With the exception of a few stylistic points (is 'fantastic' really the best choice of term for this particular register?) this is a really interesting and good novel. I'd have liked slightly more about how the figilie del coro were disabled in different ways - it's hardly touched on, and it's quite fascinating - but overall, I very much enjoyed this.

There was so much to enjoy about this book, the setting, the premise and the writing. It became even more interesting when I learnt it was based on a real character. That said, she isn't a terribly appealing character! Maybe that was keeping things true to life. Really gripping and a change from many other books of its genre. Would recommend.

Wow! What an incredible debut this is. I absolutely consumed this book and even found myself furtively reading in the middle of the night with a tiny torch. Anna Maria della Piétro is a fascinating heroine and while not always likeable, I found myself rooting for her. Like all the girls at the Piétro, Anna Maria is an orphan, posted through the tiny hatch in the Ospedale Della Pietá often with a note or keepsake from the unlucky girl who had leave her child behind. The author shows us the incredible splendour of Venice, a place I fell completely in love with, contrasted with it’s destitution and desperation. A state that seems more likely for women, especially those from a poorer background. The convent brings up it’s girls very strictly, according to the Catholic faith and the virtues of hard work from scrubbing the floors or working in the nursery. It is also a college of music. Each girl is taught at least one instrument with the best trying out for the orphanage’s orchestra, the figlio. Those chosen will work with the master of music and they will play in the some of the most beautiful basilicas and palazzos in all of Venice. Anna Maria’s great love is the violin and there’s no doubt she will try to become the best.

Anna Maria is a bundle of youthful exuberance, fireworks, talent and ambition. She practically leaps off the page and it seems impossible for her to fail. She starts by aiming to be noticed by the master of music and after that to be the youngest member of the figlio. No sooner is one ambition fulfilled then she’s already thinking of the next. The rewards are also intoxicating - not that Anna Maria cares much for the lace shawls from Burano, but she is partial to the small pastries with candied peel and spices that she loves to share with friends Paulina and ?? Through them we see the girl rather than the musician. They bring out a lightness of spirit, playfulness and a sense of sisterhood. The love she has for her custom made violin is absolutely infectious and when she becomes the favourite of the music master will those girlish aspects of her character remain? Constable shows us a dark underbelly, both to the Ospedale and their music programme. Although the alternatives are even worse. She also shows us huge disparity between the rich and poor in Venice. As visitors we only see the beauty and history of this incredible city, but once I did catch a glimpse of the systems that keep the city going. While waiting on a jetty to catch my water taxi one early morning I met the dustbin men of the city, having to negotiate tiny lanes and creaking jetties to clear up after all the visitors. When Anna Maria gets to play at private palazzos, the grandeur is overpowering. After her performances she is showered with lavish gifts that are at home where she plays but out of place in her bare room. She also notices that those orphans who don’t excel are easy pickings for the rich patrons of the Ospedale. Unsurprisingly, Anna Maria wants to escape the fate of becoming a wife to a much older man and putting aside her talent. As she is taken under the wing of a female patron, Elizabetta ?? She’s impressed by incredible dresses and Elizabetta’s elegant palazzo, but this patron also uses her wealth for good. She shows Anna Maria another fate for the cities’ poor women, by taking her to a brothel where the wealthy woman helps with supplies ensuring these women can make their living in safe and clean surroundings. She points out to Anna the danger in becoming a favourite - there are always people lining up to replace you. When the master is fickle or arrested by a newer, talented young girl what would happen to Anna? It makes her think about the person she replaced for the first time.

I loved the synaesthetic aspect to Anna Maria’s talent because it really added to my understanding of why she loves it so much. I have tastes that are related to colour, so if I see a garden full of beautiful yellow daffodils my mouth begins to water and I get the sensation and taste of lemon sherbet sweets. As Anna Maria plays, colours dance through her and the flurry of colour gives us a sense of how transformative it is for her to play. She is utterly lost in this moments. She’s floating within a rainbow of colour. Even when she begins to compose the written notes on the page are hastily drawn because she’s somewhere else experiencing a unique explosion of sound and colour. Even though she’s not always likeable I was still rooting for her. However some of her tougher decisions are made from within the context of survival. Only by being ruthless and getting to the position of power she craves can she feel safe. Then she can make better, more equitable decisions from a place of safety. This is an incredible story, made all the more powerful because Anna did exist. While this is a novelisation rather than an autobiography she was real and so was her music master . He is a mercurial and sometimes cruel man whose identity remains unspoken - although I did realise who he was part way through. I loved that this is written as a feminist counterpoint to his fame, highlighting a woman of equal talent who is cheated in a creative partnership and ends up with her woke stolen and uncredited. This is an abusive relationship characterised by manipulation, exploitation and a fascination with talented pre-pubescent young girls. Harriet has created a brilliant work of historical fiction that gives voice to one such young woman full of spark, talent and incredible drive to succeed. Her book is totally immersive, plunging us into a world where women were expendable, only there to parrot and enhance a man’s talent. It’s a powerful and compelling tale that I’m sure I’ll still remember when it comes to my end of year favourite books.

Anna Maria is a young girl whose life takes place inside the walls of the Osepedale della Pieta orphanage in Venice, home to illegitimate and unwanted female children, often of the Venetian nobility and courtiers of the late 17th century. She was an unruly child but had a prodigious talent for both playing the violin and for composition. Her teacher and mentor was none other than Antonio Vivaldi and over her childhood and young womanhood she thrived and became as famous as her master, bringing in huge wealth to the orphanage and an endless stream of valuable gifts for herself. This novel is a fictionalised account of a real person and her battle for equality at a time when men were the masters of classical (Baroque) music and women very much theirs inferiors. Anna Maria’s relationship with Vivaldi was not straightforward and this compelling work of fiction leads the reader to a different world. It does so with vivid characters, a wonderful sense of place, superb research and a story that has such a ring of truth about it that it could be a work of fact rather than fiction.

The premise of The Instrumentalist sounds (no pun intended) fascinating - have you ever heard about Anna Maria della Pietà, a music genius and Vivaldi's pupil? The opening scene was harrowing and pulled me right into Venice from over 300 years ago and Harriet Constable's writing is rather stunning. The more I read, though, the story became very predictable and repetitive. As we followed Anna Maria from childhood into young adulthood, I knew more or less what would happen next. What irked me the most was Anna Maria herself and I understand the author might've wanted to make her somewhat unlikeable, but she was very irritable, full of herself and I couldn't connect with or care about her character - and she was the main character. The Instrumentalist is an interesting book and it's insanely well researched - it immediately made me want to go to Venice! The writing was beautiful, so I would be curious to see what this author does next.

Having visited Venice for the first time last year (and falling in love with the city) and also attending a candlelit concert of Vivaldi's Four Seasons so much of this book appealed to me and I am pleased to say that it was wonderful and that I haven't stopped thinking about it since closing the last page.
The story of the female orphans of Venice receiving a training and hope was such a refreshing read, even with the inevitable poor treatment and exploitation and Constable managed to make wholly believable characters that were neither all good or all bad but that were entirely compelling throughout.
Weaving a novel from real life people and events is often a hard thing to pull off completely as putting believable words in to real peoples' mouths isn't straightforward but this book was just wonderful from page one on.
Definitely a contender for my book of the year list.

A great debut novel based on the life of Anna Maria Della Pieta, in 18th Century Venice.
The author takes us on her journey from being put in an orphanage as a baby to becoming a musical prodigy. We learn about her determination to succeed & her friendships along the way.
This book has the right amount of descriptive language for the reader to feel they are in the dark backstreets of Venice & the next minute gliding through the opulent palaces.

I hadn't heard of Maria Della Pieta before reading this book but was gripped from the first page. I'm looking forward to the publication date, as I need to have a physical copy on my bookshelf!
Thankyou to NetGalley for my advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of this book.

This historical fiction book illuminates the life of a young virtuoso violinist (Anna Maria della Pietà) who lived in Venice in the early 18th Century. She was a musician and composer under the tutelage of Antonio Vivaldi, abandoned as a baby and raised in an orphanage, where young girls were expected to take a role in society.

The story follows Anna Maria's early life. At eight years old, she already feels she has talent and a fiery ambition to be the most outstanding violinist in Venice. Anna Maria sees and feels the music she plays as colours; it leaps and soars off the page or from her imagination. The music director at the orphanage spots her talent and singles her out to succeed, pushing her to meet his exacting standards at any cost. However, this manifests in her making heart-breaking decisions about her friends, which stay with her forever. As the book progresses, there is a point where Anna Maria’s talent threatens to overshadow the director, and her destiny hangs in the balance.

This book was a fascinating read, I enjoyed immersing myself in Venice during this period. The children in the orphanage, their friendships and hopes for the future, however difficult and limited this may be. History has hidden stories of girls and women who don't have the same opportunities as boys or men – this story is one example.
It also provides a ‘kaleidoscope’ of life in Venice: the people, colours, sights, sounds and smells, the spectacle, from the rich taking what they want without repercussions and the poor barely surviving hand to mouth.
From the orphanage, as the reader, we snatch glimpses of the canals, sky and patrons who watch the chosen orphans perform music.

Visualization can be a powerful tool - music and colour imagery are used successfully in this story. The author uses colour inventively to describe the beauty of music, adding further depth to this immersive read. ‘The bow flies back and forth as the colours of her mind start to flow. Amber, gold, citrus and white, silver and ochre and puce’.

Overall, this was a wonderful debut novel. The author has undoubtedly raised Anna Maria della Pietà from obscurity to make her mark in history.

Based on the true life story of Anna Maria della Pieta. Born an orphan in Venice her mother posted her through a post hole in a nunnery and she stays there her whole life. Most baby girls were drowned in the canals.
Anna Maria can see colours in music. And takes up the violin and eventually becomes maestro (anything a man can do, she can do)
She composed the Four Seasons with Vivaldi who was the music teacher in the nunnery.
It’s a truly wonderful story of always believing in yourself and never giving up

The Instrumentalist, is a historical novel written in an easy read manner. This style of writting is not so easily conquered and i can only praise the author, Harriet Constable, on her debut. Having grabbed the subject she has given us a flawless, all encompassing page turner.

We all know of Vivaldi, as a violinist and musical composer. Or so we thought.

I had no idea that Anna Maria della Pieta ever lived. To find that Anna Maria and her comtempories have been instrumental in the composers works is something I shall never forget.

Anna Marie is so caught up in her world of music, sees the notes in colours that flow and flourish one after the other. Compelled to be the best violinist, Anna Marie takes two of her friends with her on this journey.

There are suprising elements, as well as twists and turns, but nothing short of a captivating read.

This book will stay with me for a long time, for I was riveted to this story of love, passion and conquering of ones start in life.

My thanks go to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc ( UK & ANZ ) for my advance copy for my honest review.

This book was a fantastic read and one of the best of the month! As a big fan of Vivaldi, it's great to learn more about the woman behind He Succeeded. The book have left a lasting impression on me i found the characters and plot to be both complex and elaborately crafted. It's always satisfying to come across a book that you can't put down, and I'm happy to say this was the case for me with this historical fiction novel. I am interested in finding out more about this author. The book has left a lasting impression on me, as it was a truly magnificent read. The author's writing style and the way the book was structured were both flawless.

Music is magic. Music draws people together and it breaks them down and pulls them to pieces.
Anna Maria della Pieta was deposited in the drop box of an orphanage as a baby. Children of the Pieta are taught music and some become part of the Figlie (an orchestra of high skill ).
This is the story of passion. A story of how one girl, who sees colours in music, practices and pushes boundaries to become the best she can. Harriet Constable has based her novel around the true Violinist and musical maestro Anna Maria and woven her tale into a spectacular novel. This story draws you in and wraps you up in the wonder of music.

I loved this book! Captivating historical novel with intriguing characters and well developed plot. The author beautifully crafted the magic of classical music in Venice in the 1700s. Of course, the author also included the harsh realities of life for the less fortunate during this period, creating a realistic picture of this historical era. I found it gripping the whole way through. Highly recommended!

Wow, what a beautiful book transporting you back to the Venice of the early 18th century. The book is about an orphan musical child prodigy called Anna Maria, who is left as a baby at Venice’s Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage / foundling hospital run by nuns. I adored seeing music through Anna Maria’s eyes: she describes music as a splash of different colours (linking to the different notes) and whilst I am not sadly musically talented, music always stirs my imagination and has done since my early years so I could really relate to this.

In the story we follow Anna Maria’s musical journey as her incredible talent of playing the violin superbly is recognised at the mere age of eight and before we know it, the famous composer Antonio Vivaldi takes her under his wings. She is receiving private lessons, obtains privileges compared to her peers in the orphanage thanks to his patronage, she is composing with Vivaldi and music becomes her driving force for life. She wants to be like her master, in fact surpass him and remembered for eternity.

“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.”, we read towards the beginning of the book.

But do any of us know her name today like we do Vivaldi’s (whose music I incidentally love and as such I was so eager to read this story)? I think, for most, the answer would be no and that is what this book highlights. I have read up on Anna Maria since finishing this book and in reality Vivaldi has dedicated some of his concertos to her publicly and she has indeed composed many works in her own right so I feel the book didn’t quite give me the right feeling about their relationship… But of course the ending of the book is just the beginning in many ways and maybe the things I have read online since is meant to be the result of that power within her that she feels at the end of the book. Because Anna Maria “would not fade quietly into the abyss.”

I loved learning about the historical elements of this book: the huge contrast between the lives of the rich and the poor, how the convent was such an incredible music school. The personal aspects of the story were wonderfully displayed too: the longing for love and companionship for the foundlings left at the convent, the wondering of where they came from, the pain of those who felt forced to abandon their babies, the insight into the fact that sometimes even the rich were in need of help. And of course the sad fact that in those days, being a girl meant you didn’t have the same prospects as a boy. This quote highlights this perfectly: “They play what it means to be a girl in this world. The fame and the devastation, the fear and the exhilaration, the rush of ideas and the crush of silence.”

This is a truly beautiful masterpiece covering a topic we don’t often see in historical fiction and I truly enjoyed it.

And finally, my other favourite quote from the book. This is just so true:

“Smell has power. It can conjure a person back to a time, a place. Would you agree?”[…] “Music has the same potential. The ability to control the emotion, the will, the memory of the audience.”

Thank you @netgalley @bloomsburypublishing for the gifted copy of this truly gem of a book. It will published in the UK on 15 August 2024.

Interesting and intriguing historical drama. We follow the life of Anna Marie who grows up in an orphanage and is very musical. A good read.

A dazzling historical debut set in eighteenth-century Venice, about the woman written out of the story of one of history's greatest musical masterpieces…..Another compulsive read from an author who seems to do no wrong. I absolutely devoured this one… You will want to clear your afternoon to read this one straight through, so riveting…..

As a violinist myself, I really wanted to read this book to learn more about Anna Maria della Pieta. Although this is a work of fiction, the character is based on a real woman whose life and music is not widely known. The orphanage’s history – and it’s link with Vivaldi – is fascinating and this book gives the reader a great opportunity to dive straight into the heart of Venice at the very beginning of the 18th century. It is very easy to grow attached to the characters, especially Anna Maria and her orphan friends. After a short back story to how she arrived in the orphanage, you follow Anna Maria’s journey of musical discovery. Great detail is given of her unique way of ‘seeing’ music. The only criticism I would make is the fact that Anna Maria seems to play her instruments effortlessly, just like magic, when in reality, I am sure a lot of work was put into achieving her level of expertise. All in all, a great book for lovers of historical fiction based on true events.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest opinion of the book. Review available on Goodreads.

Beautiful. vibrant and disarmingly sad.

This book was utterly fantastic, I couldn't put it down and was utterly transported to 17th century Venice.

Exploring the life and journey of Anna Maria Della Pietà, from her being dropped at an orphanage at birth to becoming an internationally renowned violinist at 17, this engaging novel takes us into her world and her relationships with the other girls at the orphanage and maybe most importantly her teacher Antonio Vivaldi.

Although Anna Maria isn't a particularly likeable character throughout most of your novel, she is endearing in that you understand why this is. Her desperation pours off the pages, and you can sense that her coldness is driven purely by her drive to improve her personal situation.

It is rare that a book absorbs me to this extent, through Anna Maria's synesthesia (although it is never referred to as such), we are enveloped in the colours of Venice's canals, culture and sounds. The author has a way of telling stories that is so vivid and beautiful, I look forward to reading more of her work, and will definitely be purchasing this when it is released.

I enjoy historical novels especially when based on real and lesser- known characters so I looked forward to reading this. To a certain degree this didn’t disappoint. I really liked learning about the orphanage and its orchestra and the descriptions of Venice were vivid and atmospheric.
In addition, I liked how Anna Maria was portrayed as not wholly likeable as she strove to become the best. Above all the descriptions of her synaesthesia to show how she “saw” her music as she played was original and exciting.
Where the book fell down for me was its use of the present tense. I want to step into a story when reading about the past and this felt more observational. An interesting read however.

Irresistible! The Instrumentalist is a great story about irrepressible ambition which takes one woman to the top.. Themes of loss and triumph loom large. Who is left behind on the path to success? This story grips the reader as they navigate the jewelled palaces of of Venice to mud-licked canals . This is a story of one of history's greatest musical masterpieces. Its about dreams, choices., ambition and mentorship. With odds stacked against an orphan girl and dreams of what is possible, this is a good read. Harriet Constable beautifully done.