The Instrumentalist

Narrator Emilia Clarke channels the intensity of journalist and filmmaker Constable’s atmospheric debut, charting the life and legacy of composer and virtuoso violinist Anna Maria della Pietà (1696–1782). Anna Maria was raised in Venice’s Ospedale della Pietà, a convent and orphanage known for producing exemplary musicians through its world-renowned music school. Anna Maria shows promise in flute, oboe, and pianoforte, but when she encounters the violin, it is clear that she has found her calling. The school’s new teacher, Antonio Vivaldi, recognizes Anna Maria’s talent, and as he alternately pushes her, praises her, and uses her as a muse, her talent grows. Clarke exquisitely captures the nuances of life in the orphanage, where ambition mingles with dread, and opportunity offers both joy and devastation. Clarke’s portrayal of Anna Maria hits all the right notes, communicating her fierce determination, pleasure in her own abilities, and the shame she feels in leaving her friends behind. Anna Maria’s rage when she understands Vivaldi’s self-serving acts of betrayal is incandescent, and the descriptions of her glorious music are pure poetry.