The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable tells the story of Anna Maria Della Pieta an orphan who became an Italian violinist and composer and was a pupil of Antonio Vivaldi. A very interesting story and character. To me the writing seemed choppy. It didn’t flow. I had to go back and reread some passages. Some of Anna’s comments in the story seemed very modern and not acceptable for the time period. Although the book seemed well researched. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Very well crafted historical novel centered on Anna Maria della Pieta, a Venetian orphan in the 17th century who rose to fame as a Violinist and eventually the Maestro of the Figlie della Pieta, a renowned ensemble of musicians led, at a time, by Antonio Vivaldi. While there are few historical records concerning Anna Maria (as a female of that time), this imagining feels rich with detail and possibility.

I went in blind with Harriet Constable's debut, The Instrumentalist. The title drew me in, and reading a debut novel is always thrilling. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this wonderful opportunity. 

I am a big historical fiction fan, and this is a good novel, but it is not marketed correctly.
Like I think many readers will do, I jumped at the brief:
"Anna Maria della Pietà was destined to drown in one of Venice's canals. Instead, she became the greatest violinist of the 18th century."

Based on a true story, Anna Maria was taught in part by Vivaldi and then, in turn, taught others. She is credited for her instrumental work on the Four Seasons, Vivaldi's best-known composition. 

The setting is good! Some chapters have more profound and detailed descriptions than others, but Constable does a good job overall. It's clear that a good amount of research was put into setting, names, and job descriptions, and that is appreciated. The dialogue is clear, and overall, I think the prose is serviceable to the story, with some great highlights. The book's latter half was more engaging once I got used to the writing style. Chapter 17 was a highlight!

The biggest disappointment was the marketing. The analogies, images, and characterizations are more reminiscent of a TEEN/YA novel than General Adult fiction.

Here are some examples of sentences and descriptions. This is not meant to expose but merely to show some of the prose: 

"The darkness in the dormitory feels icy, sinister, like something lingers near them."

"The world seems to dissolve in that moment. Scale, shadow, and space slip away until there is nothing but him and her, frozen in time."

"This may seem like child's play to some, but not to Anna Maria. Because there are some things that girls just know. Some know their spirit can rage like a fire. Some know that power is up for the taking. Some know that death comes early and cruel. And some know that they are destined for greatness.

Anna Maria della Pietà is destined for greatness.

At eight, she knows this as surely as string knows bow, as lightning knows storm, as water knows sky. She knows, like she knows that one of her toes sticks out at an angle, that the meat on Wednesdays tastes like fish, and that the note C is green. It, like so many things, is a certainty. So standing on this stage, hands on her hips, accepting her title, is as natural as dreaming." 

I came into this expecting a certain level of more complex prose and ideas, given that it was marketed for adults, but the prose does read much younger. Anna Maria is aged eight to almost eighteen throughout this book, and it is told in a close third-person; these descriptions and observations describe what a young person might understand of life, but that furthers the idea that it is a TEEN/YA novel. 

I appreciated the Author's Note at the end stating, "Though this was eighteenth-century Venice, Anna Maria and her orchestra of orphans were in many ways modern women, too. They earned money; they had careers, educations, and dreams." But there was a disconnect for me between the dialogue and the historical context.

Yes, women had careers, dreams, and educations at that time. Still, this novel's dialogue and internal dialogue often felt like a 21st-century consciousness transplanted into a woman in the 18th century. This will be polarizing for some people, and it was for me, which did bring me out of the story at times.

The book was easy to read, and there were some highlights in the prose that I enjoyed. As it stands as a debut novel, I am genuinely excited to see what Harriet Constable does next. It's an empowering novel, and many people will enjoy reading it. Just make sure you're coming to it knowing it's close to the heaviest you could go on the fiction side of historical fiction.

As general adult fiction— 3 stars. I do think this could be a very successful YA novel, and I would increase to 4 stars.

The Instrumentalist debuts on 20 August, 2024.

“Anna Maria della Pietà was destined to drown in one of Venices canals. Instead, she became the greatest violinist of the 18th century.”

I really enjoyed this historical novel centering Anna Maria de la Pietà, a Venetian orphan in the 18th century under Antonio Vivaldi’s tutelage, whose synesthesia lends color and credibility to her remarkable prodigiousness with violin starting at a young age.

Vivaldi is best know for The Four Seasons, a series of violin concertos. I did some research on the <i> Figlie do Coro</i>, mean Daughters of the Choir. Many of Vivaldi’s compositions were written for the female music ensemble of the Ospedale della Pietí , a home for abandoned children where Vivaldi was employed from 1703 to 1715 and from 1723 to 1740. And these female musicians may have in fact (likely) contributed to Vivaldi’s prolific compositions too. As the author’s note at the end explains, Anna Maria de la Pietà is a real historical figure who was indeed famous for her unmatched violin abilities.

“The figlie di coro is considered the greatest orchestra in the world. There are other orchestras in the Republic and beyond, but the Pietà’s one is unsurpassed. There are about forty members, and most girls are auditioned at sixteen… They get nicer clothes, more regular baths, better food…. if you’re not in the figlie by seventeen, you’re put to work—lace-making or dishwashing or something else awful….. Most of the members are in their late teens, early twenties. Girls can choose to stay in the orchestra their entire career, so getting a spot is tough. But places do become available every year. The pestilence killed half the orchestra once. That would have been a good year to audition..”

Although set in beautiful Venice and surrounded by the sounds of violins and oboes, this book showed us a gritty side of life for young orphan girls in the 1700’s.This is a wonderful historical fiction that shows the contribution of young women to the art world through their instructor and conductor, Vivaldi. Anna Maria was an in an orphanage for girls called La Pieta. This was an orphanage known for its orchestra. Anna Maria was a young girl with immense talent and fierce drive. She is determined to become the best violinist ever. What is wonderful is that she sees herself not as the world sees her, as not the best female violinist, but the best violinist in the world. The question is, what must she do and what must she give up to achieve this result?
The path she follows is very difficult. It was surprising to see who stood forward to help and who stood in her way. I always love reading books of female empowerment. Harriett Constable did a great job pointing out how powerless women were centuries ago. How many talented women there must have been out there. One must wonder how must it have been for them to have been passed by time and time again. How they must have felt trapped. She transferred some of the frustration, fear and anger to us through this wonderful book.
The Instrumentalist was difficult to put down. I felt very invested in Anna Maria. I heartily recommend this book.
I want to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I was happy to receive an ARC copy of The Instrumentalist, Harriet Constable’s debut novel about the life of 18th century musician Anna Maria della Pietà of Venice. I’ll preface my review by saying . . . this is simply not my book. It will be, though, the perfect book for many historical fiction readers. The author did an admiral job of setting the scene in Venice, 1704. I would guess that much of her research was devoted to 18th century Venice and the Ospedale della Pietà. As for me, I was hoping to learn about the real-life Anna Maria and her rise through the musical ranks of the orphanage in a time when women had no voice, no options. Instead, the novel turned out to be what I call “feminist fantasy” . . . a woman with modern day sensibilities dropped into a far different historical setting.

I think this novel would make a fine YA read, and for that, I will round my 2.5 star review up to a 3.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on August 20, 2024.

3 stars (rounded up from 2.5).

This is a fascinating book about a young woman and her pursuit of both survival and her passion. The Pieta is an orphanage in 18th century Venice for unwanted infants. The girls of the Pieta are trained to be musicians, the most talented of whom delight the city with performances. Anna Maria is an exceptionally talented violinist and protege of Vivaldi. This is an interesting look into the music world of 18th century Venice and the situation for women in that period.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Fabulous debut historical fiction about a girl at a Venician orphanage who is known for producing great musicians. She is one of those, getting to study the violin under the temperamental Vivaldi. Many great composers were mentioned in the book, and what a delightful experience to read this book while listening to some of those classical playlists, especially Vivaldi! Wonderful storyline and character development!

As an infant, Anna Maria was sent to a famous orphanage by her mother. This orphanage was only for girls where they received an education and specifically a music education. Anna Maria showed signs of musical genius by 8 years old and was tutored and mentored by Vivaldi. The author does an excellent job depicting the difficult life that the poor have and the opulence of the rich in 18th century Venice. The imagining of Ann Maria‘s life shows her close female friendships and her representation of music as color. The scenes where the author depicts music has various colors streaming through the room is stunning. It is very difficult to imagine that this is a debut novel. She produced an extraordinary story that is both propulsive and beautifully visualized. I give this book my highest recommendation.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced readers copy.

There really was someone named Anna Maria della Pieta. She really was an accomplished violinist who started out life abandoned to an orphanage in Venice. I found her point of view and strong sense of self compelling throughout this tale, and I found myself wondering how much of the story is true. Did she really train with Antonio Vivaldi? Was he truly that mercurial and petty? And did Anna Maria really influence the set of seminal violin concertos known the world around as The Four Seasons?

The best novels, in my opinion, are the ones that make me think. Obviously, I thought a lot about Anna Maria and her struggles, choices, and successes. I liked the writing - the way the character developed and the story arc's progression were very pleasing for me. I think some might say it drags a bit, but I really enjoyed getting to know this little girl with huge dreams who learned a lot besides how to play the violin.

May I suggest playing The Four Seasons as you read? This will add some lovely ambiance!

Thanks very much as always for the ARC, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster.

I found The Instrumentalist to be a captivating story. The book is fiction inspired by actual events in the life of Anna Maria della Pietà, an orphan living in Venice during the early 1700s. The girls in her orphanage were given music lessons from a young age, and their orchestra became known as the top orchestra in Italy. Anna Maria was an exceptionally gifted violinist and was taken under the wing of Antonio Vivaldi, who purchased a violin for Anna and composed music particularly for her. Anna became known worldwide and was one of the premier violinists of the eighteenth century.
Vivaldi was a composer who would later become famous for his masterpiece, “The Four Seasons.” Vivaldi’s compositions were said to have benefited from his closeness with the orchestra, with some possibly composed by members of that group.
Harriet Constable’s fictionalized story of Anna Maria was engrossing. I found it hard to lay down and wanted to read it right through. I also immensely enjoyed the Author’s Note following the book. I savored reading facts about some of the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by West Margin Press via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book! It’s fact-based historical fiction about Vivaldi’s violin virtuoso protege Anna Marie della Pieta. It was a very pleasant, engaging and emotive read told in 3rd person POV with nice flowing prose. A great read following the path of Anna Marie’s strive for perfection. Highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving the opportunity to read a wonderful book.

This debut novel is truly a masterpiece. The story follows the fictionalized life of the real life Anna Maria della Pietà as she grows into an incredible and historic violinist as a Venetian orphan. More than anything, you feel everything Anna Maria feels as she is discovering herself and her voice through her music. At first she believes fame is the end goal but as she becomes more and more famous, she realizes her autonomy is more important to her. It is a bold and absolutely beautiful take on like historic feminism and I am obsessed.

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.

I have mixed feelings on this one. Overall, I loved it. I loved Venice. I loved Anna Maria della Pietà. The music. The historical side of it didn't feel realistic to me, though, and the writing was inconsistent. I can put the (lack of) historical realism aside, but the writing took me out of the story sometimes. However, I did really enjoy the story, and would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction based in Venice or centered around musical figures!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Anna Marie della Pieta was an orphan in Venice, and a violin prodigy. Fortunately for her, the convent where she was orphaned, the Pieta, put great importance on musical arts and she was able to find and hone her skills under the tutelage of Antonio Vivaldi.

This historical fiction novel follows Anna Marie and her friends as they grow from infancy until adulthood. The orchestra at the Pieta was among the best in the country and only those with exceptional skill were able to join. At age 8, Anna Maria decided that her life's ambition was to become a maestro, the best of the best, and her skill at violin would allow that to happen. At 13, she became the youngest girl to join the orchestra. In short time she became first chair allowing her skills to shine, and by 17, she was declared a maestro by the elite of Venice. Her relationship with Vivaldi became strained after time due to her desire to compose and be recognized for her compositions. She, and others at the school, helped him write many of his well known pieces, including the Four Seasons.

I thought this was an interesting story, and well written from a woman's perspective. I could feel Anna Maria's frustration build as people kept calling her the best female violinist, rather than just the best violinist. She was a girl/woman ahead of her time.

The author did a good job getting the story across without unnecessary fillers that plague many debut novelists. I would like to than the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for the ARC of this book to read and review.

The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable is a historical fiction novel about Anna Maria della Pieta. Abandoned as a baby at the Pieta orphanage, she trained under Antonio Vivaldi and rose to be one of the most famous female violinists of Venice. Anna Maria is ambitious and willing to sacrifice whatever is needed to become a great composer. Her talent is innate and fueled by the sheer will to survive and become greater than her beginning. This is a story of friendship, betrayal, and loss that takes you through a young woman’s struggle to grow up in a secluded orphanage while being a prodigy among other talented young women.

I recommend this book for historical fiction readers. The writing is lyrical, beautiful, and so honest it will take your breath away. The descriptions of music in all of the colors that Anna Maria can see them is entrancing. Anna Maria comes to life in this imaginative, well written book.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

The Instrumentalist was a refreshing historical retelling of a little known composer - Anna Maria della Pietà. During the 18th century, women were not often leading the forefront of the arts and especially not being remembered or given due credit.

Despite being an orphan, Anna Maria finds a way to thrive against all odds through her innate artistic ability. Throughout the story, she must make decisions to either help those she loves or prioritize the very thing that could be her escape from the orphanage. Her decisions shape her path and you can't help but feel for her every step of the way. At every turn, you feel the vulnerability of Anna Maria's life and how her dreams can be stripped away so easily. The stakes are high and she must decide what is most important to her and how to survive.

A critique I see of this novel is that it sugarcoats the actual societal thought of that time period and imbues modern day takes - which I can understand that commentary. But I will say, this is historical fiction and not a biography or nonfiction of this character so at the end of the day, it is a story for enjoyment. The author states in the author's note that she was aiming to give Anna Maria the story she never got due to her time in history. I really enjoyed the author's effort to showcase Anna Maria as an archetype that isn't often heard about and to make you wonder how many other women in our history we will never hear about that will be forgotten to patriarchal time.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC, I really enjoyed this one!

Really enjoyed the historical setting in Venice Italy, the canals, foods, customs and daily routines in La Pietà where the babies are left by mothers who can’t keep them to be raised. by the church. The descriptions of music which is seen as colors by the main character really brings a feel for how she is lost in and carried by the music.

Really love the concept for the book but I don't like the writing style and find myself slogging through the pages. DNF and will not public my review as it isn't favorable.

Historical fiction constructed around a real person-Anna Maria della Pietà -recognized as the finest violinist of her time( 1700s) and amazingly lived to age 86. She was raised in a home for orphans-the OSPEDALE DELLA PIETÀ- who were delivered there through a small hole in the door. They were provided a basic education but musical instruction is the key here and only the chosen become “ figlie dei cori”directed by Antonio Vivaldi. Those chosen girls , many with physical deformities, earn money for the orphanage and are provided better food better meals and a better life. The harsh treatment by the nuns, the friendships that sustain the girls, and the terrible living conditions are all too real. Verifiable or not I believe Anna Maria’s contribution to Vivaldi’s FOUR SEASONS. The wealth and life of the wealthy of Venice at the time are sharply contrasted with the squalor and the abuse so many suffered.
In short a really good read for anyone who appreciated music and/ or historical fiction.