Vivaldi’s Virgins
- Author Barbara Quick
- Narrator Cassandra Campbell
- Publisher Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date 31 December 2019
- Run Time 9 hours and 34 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Fiction: general and literary, Historical fiction.
Click to open directly in the xigxag app.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only £3.99.
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price p/Title
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
- £3.99
Listen to a sample
What to expect
Rich in history, color, and imagination, a remarkable novel that pairs the seductive lost world of a creative legend with the coming of age of a young girl guided by an artistry all her own
In Barbara Quick’s luminous novel, eighteenth-century Venice comes to life in all its splendor and decadence. The Grand Inquisitor’s spies lurk everywhere, and yet the city’s inhabitants abandon themselves to the revelry and masques of Carnival for half the year. This is the world as seen beyond the barred windows of her cloister by fourteen-year-old Anna Maria dal Violin, one of the orphan musicians of the Ospedale della Pietà, where Antonio Vivaldi is resident priest and composer.
Anna Maria is inspired to ever greater musical achievement by Vivaldi, who is as famous for his flouting of the rules as for his flaming red hair. Both the adolescent Anna Maria, writing letters to her unknown mother—and her older self, looking back—unfold the tale of her personal and artistic awakening. Extraordinary musical talent, determination, and not-always-trustworthy friends allow Anna Maria to discover Venice in all its danger and glory, from the palaces of the elite to the impoverished alleyways of the Jewish ghetto. The story penetrates the heart of what it means to be a musician, as well as what it means to long for love.
Critics Review
“Quick’s descriptions…soar off the page, evoking Vivaldi’s own compositions.”
“Quick has chosen a fascinating backdrop. Her novel shimmers…This is a good read.”
“Like Tracy Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, this book has great appeal, especially for teenage girls; it also offers much to those readers interested in the composer and his influence on Venetian society in the early 1700s.”
More from the same
About xigxag
Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.
Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.