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The Instrumentalist

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The Instrumentalist

By: Harriet Constable
Narrated by: Emilia Clarke, Harriet Constable
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About this listen

 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©2024 Harriet Constable (P)2024 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Historical Fiction
All stars
Most relevant
Beautiful, evocative, varying pace like the music it describes. Deliciously crafted words that bring to the surface a story that's been submerged by the years (and the men like Vivaldi who kept the origins of his music shrouded in mystery). Bravo Harriet, can't wait to read what you write next (or see this adapted for the screen!)

Evocative, meaningful magic

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Great narration and storytelling. A fascinating time and loved inhabiting the world of Anna Maria, what a great heroine! Loved her. Great to discover this author thank you.

Great narration and storytelling.

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This book describes music in such a rich and fulfilling way and tells an amazing story of how transformational dedication and hard work can be for anyone, especially a girl. loved it!

Perfect for musicians and music lovers

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The narrator was excellent and the authors knowledge and story telling was top rate
Hard to put down . I loved this book!

Totally captivating

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I didn't enjoy the book - or most of it anyway. But I did persevere and could see the point towards the end. I was disappointed that Vivaldi had to cop the blame - I don't know much about his personal life, but it seems an awful shame if his reputation has been unjustly maligned. He left the world with the most wonderful and sublime music - if the ego stuff was just a story, then I think that's a great injustice to his memory. I appreciate what was said about the orphanage - if any of that was true, then good to get it out there. But was it true? Regarding the reader - I think that was the main reason I had to force myself back to the book - there was always a force in her voice, always implying it was bad when the words weren't really revealing that yet. So I didn't enjoy it, but on the good side, it did resolve in the end. But I don't take back any of the preceding.

Mixed feelings ...

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