Historical notes

Harriet Constable (pictured) discusses The Instrumentalist, her novel about a violin prodigy

by Harriet Constable

What drew you to the story of Anna Maria della Pietà, a student of Vivaldi? When I found the story of the students taught by Vivaldi at the Venetian orphanage, I was hooked. These women and girls, missing eyes and toes and scarred from the pox, were fundamental to the development of his music. Anna Maria was his favourite: he wrote music and bought a violin for her. She was one of the great violinists of the 18th century – a woman we should never have forgotten. How did you convey a sense of the atmosphere of this time and place? Venice at the turn of the 18th century was such a vivid and exciting place. Because I make films, I wrote in scenes and tried to give everything a cinematic feel. I…

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Bbc History (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2024

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