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The Instrumentalist
Table of Contents
About The Book
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.
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.
About The Author
Photograph by Sophie Davidson
Harriet Constable is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker living in London. She has written for The New York Times, The Economist, and the BBC, and is a grantee of the Pulitzer Center and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She grew up playing the flute and piano and singing with her mother, a classically trained pianist and singer. The Instrumentalist is her debut novel.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster (August 20, 2024)
- Length: 336 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668035849
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Raves and Reviews
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
“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
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High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Instrumentalist eBook 9781668035849
- Author Photo (jpg): Harriet Constable Photograph by Sophie Davidson(0.1 MB)
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