The Instrumentalist

by Harriet Constable Narrated by Not Yet Available

Overview

A stunning debut novel of music, intoxication, and betrayal inspired by the true story of Anna Maria della Pietà, a Venetian orphan and violin prodigy who studied under Antonio Vivaldi and ultimately became his star musician-and his biggest muse.

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 portrait of opportunities dangled only to be snatched away. It is the story of one woman's irrepressible ambition and rise to the top. And it is 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 a searing exploration of art and ambition, genius and exploitation, and loss and triumph.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

06/24/2024

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. (Aug.)

From the Publisher

One of BBC's Most Anticipated Books of 2024
One of the Guardian’s/Observer's New Review’s Ten Best New Novelists for 2024

“An immersive, impassioned tale full of color and sound that depicts Anna Maria as a driven prodigy whose talent will empower and imperil her.”—The Guardian/Observer

“Mellifluous.... 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.”—Publishers Weekly

“Enthralling, passionate, vivid. The Instrumentalist is a marvel.” –KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE, author of The Mercies

“I was swept away by this searing portrait of ambition and betrayal. Occasionally a book arrives which not only moves but performs a vital function: and The Instrumentalist restores Anna Maria's name as she deserves, removing her from the forgotten annals of history.” –ELIZABETH MACNEAL, author of the Sunday Times-bestselling The Doll Factory

“A fascinating story of music, ambition, and womanhood in eighteenth-century Venice ... In The Instrumentalist, the Venetian Republic is a character in its own right, amid the glory and decadence of its final century.” –CHARMAINE WILKERSON, author of the New York Times-bestselling Black Cake

“With a heroine at once so very fierce and yet so vulnerable, The Instrumentalist is an insightful study of female talent and ambition – and how easily they can be hi-jacked or undermined by men.” –ANNIE GARTHWAITE, author of Cecily

“An epic novel set in eighteenth-century Venice and based on the real life of Anna Maria della Pietà ... She's since been written out of history. Until now.” –BBC, Book releases 2024

“A stunning story written in prose as vibrant as the music it depicts. The Instrumentalist is a beautiful tale of resilience and survival in the face of impossible odds, and brings a much needed voice to a lost part of musical history.” –ISABELLE SCHULER, author of Lady MacBethad

Product Details

BN ID:	2940160535616
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	08/20/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged