Anna Maria della Pietà, born in 1696, was a child prodigy violinist who became the most celebrated virtuosa that you’ve probably never heard of. Vivaldi’s protegee, her exceptional talent was discovered when she was eight years old. Subsequently many of his concertos were written for her as a consequence of their problematic relationship. And yet, despite being one of the most acclaimed classical musicians of her time, she is largely absent from public consciousness. Harriet Constable’s debut novel of historical fiction attempts to correct this sin of omission.
From Anna’s origins in a Venetian orphanage where she was abandoned as a baby, Constable imaginatively reconstructs her life. With painstaking attention to historical detail, the reader bears witness to how a young orphan must use ruthless determination to realise her potential. That the real-life Anna could overcome the many struggles of her beginnings, and the oppression of women of her time, in order to achieve greatness, suggests a woman of unique complexity and determination. Constable delivers on that promise beautifully with a multidimensional character who is nonetheless still of her era, without impressing upon her contemporary understanding.
One of the most striking aspects of Anna is her synaesthetic appreciation of music as a spectrum of colours. This quality allows Constable to convey the classical music in the novel in a very impactful way, which is especially impressive considering how difficult it is to describe music in prose. A reader could accompany their literary foray into 18th-century Venice by playing the music that is mentioned throughout in order to enhance further their immersion into this vividly drawn time and place.
The ambitious undertaking to resurrect Anna with nuance and authenticity has been very successfully achieved with this impressive debut. Those who have enjoyed Jessie Burton’s historical fiction are likely to find a kindred spirit in Harriet Constable. And those who have ever had to fight to be seen, heard or recognised will empathise with Anna Maria della Pietà, whose story illuminates once again how many remarkable women have been silenced in historical archives. Constable allows Anna’s music to play on, and for her name to be finally elevated beyond a footnote in Vivaldi’s biography.
