Bibliograph

Vivaldi's virgins, a novel, Barbara Quick

Type

Label

Vivaldi's virgins, a novel, Barbara Quick

Language

eng

resource.accompanyingMatter

technical information on music

Form of composition

not applicable

Format of music

not applicable

Literary text for sound recordings

fiction

Main title

Vivaldi's virgins

Medium

electronic resource

Responsibility statement

Barbara Quick

Sub title

a novel

Summary

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

Target audience

adult

Transposition and arrangement

not applicable

Classification