Vivaldi's Virgins

by Barbara Quick

Abandoned as an infant, fourteen-year-old Anna Maria dal Violin is one of the elite musicians living in the foundling home where the "Red Priest," Antonio Vivaldi, is maestro and composer. Fiercely determined to find out where she came from, Anna Maria embarks on a journey of self-discovery that carries her into a wondrous and haunting world of music and spectacle, bringing eighteenth-century Venice magically to life.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Music, Italy, Fiction, Historical, 18th Century, Romance

304 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2007

About the author

Novelist and poet Barbara Quick is the author of VIVALDI'S VIRGINS, published in July 2007 (quality paperback edition in 2008) by HarperCollins and sold for translation in 14 countries, as well as the YA historical title, A GOLDEN WEB, published by HarperTeen in 2010. More information at http://www.barbaraquick.com"

Reviews

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivaldi's Virgins is a sparkling historical fiction about Anna Maria dal Violin, one of the orphans trained to perform music for the well-fare of the souls of Venice in the 1700's.

One of her instructors is Antonio Vivaldi, who is called "The Red Priest" because of his fiery hair: "I heard and then watched Maestro Vivaldi climb the stairs. He has been my teacher- and one of the very few men who has ever seen my face or spoken to me- for nearly half of my lifetime. I was only a girl of eight when, newly ordained as a priest, Antonio Vivaldi, native son of Venezia, was hired by the governors of the Pieta to be our master of the violin." pg 2

Only girls are allowed to perform music in the Pieta. They are kept separate from the general population and all men, except for the priests who are their instructors, to maintain their purity. "Our lives are arranged so that every piece of every day and night is fit together into an intricate mosaic of music and study and prayer. But it is only a counterfeit of real life. We have no more reality in the world than the trompe l'oeil floor tiles of the church have depth or height." pg 85

There is drama among the children through their interactions and competition with each other and some of their instructors, who are either nuns or priests. "Whoever says that girls are kind has never lived among them." pg 13.

Anna longs to know who her family was, but that is a secret kept by the nuns who watch over the children. She spends much of her time trying to figure out how to learn more about who her family may be.

Anna also strains against the restrictions placed on her because of her gender in the 1700's. The government only allows the female musicians from the Pieta to perform in public if they remain in the cloister. If they choose to marry, they have to sign a contract to promise not to perform or pay an exorbitant amount of money to the orphanage to pay for their childhood musical education. "It is one of the great injustices of this fair city. And it has made me dream sometimes of other cities- of London and Paris and Vienna, where, I've heard, female instrumentalists have actually been welcomed, from time to time, on the performance stage." pgs 145-146.

During these struggles, Anna forms true friendships with other foundlings in the Pieta. "When I think of who my companions will be in Hell, I feel rather glad that I will be going there. It will be filled with those I most well and truly loved." pg 150

I learned a lot about 18th century Venice in this book and Vivaldi. All that I knew about Vivaldi, before reading this book, was that he liked to use a bunch of stringed instruments in his compositions.

It makes so much more sense when I discovered who it was he had been composing for.

Recommended for those who enjoy historical fiction, books about composers or stories about troubled childhoods.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read that was rich in the historical detail of Venice in the early 18th century and appreciated the author's notes at the end of the book. Although Vivaldi is in the title and he is a pivotal character in the book, the MC is the real life Anna Maria dal Violin one of the foundlings raised at the Osepadale della Pieta, a cloistered and insular world. Anna Maria became a well-known violinist and a favorite of Vivaldi who was a priest, instructor, composer & maestro at the Osepadale. This is her story and at it's core is her yearning to know her true identity.

I love Vivaldi's music and didn't realize that because of the scandal the dogged him, he became persona non grata and died a pauper and his music died with him for nearly 200 years!!

If you like this time period, Venice and Vivaldi; you should check out Alyssa Paloma's 2012 historical fiction The Violinist of Venice: A Story of Vivaldi which focuses on the composer's life.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written historical fiction about the girl musicians trained by Antonio Vivaldi at a foundling home in Venice. The story is based on fact and is told in the form of a memoir of Anna Maria, a star violinist, as she remembers her early years at the Ospedale della Pieta. Great characters and an interesting story. Recommended.

[Bea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Went into this book blind thinking there would be a lot about Vivaldi.
It was more about young musicians growing up in an orphanage, mainly about Anna Maria della Pieta(or dal Violin in the book)
I did somewhat like the writing style, however, it did turn lacking and monotonous the more I read.
The story felt more of a chick lit to me than a historical fiction book.
I couldnt quite get immersed nor invested in the story.
I also thought there would be more about music but it seemed like it was more of a background than the main thing.

[Mary E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antonio Vivaldi, one of my very favorite composers, taught for years at a foundling school in Venice, Italy. The story is of one of the foundling girls, who really existed historically. The author is a historian, and this is her first novel. The book is well written and engrossing. The foundlings in this school are not orphans, but abandoned as babies by the very poor, or many times, are the illegitimate children of the very rich. Boys and girls were raised together in the school until age ten, when all the boys were sent out to work as apprentices. The girls would work in the school, unless they had musical talent. Those girls would be trained in music. The sponsors of the school were the elite of Venice,who took an active interest in it, so it was well-run and the children were treated well. Vivaldi composed prodigiously, and his works were premiered by the foundling orchestra. All of wealthy Venice would attend their concerts. We follow the life of one young girl, a prodigy on the violin. The young women are free to marry when they come of age, so they are not like nuns, though nuns raise them. It was a fascinating glimpse into Venetian life in the early 1700s, and nice to read something about one of my favorite composers.

[Natasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most enjoyable story based on the relationship between Antonio Vivaldi and his favorite violinist and protégé, Anna Maria, a resident of the foundling home for girls for which Vivaldi wrote some of his most famous and inspired music. Enough history to provide a real learning experience for the reader. This book also contains a beautiful story of how our lives are a collection of our deeds, misdeeds, and our sorrows. A great read.

[Heidi Doreika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much decadence and sex, not enough music and Vivaldi.

[Baroness · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t connect with this read. It lacked the excitement and passion I was hoping I would find within the pages...

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would really give this book 3.5 stars if I could. It captivated me from the first page (which I always like in a book), and the first 2/3(ish) of the book were very good, but the end was lacking. It's a coming-of-age-type story of an orphan (Anna Maria) in a foundling home in early-18th-century Venice (and, she happens to be a student of Vivaldi's). But there's also a bit of a mystery as to the main character's parentage; she particularly seeks to find who her mother is. For me the book started to lose its grip when the mystery of who her mother is is solved (with 30 or so pages to go). Without giving anything away, there is another mystery that should have worked itself out for Anna Maria at that time (she has all the info, and she was a smart and curious girl), but the author chooses to drag it out so that it is decades (thankfully, not a lot of pages to read, though) before she figures it out--I felt somewhat insulted; it didn't feel true to the character. I also felt the author was good at writing from a young girl's perspective, but that she had some trouble with the adult perspective toward the end. I just felt the ending was too simple. I do have a lot of respect for people who write historical fiction and can tie all the loose ends together at the end in a way that is realistic and compelling. Unfortunately, this author fell short a little. Still, I enjoyed the book overall.

[Tocotin · Rating 3 out of 5]

¥150 at BookOff. I’m at it again.

It was a pleasant enough read, but so devoid of surprises! The most interesting part (part?) was Silvio. I waited to see whether he was going to get into some serious trouble, and worried for him, but no… suddenly he turned out to be your run-of-the-mill fashionable gay best friend. No secrets, no surprises. Everything went just too smoothly for everyone: Anna, Vivaldi, Silvio, Marietta (especially the latter). Now I hate the “rule” that the writer should heap up misfortune after misfortune on the protagonist’s head – this is not how it works – but some excitement and nail-biting are good for the story, you know?

Too little color, too few details. And no real feeling of the convent life, either, or the religion that must have defined it in much more aggressive way. I don’t have the need to feel that the people who lived long time ago were, actually, just like me – I don’t WANT to feel this way, I don’t believe in it, I refuse…! Show me why you are writing about those times, please! Surely you know that they were different, and produced different people! You don’t have to convince me that your heroine is a good girl, because she accepts Jews and “sodomites”, just like you and me do! Again, this is not how it works…

I liked Bernardina – she was authentic, and the connection between her and Anna too. And the story behind the story. There was a lot of potential in it. Alas. Milquetoast.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The music and mystery of 18th century Venice

This glorious novel is set in Venice at the height of the splendour and decadence of the dying Republic.

Anna Maria dal Violin is one of the musicians cloistered in the Ospedale della Pieta where Antonio Vivaldi (the red priest) is maestro. Through Anna Maria's eyes, we observe Vivaldi at work, participate in some of the intrigues of life in the Ospedale and within Venice herself. In parallel, we accompany Anna Maria as she seeks to discover who she really is and where she came from.

This novel is wonderful on its own. It is also a splendid introduction to the musical life of 18th century Venice and Vivaldi himself. There are notes and a bibliography for those who wish to explore further. Best read while enjoying Vivaldi's music in the background, naturally.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful piece of historical fiction, exploring the musical, spiritual, and emotional development of one of the foundlings of the Pieta, a student of Vivaldi's, set against the background of 18th century Venice. The author creates a vivid setting; it is easy to envision the cold stone corridors of the church, the poverty of the Jewish ghetto, and the careless flamboyance of the aristocracy. It is another type of "coming of age" story, in a world where children may be discarded for convenience, left with no choices or power, yearning for any connection achieved through talent, diligence, or deception. It has themes of gratitude and thankfulness, acceptance and sacrifice, at times it caused me to smile and more than once moved me to tears. An excellent read.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant tale of a child prodigy of the violin raised in the Ospedale della Pietà of Venice at the beginning of the 18th century. Anna Maria's "maestro" was the red priest, Antonio Vivaldi. Written in the first person, author Quick makes excellent use of letters to describe the inner thoughts of Anna Maria's search for her lost mother, as well as the trials and tribulations of the life of a gifted violinist in an orphanage.

Even if you are not a fan of classical music, you'll be searching for a sonata or concerto to listen to by the time you finish this book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me slow down and enjoy the poetic phrasing and delicious metaphors. I found myself smiling as I could feel the experience through the descriptive mimicry.

[Sotiris Karaiskos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classical music is not my first choice of music, but I have a particular liking for Vivaldi's work and that is why I read this book and definitely one of the main reasons I liked it so much, along with the fact that the author has a beautiful way of telling a story. Of course, in reality, the great composer is not the protagonist of this story, although certainly his presence is very catalytic and even more so the presence of his music.

Antonio Vivaldi, among all his other responsibilities, had undertaken to teach music in a monastic institution that housed orphaned girls who had been abandoned by their parents as well as girls from good families. One of these orphan girls is our heroine who has a great talent in the violin, so great that the great composer creates many of his most famous works for her to perform. Her music career, however, has to face many obstacles within the suffocating constraints of her environment, but her passion for music that Vivaldi does that he can to strengthen always gives her a way out. At the same time, she feels all the signs of adulthood and sexual maturity, which the author manages to connect in a special way with music.

All this in a Venice that lives in the rhythm of the music of Vivaldi and the other great composers of the time, immersed in its passions and licentiousness, using masks and disguises to maintain a hypocritical image of piety. This Venice is described by the author in a very vivid way, inviting the reader to follow her in its canals and bridges, in the churches and in the notorious places where this interesting musical explosion takes place. At the same time, the wonderful music of Vivaldi - which I made sure to accompany every minute of reading - follows us, with constant references to specific works and above all with the feeling they create. So the book may not speak directly about the great composer and his work and be limited to the moving but not so great story of an orphan who finds a way out in music, but creates the right atmosphere to take a look at his music world. which of course is not limited to scores. So if you feel something more when you listen to these wonderful melodies this is a book for you.

Η κλασική μουσική δεν είναι η πρώτη μουσική μου επιλογή, Έχω όμως μία ιδιαίτερη συμπάθεια στο έργο του Βιβάλντι και αυτός είναι ο λόγος που διάβασα αυτό το βιβλίο και σίγουρα ένας από τους κύριους λόγους που μου άρεσε τόσο πολύ, μαζί με το γεγονός ότι η συγγραφέας έχει έναν πανέμορφο τρόπο να αφηγείται την ιστορία. Βέβαια, στην πραγματικότητα, ο μεγάλος συνθέτης δεν είναι ο πρωταγωνιστής αυτής της ιστορίας, αν και σίγουρα η παρουσία του είναι ιδιαίτερα καταλυτική και ακόμα περισσότερο η παρουσία της μουσικής του.

Ο Αντόνιο Βιβάλντι, μεταξύ όλων των άλλων υποχρεώσεών του, είχε αναλάβει να διδάσκει μουσική σε ένα μοναστικό ίδρυμα που φιλοξενούσε ορφανά κορίτσια που τα είχαν εγκαταλείψει οι γονείς τους αλλά και κορίτσια καλών οικογενειών. Ένα από αυτά τα ορφανά κορίτσια είναι η ηρωίδα μας η οποία έχει ιδιαίτερα μεγάλο ταλέντο στο βιολί, τόσο μεγάλο που ο μεγάλος συνθέτης δημιουργεί πολλά από τα διασημότερα έργα του με σκοπό να τα ερμηνεύσει. Η μουσική της καριέρα, όμως, έχει να αντιμετωπίσει πολλά εμπόδια μέσα στους ασφυκτικούς περιορισμούς του περιβάλλοντος της αλλά το πάθος της για τη μουσική που ο Βιβάλντι κάνει ότι μπορεί για να το ενισχύσει της δίνει πάντοτε τη διέξοδο. Την ίδια ώρα νιώθει όλα τα σημάδια της ενηλικίωσης και της σεξουαλικής ωρίμανσης, τα οποία η συγγραφέας καταφέρνει με ιδιαίτερο τρόπο να τα συνδέει με τη μουσική.

Όλα αυτά σε μία Βενετία που ζει στο ρυθμό της μουσικής του Βιβάλντι και των άλλων μεγάλων συνθετών της εποχής, βυθισμένη στα πάθη της και την ακολασία, χρησιμοποιώντας τις μάσκες και τις μεταμφιέσεις για να διατηρήσει μία υποκριτική εικόνα ευσέβειας. Αυτή την Βενετία η συγγραφέας την περιγράφει με έναν ιδιαίτερα ζωηρό τρόπο, καλώντας τον αναγνώστη να την ακολουθήσει στα κανάλια και τις γέφυρες της, στις εκκλησίες και στα κακόφημα μέρη όπου παρουσιάζεται αυτή η ενδιαφέρουσα μουσική έκρηξη. Ταυτόχρονα η υπέροχη μουσική του Βιβάλντι - που φρόντισα να συνοδεύει κάθε λεπτό της ανάγνωσης - μας ακολουθεί, με συνεχείς αναφορές σε συγκεκριμένα έργα του και πάνω από όλα με την αίσθηση που δημιουργούν. Έτσι το βιβλίο μπορεί να μη μιλάει άμεσα για τον μεγάλο σύνθετη και το έργο του και να περιορίζεται στην συγκινητική αλλά όχι τόσο μεγάλη ιστορία μιας ορφανής που βρίσκει διέξοδο στη μουσική, δημιουργεί, όμως, την κατάλληλη ατμόσφαιρα για να ρίξουμε μία ματιά στον μουσικό κόσμο του που φυσικά δεν περιορίζεται στις παρτιτούρες. Οπότε αν νιώθετε κάτι περισσότερο όταν ακούτε αυτές τις υπέροχες μελωδίες αυτό είναι ένα βιβλίο για εσάς.

[Desiree Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Atmospheric. Sumptuous even. Lovely descriptions of the city of Venice. Interesting history of musicians of the orphanage. And of Vivaldi's career. Exiting at 64% however. I just can't stomach the purposeful poisoning of one's body to rid it of a child.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that a book with a name like Vivaldi’s Virgins would be a great trashy summer read. But along with a few titillating coming-of-age scenes, the book has a wonderful and historically correct plot. It was a surprise to me that Antonio Vivaldi was an ordained priest—known as the Red Priest—and that he taught orphans who showed musical talent at the Pieta, a foundling home in Venice during the early 18th century. The protagonist, Anna Maria, tells the story in first person. Her character is based upon one of Vivaldi’s most talented violin students, a Pieta orphan whose playing was exceptional enough to handle Vivaldi’s most complex compositions.

As one would expect, life in an orphanage run by nuns in the 1700s was not easy, even for the most talented girls. Some nuns were kind, others cruel, and life was dictated by rules. The young teen girls naturally sought freedom. Though they had only a few options within the home’s confines, they created many ways to sneak outside and experience life amongst other social groups. Vivaldi himself was able to bring his musical prodigies out into the world for occasional concerts and performances—sometimes with the nuns’ approval, other times under subterfuge.

Underlying all of the action is Anna Maria’s search for her mother. The only girl in the orphanage who is never visited by relatives, her longing becomes keen as she becomes a young woman.

Although the second half of the book wouldn’t be the life I’d choose for Anna Maria’s character, the facts are historically correct for the person on which she is based. Since the history is incomplete, the author has convincingly speculated on details. At the very end of the book, after historical notes on Vivaldi, a glossary of Italian terms used in the book, a discography of music cited in the book, and a bibliography of the author’s research sources, there is a section called “How This Novel Came to be Written.” Do NOT read this until the very end, as it will spoil all the surprises. Placed as it is, at the very end, it ties everything about the novel and its history together neatly.

Vivaldi’s Virgins is written in modern language, so it is an easy and enjoyable read. People who love Vivaldi will enjoy this book. Fans of historical fiction, Venice and its history, coming-of-age stories from the 1700s, and/or stories about orphans oppressed/loved by nuns will like this unusual and satisfying synthesis of these themes.

[Jean Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful, fast read about a young girl, an orphan in a convent who was one of the many musicians taught by the maestro Vivaldi. The novel tells of the narrator's, Anna Maria's, life and times growing up in such an institution and how her and her friends dealt with it all. Anna Maria's primary goal is to not only be a great violinist but to find out where she came from. Her search is seamlessly woven into the drama of the time, sneaking out of the convent walls, boys, and chaos among the nobility of the time.

The writing itself was lovely, fluid and dynamic. There wasn't any of those occassionally slipped through errors that can irk the crap out of the reader. I loved Quick's easy way of storytelling.

My only issue with the novel was the choppiness of the ending. We find out Anna Maria's past, where she comes from, but then the story begins to jump. Jump from a precarious revelation set on to her by Vivaldi himself to her own life as a music teacher. The ending was lovely, concluding it all well but its choppiness makes it feel rushed, which is my biggest pet peave in novels.

While this is not the most life changing read it certainly is worth the time and effort to read as it will sweep you into the world of cloistered musicians.

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Don"t read this book if you actually want to learn about Vivaldi. It's more a novel about life growing up as a musician in an orphanage. The most interesting bit about Vivaldi (I won't give spoiler) that is revealed at the end of the book, is denied by the author in the notes.

Also, the author used many Italian words without explaining them. I found this very frustrating, even tho some terms could be deciphered by the context. At the end of the book, I discovered as I finished it, is a glossary. Who knew? I found it very irritating.

I also kept confusing the characters, as sometimes the author uses nicknames, sometimes "real" names. There was too much going on with characters too similar to keep straight.

Read this book if you have nothing better to do. That's the best recommendation I can give. I gave one star for the creative story creation.

[Karren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is based on the real life composer Antonio Vivaldi who taught in an orphanage where there were tremendously gifted girls who sang and played musical instruments such as the violin. The story is told poetically through the voice of an orphan who plays violin and who is searching for her mother.

When you finish reading the book, you will want to start over because the orphan's mystery is solved.

Read more about this book from at CultureVulture.net and my blog The Dressing on Scene4 Magazine.

[Janeka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classificação: 3,5 estrelas

[Margaretdwyer04]

Loved this book; found it very interesting and well written. Another one for a great book club discussion.

[Laura Kroeze · Rating 4 out of 5]

leuk boek met een happy end

[Christy Kelder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Laatste bladzijdes overgeslagen, omdat ik hem toch nooit pakte, op een of andere manier. Verder wel mooi verhaal, maar er gebeurt voor mij te weinig om te blijven lezen. Pas het einde, de laatste paar bladzijdes, gebeurde iets.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I desperately wanted to enjoy this book as much as I did The Four Seasons: A Novel of Vivaldi's Venice. Unfortunately, it just wasn't as good.

In this tale, our protagonist is Anna Maria del Violin, who was left at Venice's Ospedale de Pieta as a foundling. She is writing from her perspective as one of the ospedale's music instructors, looking back at past events. The novel is semi-epistolary; part of the action is told via Anna Maria's letters to a mother for whom she is constantly searching.

If I had not read Laurel Corona's excellent book and done some research on the ospedale myself, I would not have had the background to really understand what is happening in this particular book. Quick doesn't go into the daily life of the girls of the ospedale's orchestra enough to give the reader an idea of their experiences.

Overall, this story seems watered-down to me. I figured out the plot twist long before it was revealed in its somewhat anti-climactic fashion. Best for readers to stick with Corona's far superior novel.

[Selina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am interested in stories set in Venice so this book was intriguing for me, loosley based on real life events of the young musicians who were taught by Vivaldi. Their is a bit of mystery involved with the orphan trying to find out her parentage but having read many novels which use this as a plot device I find it less interesting than the descriptions of the setting which is brought vividly to life here.
As a mystery it fails to draw me in and I couldn't keep track of the characters in the confused storyline but I kept reading, hoping to find out more about Vivaldi's world. Disapointingly, there is not much about Vivaldi himself and the 'virgins' of the title is rather misleading, as far as I know the musicians he taught were not bound by celibacy, but were just young females. However the descriptions of life inside the conservatory and Venice environs make up for any weakness of the plot.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. Vivaldi is at the top of my favourite composers list, along with a select other few, and I had never read anything about his life before. I really knew nothing about these convents in Venice, where music is taught with such reverence, nor do I know enough about Venice in this time period. So I found the setting very engaging. As well, having spent much of my youth in music lessons, violin included, I had first-hand knowledge of how music is felt and played.
The whole time I was reading this, I thought how wonderfully well it would translate to film. It has gorgeous visuals, a breathtaking soundtrack, and fantastic characters.

[Kate Forsyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book set at the Pieta, the founding school which trained abandoned children to sing and play musical instruments. Antonio Vivaldi is a key character in this book, but the spotlight is mostly on Anna Maria dal Violin, a true life girl whose musical virtuosity was lauded in the early 18th century. And even though she is locked up behind the Ospedale’s walls most fo the time, Venice itself comes vividly to life. A really wonderful read.

[Joan Gelfand · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! I was alerted to it by a poet colleague and devoured it : )
I love the setting - Venice in 1709. The plot was very well developed, the big secret/ big reveal was a compelling hook and for me, reading scenes in which Handel and Vivaldi are pal'ing around was just fantastic.

The main Anna Maria del Violin is very sympathetic.

The book has been optioned for a series! Fingers crossed!

[K.F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly enjoyable and scandalous and definitely a good read for any music nerd, but somehow it fails to really cross that threshold into exquisite. It's above average, but character development was a bit minimal and characters you're supposed to care deeply for are introduced then immediately loved by the narrator. Other than that, educational and fun.