinist and eminent baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi. Primary source material is scarce for the real Anna Maria, and the novel fits squarely into the "writing women into history" camp, with Constable shifting credit for Vivaldi's most famous compositions onto Anna Maria and her fellow musicians of the Ospedale della Piet�'s all-girl orchestra. A virtuoso the instant she picks up a violin at age eight, Anna Maria knows she's "destined for greatness." A synesthete as well as arrogant and unscrupulous, Anna Maria is willing to sacrifice anything, including her closest friendships, in her obsession to become a maestro. Vivaldi is devious and self-serving, building his career on Anna Maria's talent and passing off her compositions as his own. The language is modern, and the plot is peppered with famous cameos, from Casanova to Catherine the Great. Venice of the period and the Ospedale provide an interesting setting for this feminist reimagining of Vivaldi and his star pupil.COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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