The Instrumentalist

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable, read by the Emmy nominated actor and Games of Thrones star Emilia Clarke.

The Times top ten bestseller

‘As tightly tuned as a thriller’ Telegraph
‘A marvel’ Kiran Millwood Hargrave
‘Compelling, vividly described magic’ Observer
‘Historical fiction as it should be written’ Mail on Sunday
‘Remarkable’ New York Times

Anna Maria may have no name, no fortune, no family. But she has her ambition, and her talent.

Her best hope lies in her teacher, Antonio Vivaldi. Soon she is his star pupil.

But as Anna Maria’s star rises, not everyone is happy. Because Anna Maria’s shining light threatens to eclipse that of her mentor…

She will leave her mark, whatever it takes. Her story will be heard.

‘A compassionate coming-of-age tale … Constable understands the power music has to sustain us’ Observer
‘Had me spellbound from start to finish’ Emma Stonex
‘Constable infuses historical fact with richly wrought fictional details, to investigate admiration and resentment, ego and legacy’ i paper
‘A whirlwind of all-consuming, dizzying ambition … Spectacularly imagined’ Mail on Sunday
‘Vibrates with colour and passion … I was completely swept up’ Elodie Harper
‘An immersive, impassioned tale full of colour and sound’ Guardian

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 4.8
5.0
5.0
Wonderful book and narration, loved it!
marieiram 05/08/2025
5.0
5.0
flodro 08/06/2025
5.0
5.0
An excellent book and very well narrated. Will certainly recomend.
KFB 07/06/2025
5.0
3.0
Great storytelling and a great tale to tell. What an inspirational place was the Ospedale Della Pieta where countless unwanted baby girls were taught to play musical instruments and sing creating one of the 18th century's most famous orchestras. Anna Maria della Pieta was a real person and this is a fictionalised account of her mostly teenage years in Venice, where she was taught the violin by Antonio Vivaldi. Incidentally we discover that some of his most famous works such as the Four Seasons and La Stravaganza were actually composed collaboratively with these orphan girls. And the depiction of Venice was well crafted. I recommend this as an uplifting read. Personally I found the narration annoying because there was frequent over emphasis or an over dramatic emphasis on words. Good stories tell themselves and the best narration is to let that happen
nikkichap 20/03/2025
5.0
5.0
Beautiful historical novel. Full of colours, determination and ambition. Reminded me slightly of "The Glassmaker" - probably because they both take place in past Venice.
Karolina 04/03/2025
5.0
5.0
A great story, beautifully narrated by Emilia Clarke. I loved the story putting female musicians and composers front and centre. The author paints a really vivid picture of Venice in the 18th century. At times the storytelling is reminiscent of Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, so if you enjoyed that book, I'm sure you'll like this one!
megchaplin 20/02/2025
5.0
5.0
JL 27/11/2024
5.0
5.0
hannahpeters 18/11/2024
5.0
5.0
A superb listen made all the more interesting because it was closely based on real events.
Nicely narrated by Emilia Clarke.
PBee 31/08/2024
5.0
5.0
A delightful book telling a fascinating forgotten story. Beautifully and powerfully written and very well narrated.
bluedocs 27/08/2024
5.0
5.0
molland 26/08/2024

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