Harriet Constable

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.

The Instrumentalist

Instrumentalist

Una novela inolvidable sobre una mujer de un talento excepcional. La historia real de la orquesta de Vivaldi y su verdadera estrella, Anna Maria della Pietà «Cautivadora y llena de color y sonido, retrata a Anna Maria como una joven prodigio, encumbrada por un talento que también la pone en peligro.» The Guardian En la esplendorosa Venecia del siglo XVIII, la desesperación y la miseria nunca están lejos. A través de un agujero en la pared, las niñas huérfanas son abandonadas en el Ospedale della Pietà cada día. Anna Maria, de ocho años, es solo una de las trescientas niñas que crecen dentro de las muros de la Pietà, pero sabe que es diferente. Obsesiva y talentosa, tiene la misión de convertirse en la mejor violinista y compositora de Venecia y en su mundo de color y sonido parece que nada la detendrá. Pero las probabilidades siempre están en contra de una niña huérfana, así que cuando el maestro Vivaldi la toma como alumna predilecta, Anna Maria es consciente de que esta es su única oportunidad. A medida que su estrella se eleva, amenazando con eclipsar a su mentor, el sueño que ella ha perseguido con tanta determinación se ve en peligro... De los lujosos palacios de Venecia a sus angostos callejones, esta es la historia de una mujer ambiciosa y de su ascenso a la cima, de la pérdida y el triunfo, y de quiénes elegimos recordar y dejar atrás en el camino hacia el éxito. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION An unforgettable novel about a woman of exceptional talent. The true story of Vivaldi's orchestra and its true star, Anna Maria della Pietà "Captivating and full of color and sound, it portrays Anna Maria as a young prodigy, elevated by a talent that also puts her in danger." The Guardian In the splendid Venice of the 18th century, despair and misery are never far away. Through a hole in the wall, orphaned girls are abandoned at the Ospedale della Pietà every day. Anna Maria, at eight years old, is just one of the three hundred girls growing up within the walls of the Pietà, but she knows she is different. Obsessive and talented, she is on a mission to become the best violinist and composer in Venice, and in her world of color and sound, it seems that nothing will stop her. But the odds are always against an orphan girl, so when Maestro Vivaldi takes her as his favorite pupil, Anna Maria realizes that this is her only chance. As her star rises, threatening to eclipse her mentor, the dream she has pursued with such determination is put in jeopardy... From the luxurious palaces of Venice to its narrow alleyways, this is the story of an ambitious woman and her rise to the top, of loss and triumph, and of those we choose to remember and leave behind on the path to success.

Harriet Constable

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