Drowned and Delivered

In 1696 Venice, a young prostitute gives birth to a daughter after a brutal labor. Overwhelmed by poverty and shame, she nearly drowns the infant in the canal but cannot go through with it. Instead, she leaves the baby at the Ospedale della Pietà, a renowned orphanage for girls, with a note and a token—a sliced playing card—so her daughter might one day know she was loved. The baby, Anna Maria, is taken in, branded, and named after the institution. Her life begins not with family, but with abandonment and the faint hope of music and survival.

Orphanage of Music

Anna Maria grows up among hundreds of orphaned girls, each marked by their own traumas and tokens from mothers who could not keep them. The Pietà is both sanctuary and prison, ruled by strict nuns and the ever-present threat of being "dropped" if a girl fails to show talent. Yet, it is also a place of music: the girls are taught to sing, play, and perform. Anna Maria, fiercely ambitious and gifted, forms a close bond with two other orphans, Paulina and Agata. Together, they dream of escaping obscurity through music, even as the world outside sees them as disposable.

The Republic of Girls

Anna Maria, Paulina, and Agata become inseparable, supporting each other through the daily grind of chores, hunger, and the cruelty of the nuns. Music is their refuge and their hope for a better future. Anna Maria's synesthesia—her ability to see music in colors—sets her apart, fueling her obsession with becoming the youngest ever member of the Pietà's famed orchestra, the figlie di coro. The girls' friendship is tested by the harsh realities of orphan life, but their shared dreams keep them afloat.

The Red-Haired Maestro

Anna Maria's life changes when she encounters Antonio Vivaldi, the fiery, eccentric new violin teacher with a shock of red hair. His virtuosity and intensity captivate her, and she is determined to learn from him, even after being caught sneaking into his room to touch his violin. Vivaldi recognizes her raw talent and begins to mentor her, pushing her to the limits of her ability. Their relationship is fraught with tension, admiration, and the unspoken promise of greatness.

The Violin's Awakening

Under Vivaldi's tutelage, Anna Maria discovers the violin as her true voice. The instrument becomes an extension of her body and soul, allowing her to express the colors and emotions she feels inside. She practices obsessively, determined to earn a place in the figlie di coro. Her ambition is matched only by her fear of failure and the ever-present threat of being cast out. The violin is both her salvation and her burden, a symbol of the life she longs for and the sacrifices it demands.

Ambition and Rivalry

As Anna Maria rises through the ranks, she faces fierce competition from older, more experienced girls. The figlie di coro is a world of ambition, jealousy, and shifting alliances. Anna Maria's friendships are strained as she becomes increasingly focused on her own success. The pressure to excel is relentless, and the cost of failure is exile or worse. The girls whisper of a "raven man" who comes for those who are not chosen, a myth that haunts Anna Maria's nightmares and drives her to practice harder.

The Price of Talent

Anna Maria's relentless pursuit of excellence comes at a steep price. She is forced to choose between her friends and her ambition, a choice that becomes tragically real when Agata falls ill and dies. Anna Maria's guilt is overwhelming—she was not there for her friend in her final moments, having prioritized a concert over Agata's life. The loss fractures her bond with Paulina and leaves Anna Maria more determined than ever to succeed, even if it means being alone.

The Fire and the Ashes

As Anna Maria's talent grows, so does her desire to compose her own music. She secretly writes pieces, hiding them from the nuns and Vivaldi, who insists that only men can be true composers. When her compositions are discovered, Vivaldi burns her manuscript in the fireplace, claiming her ideas as his own. Anna Maria is devastated, her creative voice silenced by the very mentor she once idolized. The fire becomes a symbol of the erasure of women's genius, and Anna Maria is left to pick up the ashes of her dreams.

The Secret Composers

Refusing to be silenced, Anna Maria forms a secret alliance with other talented girls in the figlie di coro. Together, they compose music in the shadows, sharing ideas and supporting each other against the institution's patriarchal rules. Their clandestine creativity becomes an act of rebellion, a way to assert their worth in a world that refuses to acknowledge them. Anna Maria's leadership and vision inspire the others, and their music begins to change the very fabric of the Pietà.

The Cost of Survival

Paulina, Anna Maria's last remaining friend, becomes pregnant after a secret affair. The consequences are dire: she is cast out of the figlie di coro and forced to care for her child in squalor. Anna Maria, torn between helping her friend and protecting her own position, ultimately fails Paulina as she once failed Agata. The cost of survival in the Republic of Music is steep—loyalty, love, and even one's own sense of self. Anna Maria is left to reckon with the choices she has made and the people she has lost.

The First Violinist

Despite the betrayals and losses, Anna Maria achieves her dream: she becomes the first violinist and, eventually, the Master of Music at the Pietà. Her performances draw crowds from across Europe, and her name becomes synonymous with genius. Yet, the power she has fought so hard to attain is bittersweet. She is haunted by the knowledge that her success is built on the backs of those who were "dropped," and that her own music is still claimed by men. Leadership brings new challenges, and Anna Maria must decide what kind of maestro she will be.

The Betrayal of Trust

Vivaldi's mentorship, once a source of inspiration, is revealed to be deeply exploitative. He takes credit for Anna Maria's work, manipulates her emotions, and grooms other young girls in the same way. Anna Maria witnesses him preparing to take a new prodigy, Anna, out of the Pietà, repeating the cycle of exploitation. The realization is shattering: the institution that gave her music also enabled her erasure. Anna Maria must confront the truth about her mentor and the system that allowed him to thrive.

The Master's Shadow

Anna Maria finally confronts Vivaldi, demanding recognition for her work and the work of the other girls. He dismisses her, insisting that history will only remember men. In a final act of cruelty, he burns her remaining compositions, erasing her voice from the record. Anna Maria is left to grapple with the reality that her genius may never be acknowledged, and that the shadow of the master looms over every note she plays. Yet, she refuses to be broken, vowing to find another way to be remembered.

The Republic's Daughters

With Vivaldi gone, Anna Maria takes charge of the figlie di coro, fostering a new era of collaboration and creativity. She encourages the girls to compose, to support each other, and to claim their own power. The orchestra becomes a republic of daughters, a community where music is both resistance and refuge. Anna Maria's leadership transforms the Pietà, and the girls' music begins to echo beyond the walls of the orphanage, challenging the world to listen.

The Fall and the Flight

After a final betrayal, Anna Maria flees the Pietà, wandering the streets of Venice in disguise. She pawns her last possessions, loses herself in the city's underbelly, and nearly succumbs to despair. A chance encounter with Elisabetta Marcini, a wealthy patron with her own history of loss, offers Anna Maria shelter and a new perspective. Through Elisabetta, Anna Maria learns the stories of other women who have survived, and begins to see her own pain as part of a larger tapestry of resilience.

The Woman in the Water

Elisabetta helps Anna Maria uncover the truth about her own mother, Amara—a girl not a monster, but a victim of circumstance who tried to love as best she could. Anna Maria visits the brothel where her mother once lived, hears stories of her kindness and her struggle, and finally understands the legacy of survival she has inherited. In a symbolic act, Anna Maria wades into the lagoon, confronting her lifelong fear of drowning and emerging with a renewed sense of self. She is not a monster, but a survivor.

The Return and the Reckoning

Anna Maria returns to the Pietà, reconciles with Chiara, and is appointed Master of Music. She uses her position to empower the next generation of girls, ensuring that their voices will not be silenced as hers was. Though Paulina chooses to leave and cannot forgive her, Anna Maria accepts this loss as part of her journey. She buys her violin outright, claims her own name, and begins to compose anew. The story ends with Anna Maria running through Venice, chasing the colors of her music, determined that one day, her name—and the names of all the Republic's daughters—will be remembered.

Characters

Anna Maria della Pietà

Anna Maria is the heart of the novel: a girl abandoned at birth, marked by trauma, and raised in the crucible of the Pietà. Gifted with synesthesia, she experiences music as color, which fuels her obsession with the violin and composition. Her relationships—with Paulina, Agata, Vivaldi, and the other girls—are shaped by both love and competition. Anna Maria is fiercely ambitious, often to the point of ruthlessness, and her journey is one of self-discovery, loss, and the fight for recognition in a world that erases women's genius. Her psychological complexity lies in her simultaneous hunger for love and her fear of vulnerability, her capacity for both cruelty and compassion, and her ultimate refusal to be silenced.

Paulina

Paulina is Anna Maria's closest friend and emotional anchor. Small, delicate, and marked by physical and emotional scars, she is both a source of comfort and a mirror for Anna Maria's own struggles. Paulina's pregnancy and subsequent exile from the figlie di coro highlight the precariousness of women's lives in the Republic. Her inability to forgive Anna Maria for abandoning her in her hour of need is a devastating blow, underscoring the limits of survival and the cost of ambition. Paulina's journey is one of love, loss, and the search for agency in a world that offers little.

Agata

Agata, unable to speak due to a childhood injury, is the third member of Anna Maria's original trio. Her gentle presence and musical talent on the fortepiano provide solace and inspiration. Agata's early death is a turning point for Anna Maria, representing the loss of innocence and the beginning of her descent into guilt and isolation. Agata's memory haunts Anna Maria, serving as both a source of pain and a reminder of what is at stake.

Antonio Vivaldi

Vivaldi is both Anna Maria's greatest inspiration and her most profound disappointment. A musical genius with a volatile temperament, he recognizes Anna Maria's talent but is ultimately unable to see her as an equal. His mentorship is a mix of genuine instruction, emotional manipulation, and patriarchal control. Vivaldi's appropriation of Anna Maria's work and his grooming of other young girls expose the dark underbelly of genius and the ways in which power is wielded to silence and exploit. His psychological complexity lies in his simultaneous brilliance and insecurity, his need for adoration, and his inability to share the spotlight.

Chiara

Chiara is one of Anna Maria's main competitors in the figlie di coro, but over time becomes a trusted collaborator and friend. Her initial ambition and later betrayal reflect the pressures placed on women to compete for limited opportunities. Chiara's eventual reconciliation with Anna Maria and her role in the secret composers' collective highlight the power of solidarity and the possibility of healing. She represents the potential for women to support each other in the face of systemic oppression.

Elisabetta Marcini

Elisabetta is a complex figure: a woman of privilege who uses her resources to help girls like Anna Maria, yet is herself haunted by loss and regret. Her own experience of giving up a daughter and her efforts to save others provide a counterpoint to Anna Maria's story. Elisabetta's relationship with Anna Maria is marked by tension, misunderstanding, and ultimately mutual respect. She serves as a mentor and a reminder that survival often requires the help of others.

Sister Madalena

Sister Madalena is the chief disciplinarian at the Pietà, embodying the harshness and rigidity of the institution. Her actions—branding, whipping, and policing the girls—are both a product of her own trauma and a reflection of the broader system that values obedience over individuality. She is both villain and victim, a reminder of how power can corrupt and how institutions perpetuate cycles of violence.

The Mother (Amara)

Anna Maria's mother, Amara, is a shadowy figure whose story is gradually revealed. Not a monster, but a girl forced into sex work and abandonment by circumstance, Amara's choices are shaped by desperation and love. Her legacy is one of survival against the odds, and her memory becomes a source of healing for Anna Maria. The psychological complexity of Amara's character lies in her simultaneous capacity for harm and for hope.

Anna (the new prodigy)

Anna is the young violinist whom Vivaldi grooms to replace Anna Maria. Her presence is a painful reminder of the cycle of exploitation and erasure that defines the institution. Anna's confidence and ambition mirror Anna Maria's own youth, and her fate is left uncertain, a question mark over the future of the Republic's daughters.

Nicolò (the luthier)

Nicolò, the violin maker, is one of the few men in the novel who offers genuine kindness and respect to Anna Maria. He crafts her violin, supports her career, and preserves her legacy through clippings and memories. Nicolò represents the possibility of male allyship and the importance of material objects—like the violin—as vessels of memory and identity.

Plot Devices

Synesthesia and the Color of Music

Anna Maria's synesthesia is a central device, allowing the narrative to render music as a vivid, sensory experience. This not only sets her apart as a prodigy but also symbolizes the unique, unrecognized genius of women. The colors she sees become a language of emotion, trauma, and hope, and their loss or resurgence marks key moments of transformation. Synesthesia is used to bridge the gap between the internal and external worlds, making Anna Maria's creativity both visible and visceral.

The Sliced Playing Card

The playing card left with Anna Maria at birth recurs throughout the novel as a symbol of her mother's love and the possibility of reunion. Its eventual matching with her mother's half provides closure and a sense of lineage, connecting Anna Maria's story to those of countless other abandoned girls. The card is a device for exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the search for origins.

The Fireplace and the Burning of Manuscripts

The burning of Anna Maria's compositions by Vivaldi is a powerful metaphor for the historical erasure of women's contributions. The fire is both literal and symbolic, representing the violence done to women's creativity and the pain of being silenced. The ashes become a site of mourning and, ultimately, a catalyst for rebellion.

The Republic of Music

The Pietà is depicted as a "Republic of Girls," a world within a world where music is both a tool of control and a means of liberation. The collective creation of music by the figlie di coro becomes an act of resistance, challenging the patriarchal order and asserting the value of women's voices. The Republic of Music is a device for exploring themes of solidarity, power, and the possibility of change.

Cyclical Exploitation and the New Prodigy

The introduction of Anna, the new prodigy, and Vivaldi's plan to take her away, underscores the cyclical nature of exploitation. The device of the "next girl" highlights the systemic nature of abuse and the difficulty of breaking free. It also serves as a call to action, urging the reader to recognize and challenge these patterns.

The Lagoon and Water Imagery

Water is a recurring motif, symbolizing both danger and transformation. Anna Maria's fear of drowning, inherited from her near-infanticide, is a metaphor for the suffocating forces of patriarchy and trauma. Her eventual immersion and emergence from the lagoon mark a turning point, a rebirth into self-acceptance and agency.

The Mask and Disguise

Masks—literal and figurative—are used throughout the novel to explore themes of identity, performance, and the tension between public and private selves. Anna Maria's time in disguise on the streets of Venice is a device for stripping her down to her core, forcing her to confront who she is without music, fame, or institutional protection.

Analysis

The Instrumentalist is a sweeping, emotionally charged reimagining of the life of Anna Maria della Pietà, set against the backdrop of 18th-century Venice's orphanage-orchestra. Harriet Constable's novel interrogates the ways in which women's genius has been systematically erased, appropriated, and silenced by patriarchal institutions. Through Anna Maria's journey—from abandoned infant to celebrated violinist to silenced composer to revolutionary leader—the book explores the costs of ambition, the limits of survival, and the power of collective creation. The narrative is unflinching in its depiction of trauma, betrayal, and the violence done to women's bodies and minds, yet it is also a testament to resilience, sisterhood, and the enduring hunger for recognition. The novel's central lesson is that history is not fixed, but made and remade by those who refuse to be forgotten. Anna Maria's story is both a warning and an inspiration: a call to remember the Republic's daughters, to honor the music that survives the fire, and to fight for a world in which every voice can be heard.

Last updated: May 12, 2025