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The Four Seasons: A Novel of Vivaldi's Venice
In glittering 18th-century Venice, music and love are prized above all else--and for two sisters coming of age, the city's passions blend in intoxicating ways. Chiaretta and Maddalena are as different as night and day. The two sisters were abandoned as babies on the steps of the Ospedale della Pietà, Venice's world-famous foundling hospital and musical academy. High-spirited and rebellious, Chiaretta marries into a great aristocratic Venetian family and eventually becomes one of the most powerful women in Venice. Maddalena becomes a violin virtuoso and Antonio Vivaldi's muse. The Four Seasons is a rich, literary imagination of the world of 18th-century Venice and the lives and loves of two extraordinary women.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
55 people are currently reading
3680 people want to read
About the author
Laurel Corona
32 books136 followersI have loved reading and writing ever since my older sister came home from first grade to teach me what she had learned that day. My first publications were in the Oakland Tribune in a weekly section for children called "Aunt Elsie's Page," and a newspaper I put out for my family which featured reviews of what I was reading and news about what was happening in the lives of my dolls.
I was lucky enough to have parents who encouraged me from the beginning, and who showed their support by giving up much of what they must have wanted for themselves so my sister and I could get the best possible education. As a result, by the time I graduated from The Bishop's School in 1967 and enrolled as an English major at the University of California at Davis, I had come to appreciate that good writing is extraordinarily difficult but well worth the effort. I couldn't believe I could get a degree by devouring novels and poetry in bed in my pajamas, and writing papers on ideas that burned in me as I read, but it turned out to be largely true. Graduate school at the University of Chicago (MA 1972) and again at Davis (Ph.D, 1982) followed.
Professionally, early in my career I was both an instructor and an administrator of academic support programs at San Diego State University and the University of California at San Diego. I came to San Diego City College in 1990, first as a dean and then as a full-time professor of English and Humanities. I also freelanced in the 1990s, writing approximately 20 Young Adult titles for Lucent Books.
Lately, i have been enjoying the opportunity to serve as an enrichment lecturer on Silversea Cruises, and in my spare time, I am an avid tennis player, novice golfer, voracious reader, and a pretty good chef.
I was lucky enough to have parents who encouraged me from the beginning, and who showed their support by giving up much of what they must have wanted for themselves so my sister and I could get the best possible education. As a result, by the time I graduated from The Bishop's School in 1967 and enrolled as an English major at the University of California at Davis, I had come to appreciate that good writing is extraordinarily difficult but well worth the effort. I couldn't believe I could get a degree by devouring novels and poetry in bed in my pajamas, and writing papers on ideas that burned in me as I read, but it turned out to be largely true. Graduate school at the University of Chicago (MA 1972) and again at Davis (Ph.D, 1982) followed.
Professionally, early in my career I was both an instructor and an administrator of academic support programs at San Diego State University and the University of California at San Diego. I came to San Diego City College in 1990, first as a dean and then as a full-time professor of English and Humanities. I also freelanced in the 1990s, writing approximately 20 Young Adult titles for Lucent Books.
Lately, i have been enjoying the opportunity to serve as an enrichment lecturer on Silversea Cruises, and in my spare time, I am an avid tennis player, novice golfer, voracious reader, and a pretty good chef.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
August 18, 2024
Throughout reading Corona's 2008 debut novel, I had the feeling I had read this before but when I got to the end, I knew that I had not. I have read a couple of other HF novels on this same topic, so that must have given me that Deja vu feeling.
It never fails to make me think about despite still not achieving equality in all things, how far most women in the Western world have really come in having control over their lives compared to days past. This novel is set in Venice in the early 18th century and our eyes are opened up about how few choices even noblewomen had: marriage or the convent.
Maddelena & Chiaretta have been abandoned to the care of the famous Ospedale della Pieta to be raised and hopefully trained as musicians until they become of age. Maddelena excels at the violin and eventually she is tutored by Vivaldi; Chiaretta develops a beautiful voice. This is their story. I of course loved all the descriptions of Venice and the culture of the times as well.
Some reviewers were disappointed that there wasn't more about Vivaldi in the novel but there is enough to give people a taste of what he was like and how the scandal developed that would lead to his falling out of favor and the loss of his music for hundreds of years. Additionally, there is an author's note that provides more info on the composer. Reading it, my heart flipped once again with the knowledge that his glorious music could have been lost forever.
It never fails to make me think about despite still not achieving equality in all things, how far most women in the Western world have really come in having control over their lives compared to days past. This novel is set in Venice in the early 18th century and our eyes are opened up about how few choices even noblewomen had: marriage or the convent.
Maddelena & Chiaretta have been abandoned to the care of the famous Ospedale della Pieta to be raised and hopefully trained as musicians until they become of age. Maddelena excels at the violin and eventually she is tutored by Vivaldi; Chiaretta develops a beautiful voice. This is their story. I of course loved all the descriptions of Venice and the culture of the times as well.
Some reviewers were disappointed that there wasn't more about Vivaldi in the novel but there is enough to give people a taste of what he was like and how the scandal developed that would lead to his falling out of favor and the loss of his music for hundreds of years. Additionally, there is an author's note that provides more info on the composer. Reading it, my heart flipped once again with the knowledge that his glorious music could have been lost forever.
November 28, 2008
This is, beyond a doubt, one of the best written historical novels I have ever read. Laurel Corona paints a vivid portrait of 17th and 18th century Venetian life, examining the roles of women in society and in the ospedale (orphanages) that earned their money from womens' choruses and orchestras. Using the premise of two sisters left to the ospedale, each choosing a different path, makes an interesting contrast between the two realms. Maddalena, a gifted violinist, chooses to remain in the cloistered life of the ospedale so that she may continue to work with the brilliant priest/composer Antonio Vivaldi. Chiaretta, a brilliant vocalist, chooses marriage to escape the cloister, even though it means she is not to sing in public again.
Corona has carefully researched the period's music, social mores, architecture, government and so on. Her careful attention to detail brings this distant and very different world to life and draws the reader into it as though one is present with her characters. The musicality of her prose is ideal for describing the world in which Vivaldi composed.
Highly recommended to fans of the genre, classical music afficionados, and those interested in womens' history.
Corona has carefully researched the period's music, social mores, architecture, government and so on. Her careful attention to detail brings this distant and very different world to life and draws the reader into it as though one is present with her characters. The musicality of her prose is ideal for describing the world in which Vivaldi composed.
Highly recommended to fans of the genre, classical music afficionados, and those interested in womens' history.
May 26, 2024
This book was 33-50% longer than it needed to be. Sure, historical fiction was there, but so were the large swaths of stereotypical cis female heteronormativity masquerading as plot and character development. I get there might not have been the most information about Vivaldi, given his complicated legacy that has resulted in works of his being discovered late as 2015, but to view him through one and then another stodgy perspective that need not cleave to more than the bare bones of historical accuracy makes for a lot of twiddling of one's readerly thumbs when the story is caught in the throes of another lovesick/marriage route/jealousy/child-rearing tale that would not be out of place in a tale set in the 21st century save for the lack of smartphones. The promised "one of the most powerful women in Venice" never really comes to fruition, while "Vivaldi's muse" is a lot of passive aggressive innuendo, which is convenient for narratology sake but hardly satisfying enough to list off on a back page blurb (but I suppose that's how blurbs often are). All in all, I have a faint suspicion that I inherited the interest in this from a long ago friendship, and a decade of reading and personal development later, my standards for both literature and credible characters/setting are much higher. Anyway, if you're like me and thrill to Vivaldi's Winter, I'm not saying you would be better served looking up a new cover on Youtube instead of reading this, but you should consider whether your interest in the music is worth nearly 400 pages of something only tangentially related.
January 2, 2016
It took me a while to finish this book. Not because it's bad, but because it's so rich in detail.
The title is a tad misleading though. The book is about the lives of two sisters, Vivaldi is only a supporting cast member. So if someone picks this book up hoping to immerse him/herself in Vivaldi's life, will sorely be disappointed. Instead, the story draws a historically accurate picture of life in Venice in the 1700s - especially in the Pieta, the orphanage, where the two sisters end up.
Both main characters are well drawn and vastly different. Maddelena is quiet, contemplative, for whom music is life. Chiaretta is bouncy, vivacious, fun loving with a voice of an angel. We see their lives unfold through both of their eyes and their widely different perspectives give spice to the otherwise dull and factual story.
I did love the book, the ending made me cry. I've found life in Venice in those days fascinating, especially married life.
A worthy read - though do not wait for Vivaldi's breakout moment. This book is not about him. But two girs who try to find meaning in their lives.
The title is a tad misleading though. The book is about the lives of two sisters, Vivaldi is only a supporting cast member. So if someone picks this book up hoping to immerse him/herself in Vivaldi's life, will sorely be disappointed. Instead, the story draws a historically accurate picture of life in Venice in the 1700s - especially in the Pieta, the orphanage, where the two sisters end up.
Both main characters are well drawn and vastly different. Maddelena is quiet, contemplative, for whom music is life. Chiaretta is bouncy, vivacious, fun loving with a voice of an angel. We see their lives unfold through both of their eyes and their widely different perspectives give spice to the otherwise dull and factual story.
I did love the book, the ending made me cry. I've found life in Venice in those days fascinating, especially married life.
A worthy read - though do not wait for Vivaldi's breakout moment. This book is not about him. But two girs who try to find meaning in their lives.
February 28, 2021
Bilo je uživanje čitati ovaj roman. Iako je u pitanju fikcija, ipak je autorka dobro odradila svoj posao povezavši je sa stvarnim likovima tog doba.
Jako mnogo se može naučiti kako je funkcionisalo društvo Venecije tog doba, koliko je, s jedne strane, sveštenstvo branilo napredak, a koliko, s druge strane, su bogati plemići sebi dopuštali slobode.
Jesmo napredovali, ali neke stvari se nisu baš pretjerano promijenile.
Jako mnogo se može naučiti kako je funkcionisalo društvo Venecije tog doba, koliko je, s jedne strane, sveštenstvo branilo napredak, a koliko, s druge strane, su bogati plemići sebi dopuštali slobode.
Jesmo napredovali, ali neke stvari se nisu baš pretjerano promijenile.
March 24, 2009
I read this book in two days - a pretty good measurement of how much I enjoyed this book!
As a music major, I spent some time studying Vivaldi. I knew he was nicknamed the Red Priest (due to his fiery red hair), he wasn't the most chaste priest, he was a violin virtuoso and wrote some extraoridnarily beautiful and intense music. I knew he worked and wrote music for an Venetian orphanage for girls - but this book describes Vivaldi's Venice in such an interestingly detailed way.
Corona tells the story of two sisters who grow up in the Ospidale della Pieta (the orphanage where Vivialdi worked). I thought it was such an intriguing choice - to tell the story (though the author took many liberties with her imagination and twisted some facts)surrounding the orphans' lives. And the detail of Venetian traditions and protocol of the time was very interesting. I also enjoyed Corona's description of Vivaldi's music.
As a music major, I spent some time studying Vivaldi. I knew he was nicknamed the Red Priest (due to his fiery red hair), he wasn't the most chaste priest, he was a violin virtuoso and wrote some extraoridnarily beautiful and intense music. I knew he worked and wrote music for an Venetian orphanage for girls - but this book describes Vivaldi's Venice in such an interestingly detailed way.
Corona tells the story of two sisters who grow up in the Ospidale della Pieta (the orphanage where Vivialdi worked). I thought it was such an intriguing choice - to tell the story (though the author took many liberties with her imagination and twisted some facts)surrounding the orphans' lives. And the detail of Venetian traditions and protocol of the time was very interesting. I also enjoyed Corona's description of Vivaldi's music.
March 11, 2021
This was a book less about Vivaldi and more about the culture of Venice as told through two orphan sisters, Maddalena and Chiaretta. These girls were dropped off at the Pieta, an all-female orphanage dedicated to raising musicians to entertain the Venetian public. The girls have a future as a music teacher, consignment to a convent or as a wife, if they are lucky enough to attract attention from a male admirer. Chiaretta, as a vocalist, does gain the favor of a Venetian nobleman and enters Venetian high society. Her naiveté provided a good illustration as to how dissolute society was-male companions were expected for married women and mistresses were standard even in a loving marriage. There were some tidbits about Vivaldi as he came in and out of the story as the Pieta's music master but what I found most interesting about him was in the author's note at the end-that his music faded into obscurity until it was rediscovered in the 1930s.
June 2, 2011
This is a story set in the age of Venice when music and art were everywhere. Two sisters, Maddalena and Chiaretta, are abandoned by their mother to the Pietà, one of four orphanages for girls in Venice. The pair are raised behind closed doors, with Maddalena as a violin prodigy and Chiaretta as an astounding singer. However, beyond the music, the sisters are as different as black and white. Chiaretta is beautiful, outgoing, and longs to find a life outside the walls of the Pietà where she’ll be admired and surrounded by finery. Maddalena is introspective, a great lover of losing herself in music, and lives only to play her violin and be with her sister. When the red priest , Vivaldi, becomes one of the instructors, he and Maddalena form an instantaneous attachment to each other through the music, and though their relationship cannot proceed beyond anything else, they begin to form a bond that will last until death. Chiaretta works to become the premier vocalist of the Pietà, to protect her sister, and to find happiness wherever she can.
It’s hard to tell if this is a story about Maddalena, Chiaretta, Vivaldi, or the music itself. The entire novel is written like a musical number – points and counterpoints, the stories of the sisters’ stories playing off of each other and intermingling with that of Vivaldi’s as he becomes inspired and works on his greatest compositions in “The Four Seasons.” We are allowed to see events unfold from both the point of view of Chiaretta, and of Maddalena. Each one faces her hopes, her goals, her reality, her love for someone else, and overall the necessity for music in their life.
The gorgeous thing about this story is that you need not know a single thing about music in order to feel the melody of this story. You can sense the great love of music, and impossibly beautiful music at that, which each of the characters holds within them. Whether they are heartbroken or uplifted, the music is always there alongside them – bringing them closer to each other or to God. This novel is as much a testament to the pristine power of the written note as it is to the written word.
If you couldn’t tell, I loved this book. I appreciated that it was more than a story of two orphaned sisters growing up, and more than a love story. It was more than a book about the composition of a great piece of music and more than a forbidden romance. The combination of all these put so flawlessly together was an impressive work itself, and I highly recommend this novel.
It’s hard to tell if this is a story about Maddalena, Chiaretta, Vivaldi, or the music itself. The entire novel is written like a musical number – points and counterpoints, the stories of the sisters’ stories playing off of each other and intermingling with that of Vivaldi’s as he becomes inspired and works on his greatest compositions in “The Four Seasons.” We are allowed to see events unfold from both the point of view of Chiaretta, and of Maddalena. Each one faces her hopes, her goals, her reality, her love for someone else, and overall the necessity for music in their life.
The gorgeous thing about this story is that you need not know a single thing about music in order to feel the melody of this story. You can sense the great love of music, and impossibly beautiful music at that, which each of the characters holds within them. Whether they are heartbroken or uplifted, the music is always there alongside them – bringing them closer to each other or to God. This novel is as much a testament to the pristine power of the written note as it is to the written word.
If you couldn’t tell, I loved this book. I appreciated that it was more than a story of two orphaned sisters growing up, and more than a love story. It was more than a book about the composition of a great piece of music and more than a forbidden romance. The combination of all these put so flawlessly together was an impressive work itself, and I highly recommend this novel.
July 22, 2010
I'm taking away a whole star for using Vivaldi's name in the title when he's only a reoccurring supporting character in the story. The theme of the story, how art can shape lives as much as lives shape art, is shown through the lives of two sisters, orphaned as infants and raised within the very interesting patronage system that made Venice the art center that it once was. As a romance, there's a distinct lack of any kind of passion, but the setting, as a HF, is pretty well done. There's a sense of receptiveness with the descriptive passages, a problem when your entire story takes place in what was a very insular, small town kind of city. I had the feeling that the idea for the story came first and that Corona invented characters to populate it - they weren't nearly as dimensional as the orphanage, casas, and of course, this being Venice, the canals.
December 31, 2012
I loved this book, it was so interesting and it takes you right from your couch and transports you to Venice. There was so much about the culture during the time that I did not know and it was weaved into this story beautifully and tastefully. A lot of historical fiction works get bogged down with sordid details and this book did none of that, which doesn't mean that it was at all a boring read. It was so well written and I was enthralled from page one till the last line. I also loved all the details about the life of Vivaldi and his works, I went right to my computer and listened to The Four Seasons (which is breathtaking). Def worth your time!
April 19, 2009
I wish I could say I enjoyed this book. Vivaldi is my favorite composer. But as I read this novel, the characters, Maddelena and Chiaretta, felt flat to me. They took too long to develop. Though, in honesty, their love of their musical craft came through bright and clear. Within the first three chapters I read, there was no conceivable motivation forming, that I could determine, to help carry the book with the characters. The motivation for the plot must come later in the novel. Regrettably, I returned the book to the library without finishing it.
January 1, 2022
This book is quite like the composition in the title; there are individual parts that are unpleasant, yet when looked at as a whole, it is a masterpiece. A tapestry. Beautiful. That is the beauty of looking at things from a distance; you see the big picture because you're not focusing on all the little flaws, scrutinizing every little detail.
March 31, 2019
Detail-oriented historical fiction illustrating the patronage system of 18th century Venice, a world I didn’t know much about. Vivaldi isn’t much more than a cameo character in this story of two orphaned musician sisters, but it was a lovely immersive read regardless.
February 2, 2022
Excellent
July 21, 2014
I rescued this book from the trash when I was assessing the collection at my library. Hadn't gone out in a couple of years, but had been part of that big popular boom in biographical novels a couple years back. The idea that this novel focused on the life of Antonio Vivaldi caught my eye and I decided to read it instead of withdraw it.
The Four Seasons is such an iconic piece of music, used in DeBeers diamond commercials for as long as I can remember. Who was the genius that composed that piece? Who were the players to first tease out the notes until they swelled into life?
Laurel Corona recreates the city of Venice in the early 1700s and the Ospedale della Pieta, part convent, orphanage, and music school. The two main characters, Chiaretta and Maddalena, sisters who were left in the care of the Pieta's sisters and raised to become singular musicians. The story initially focuses on Maddalena's love of the violin and her apparent natural gift for playing it. Through the violin she meets Antonio Vivaldi: priest, composer, asthmatic, teacher and something more. Between Maddalena and Vivaldi a connection sparks. They act almost as if a married couple, but Vivaldi uses the Pieta to make money for his compositions and disappears frequently to different Italian opera houses for better commissions. Maddalena is tormented by her feelings for Vivaldi and his seemingly callous behavior towards her. Later in the novel the focus switches to Chiaretta and her singing. It is her breathtaking soprano that leads her into a marriage with one of the wealthiest and powerful families in Venice. She is the one that pushes her sister's career forward and encourages music performances at her new villa.
The sisters' lives are inextricably linked with music and with Vivaldi, but this novel is really about the lives of the two women and not the composer. However, the authro jumps between big sections of the women's lives that I felt their story was disconnected. The sections of the book are more like a piece of art, showing only certain sections of a lifetime. I really liked the characters and wished there had been more meat to their lives. The setting that Corona describes is incredibly detailed and brings Venice alive on the pages. My biggest issue with this book was how awkward and childish discussions of sex and menstruation felt. I think the author was trying to mimic the uncertainty and awkwardness of this period in a woman's life, but the language was stilted and made reading these passages seem very silly. It broke me away from the story.
If you really enjoy the artistic biographical novels I would definitely suggest anything by Susan Vreeland or Tracey Chevalier. These types of novels tend to be focuses mainly on female figures or tangentially female characters rather than men, but the stories are solidly written and entertaining.
The Four Seasons is such an iconic piece of music, used in DeBeers diamond commercials for as long as I can remember. Who was the genius that composed that piece? Who were the players to first tease out the notes until they swelled into life?
Laurel Corona recreates the city of Venice in the early 1700s and the Ospedale della Pieta, part convent, orphanage, and music school. The two main characters, Chiaretta and Maddalena, sisters who were left in the care of the Pieta's sisters and raised to become singular musicians. The story initially focuses on Maddalena's love of the violin and her apparent natural gift for playing it. Through the violin she meets Antonio Vivaldi: priest, composer, asthmatic, teacher and something more. Between Maddalena and Vivaldi a connection sparks. They act almost as if a married couple, but Vivaldi uses the Pieta to make money for his compositions and disappears frequently to different Italian opera houses for better commissions. Maddalena is tormented by her feelings for Vivaldi and his seemingly callous behavior towards her. Later in the novel the focus switches to Chiaretta and her singing. It is her breathtaking soprano that leads her into a marriage with one of the wealthiest and powerful families in Venice. She is the one that pushes her sister's career forward and encourages music performances at her new villa.
The sisters' lives are inextricably linked with music and with Vivaldi, but this novel is really about the lives of the two women and not the composer. However, the authro jumps between big sections of the women's lives that I felt their story was disconnected. The sections of the book are more like a piece of art, showing only certain sections of a lifetime. I really liked the characters and wished there had been more meat to their lives. The setting that Corona describes is incredibly detailed and brings Venice alive on the pages. My biggest issue with this book was how awkward and childish discussions of sex and menstruation felt. I think the author was trying to mimic the uncertainty and awkwardness of this period in a woman's life, but the language was stilted and made reading these passages seem very silly. It broke me away from the story.
If you really enjoy the artistic biographical novels I would definitely suggest anything by Susan Vreeland or Tracey Chevalier. These types of novels tend to be focuses mainly on female figures or tangentially female characters rather than men, but the stories are solidly written and entertaining.
April 29, 2010
Finished this one tonight at my mom's, in Arab, Alabama.
It was fascinating and confusing, both. Confusing in the same way books like The Other Boleyn Sister confuse me. Basically, I don't know which is fact and which is fiction, and it bugs me! It makes me fear for historical accuracy in the reading public. Or maybe the non-reading public. On the other hand, they don't care ...
There were some things so specific and clearly described that I felt like I was there. When the girls first came to the Pieta, some of the diseases, and some of the music, especially. But then other parts were broadly glossed over and made me lose a little bit of interest. I suppose part of that is based on the things the author can and can't actually research.
I loved the relationship between the sisters. I didn't so much like the age jumps. Just when I was getting into an era, there would be a leap in time that bothered me enough that I would go back and read the end of the previous era slower. hmmm ...
Having been to Venice, I thought this would feel more Venice-like, to me. But other than the gondoliers and using gondolas as taxis (which wasn't much), I felt like this could have taken place really in any city in Italy. Well, any culture center, I suppose.
As much as I love Vivaldi's work, I was a bit disappointed in him as a man. Perhaps I shouldn't have read this ... but that's often the way with great artists. It seems as if one can't be a truly great artist without being just a little nutty. We call that The Val Kilmer Effect in our house. The guy is truly a gifted actor (not so much in this decade, but...), and he's also a bit off his rocker. Really.
It was fascinating and confusing, both. Confusing in the same way books like The Other Boleyn Sister confuse me. Basically, I don't know which is fact and which is fiction, and it bugs me! It makes me fear for historical accuracy in the reading public. Or maybe the non-reading public. On the other hand, they don't care ...
There were some things so specific and clearly described that I felt like I was there. When the girls first came to the Pieta, some of the diseases, and some of the music, especially. But then other parts were broadly glossed over and made me lose a little bit of interest. I suppose part of that is based on the things the author can and can't actually research.
I loved the relationship between the sisters. I didn't so much like the age jumps. Just when I was getting into an era, there would be a leap in time that bothered me enough that I would go back and read the end of the previous era slower. hmmm ...
Having been to Venice, I thought this would feel more Venice-like, to me. But other than the gondoliers and using gondolas as taxis (which wasn't much), I felt like this could have taken place really in any city in Italy. Well, any culture center, I suppose.
As much as I love Vivaldi's work, I was a bit disappointed in him as a man. Perhaps I shouldn't have read this ... but that's often the way with great artists. It seems as if one can't be a truly great artist without being just a little nutty. We call that The Val Kilmer Effect in our house. The guy is truly a gifted actor (not so much in this decade, but...), and he's also a bit off his rocker. Really.
June 2, 2014
This historical novel's setting is 18th century Venice. Two sisters are abandoned and then taken in by a foundling hospital/musical academy. Chiaretta is a bit rebellious, but beautiful and grows to become a much sought-after singer. She marries into a very wealthy family. Her sister, Maddalena, becomes a magnificent violin player, taught on occasion by Antonio Vivaldi. She does not leave the academy. There is a mutual attraction between she and Vivaldi, but they do not act upon it. I see the "four seasons" as a metaphor for the character's lives.
The author has taken great care to research the times and Vivaldi, and thus I learned more about this particular place and time, which was very interesting. Venetian society at that time seemed to be a little different in numerous ways. Reading was a bit slow-going at first, but I eventually gave up trying to remember all the Italian/Latin words (there is a Glossary and Pronunciation Guide in the back)and then I was able to get into the story.
There was a detail regarding an ivory comb, broken into three pieces by the girl's mother, which I thought would have played an interesting part later in the story, but it really did not. By the end, I realized I had been expecting some sort of dramatic climax, but there wasn't one; just the stories of the lives of the characters.
I read this novel as a book club selection, and I likely would not have chosen it on my own. I do recommend it to others however, especially those who might enjoy the setting.
The author has taken great care to research the times and Vivaldi, and thus I learned more about this particular place and time, which was very interesting. Venetian society at that time seemed to be a little different in numerous ways. Reading was a bit slow-going at first, but I eventually gave up trying to remember all the Italian/Latin words (there is a Glossary and Pronunciation Guide in the back)and then I was able to get into the story.
There was a detail regarding an ivory comb, broken into three pieces by the girl's mother, which I thought would have played an interesting part later in the story, but it really did not. By the end, I realized I had been expecting some sort of dramatic climax, but there wasn't one; just the stories of the lives of the characters.
I read this novel as a book club selection, and I likely would not have chosen it on my own. I do recommend it to others however, especially those who might enjoy the setting.
January 13, 2009
Sacred music is a huge part of my life-- I sing in a church choir that is becoming very well known for our renditions of some of the motets of the masters. It was interesting for me to hear the works of Vivaldi that are mentioned in this book-- they became the musical accompaniment to the prose I was reading and the images being painted by the words.
Though the story intrigued me, and the lives the two sisters each led, together and separately, I found the pace of this book somewhat uneven. And because of that, I felt that too much had been jammed together towards the end-- as if the author tired of the tale, or perhaps the editor hacked out a huge hunk of writing to keep production costs down. However, I did, overall, like the book, and like the little side journey it enabled me to take to Venice of Vivialdi's day. (I have to say that whenever I read about the intricacies of Venetian society, I thank my lucky stars I am a 20th/21st century girl. I wouldn't have done well, I think, with all the rules and norms and restrictions of the time. But then again, I probably would have been confined to the ghetto, or condemned as a witch, because of my love of herb lore, so who knows. Maybe I would have done just fine!
Though the story intrigued me, and the lives the two sisters each led, together and separately, I found the pace of this book somewhat uneven. And because of that, I felt that too much had been jammed together towards the end-- as if the author tired of the tale, or perhaps the editor hacked out a huge hunk of writing to keep production costs down. However, I did, overall, like the book, and like the little side journey it enabled me to take to Venice of Vivialdi's day. (I have to say that whenever I read about the intricacies of Venetian society, I thank my lucky stars I am a 20th/21st century girl. I wouldn't have done well, I think, with all the rules and norms and restrictions of the time. But then again, I probably would have been confined to the ghetto, or condemned as a witch, because of my love of herb lore, so who knows. Maybe I would have done just fine!
January 2, 2015
I not only enjoyed this novel, but like all good historicals, I learned a lot about a time and place that I knew nothing about. I read this book because my father, gone now for 5 years, loved Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and the music was part of my childhood background. But I found it fascinating to discover that in 17th-century Venice, bastard daughters of the nobility [from their courtesans] were raised in convent-like music academies, but they were not sworn to poverty or chastity. Corona's writing totally brings this obscure culture to life, made even more interesting by its female pov.
November 28, 2008
Two orphaned sisters, raised at the Pieta in Venice, become great musicians and interact with composer Antonio Vivaldi. Good story but a bit too slow.
June 4, 2018
Rating: 3.5 / 5 (rounded down to 3)
One of the things that I have to give the author credit for in this book is that the descriptions of Venice truly are vivid and historically accurate. The canals, the Carnivale, the society, the people, the expectations, etc. are all appropriate to an early 17th century Venice, such as it would have been during Vivaldi's time there. By far, it is what I believe to be the most commendable part of this book.
Apart from that, however, I found the read itself only a little above average, with the characters of Chiaretta and Maddalena as charming, but not exactly anything special. The story of the two sisters and the different paths they take is harmless enough as far as reads go, but ultimately, it's just the tale of each woman trying to fit into her respective environment--for Maddalena, it's accustoming herself to a spinster's life inside the Pieta, and for Chiaretta, it's fitting into the more debauched Venetian society of the time. Both sisters have a passion for music, and this is expressed, but at the same time, so much of it ends up being suppressed for descriptions of their surroundings, that the city itself takes precedence over the characters of the novel.
The character of Vivaldi himself, I was disappointed with. Categorized as the atypical frustrated maestro genius who doesn't have the patience, tolerance, or understanding of all the incompetent people around him who don't understand his music, a man who's constantly swearing in Latin and pushes himself too far in working, I think that Vivaldi represented as such on behalf of the author is just because it is her "safest bet" in presenting one of the most famous composers in history that way. But, again, it's nothing special.
The story itself is only mildly interesting, with a few moments that I enjoyed here and there, but overall, not enough to have me reading until the end with any amount of interest. I feel that if the author really wanted to make something grander of this, she could have, if only she'd taken more risks and put more heart into her story. As it is, there is little here beyond a historical essay on Venice and the Carnivale, in my opinion. Having dropped out of a class that was teaching about Venice in its history and geography, I think that any bystander can conclude why I didn't enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped to.
One of the things that I have to give the author credit for in this book is that the descriptions of Venice truly are vivid and historically accurate. The canals, the Carnivale, the society, the people, the expectations, etc. are all appropriate to an early 17th century Venice, such as it would have been during Vivaldi's time there. By far, it is what I believe to be the most commendable part of this book.
Apart from that, however, I found the read itself only a little above average, with the characters of Chiaretta and Maddalena as charming, but not exactly anything special. The story of the two sisters and the different paths they take is harmless enough as far as reads go, but ultimately, it's just the tale of each woman trying to fit into her respective environment--for Maddalena, it's accustoming herself to a spinster's life inside the Pieta, and for Chiaretta, it's fitting into the more debauched Venetian society of the time. Both sisters have a passion for music, and this is expressed, but at the same time, so much of it ends up being suppressed for descriptions of their surroundings, that the city itself takes precedence over the characters of the novel.
The character of Vivaldi himself, I was disappointed with. Categorized as the atypical frustrated maestro genius who doesn't have the patience, tolerance, or understanding of all the incompetent people around him who don't understand his music, a man who's constantly swearing in Latin and pushes himself too far in working, I think that Vivaldi represented as such on behalf of the author is just because it is her "safest bet" in presenting one of the most famous composers in history that way. But, again, it's nothing special.
The story itself is only mildly interesting, with a few moments that I enjoyed here and there, but overall, not enough to have me reading until the end with any amount of interest. I feel that if the author really wanted to make something grander of this, she could have, if only she'd taken more risks and put more heart into her story. As it is, there is little here beyond a historical essay on Venice and the Carnivale, in my opinion. Having dropped out of a class that was teaching about Venice in its history and geography, I think that any bystander can conclude why I didn't enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped to.
January 3, 2018
Started: 3/27/12
Finished: 3/31/12
25 chapters/389 pages
First let me begin this review by saying that I read this book back in 2012. However, after I read a book, I always try to write out my feelings on the story when I finish. Sometimes, I’m moved to write a great deal to type up later. Other times, I just feel up to writing a very basic review. I never intended for it to take me almost six YEARS to get it on my GoodReads account, but it has. Obviously, by now, I don’t really remember much about the story, though sometimes my notes help jog my memory. So, if the following review doesn’t really say much or deal too much with the story or plot, that’s probably because I wasn’t moved by one or the other or both to write more than I did. However, such as it is I give to you.
My Review (minor spoiler alert below)—This wasn’t a bad book, though it was a bit different, plot-wise. It’s the story of two sisters, daughters of a “lady of the night,” given over to a Venetian orphanage/Catholic institution. The two are taught by Vivaldi—the older on the violin, the younger a gifted singer. The older falls in love with Vivaldi (and he falls for her) but remains a virgin, cloistered at the orphanage to teach other orphans how to play an instrument, giving back to others in the way in which Vivaldi had blessed her, in a sense “becoming” Vivaldi. (I guess it’s a matter of, “Since I can’t have him, I’ll do the next best thing and take on his mantle, proving to him how much he affected me and how much I cherished all he did for me, taught me.”)
The younger sister has a fleeting career with a choir affiliated with the orphanage. Through one performance, she gets offered marriage, which takes her out of the orphanage and away from her sister.
The story, itself, was okay. However, the ending was depressing.
My advice: Read the story, by all means. Just please keep in mind, though it’s an okay read, it would be better to be prepared for a sad sendoff at the end.
Grade: B+ (just because the ending was so melancholy)
Finished: 3/31/12
25 chapters/389 pages
First let me begin this review by saying that I read this book back in 2012. However, after I read a book, I always try to write out my feelings on the story when I finish. Sometimes, I’m moved to write a great deal to type up later. Other times, I just feel up to writing a very basic review. I never intended for it to take me almost six YEARS to get it on my GoodReads account, but it has. Obviously, by now, I don’t really remember much about the story, though sometimes my notes help jog my memory. So, if the following review doesn’t really say much or deal too much with the story or plot, that’s probably because I wasn’t moved by one or the other or both to write more than I did. However, such as it is I give to you.
My Review (minor spoiler alert below)—This wasn’t a bad book, though it was a bit different, plot-wise. It’s the story of two sisters, daughters of a “lady of the night,” given over to a Venetian orphanage/Catholic institution. The two are taught by Vivaldi—the older on the violin, the younger a gifted singer. The older falls in love with Vivaldi (and he falls for her) but remains a virgin, cloistered at the orphanage to teach other orphans how to play an instrument, giving back to others in the way in which Vivaldi had blessed her, in a sense “becoming” Vivaldi. (I guess it’s a matter of, “Since I can’t have him, I’ll do the next best thing and take on his mantle, proving to him how much he affected me and how much I cherished all he did for me, taught me.”)
The younger sister has a fleeting career with a choir affiliated with the orphanage. Through one performance, she gets offered marriage, which takes her out of the orphanage and away from her sister.
The story, itself, was okay. However, the ending was depressing.
My advice: Read the story, by all means. Just please keep in mind, though it’s an okay read, it would be better to be prepared for a sad sendoff at the end.
Grade: B+ (just because the ending was so melancholy)
September 27, 2020
I had read Vivaldi's Virgins a while ago that has many similarities with this book so as expectingly by reading it I made a comparison that probably does not work in its favour. It is, of course, quite good and puts us somewhat in the mood of the time, with many references to the musical creation that was at its peak, and of course, follows from some distance the course of Antonio Vivaldi. The problem is that the first element is somewhat limited, the reference to the musical creation is fragmentary and the presence of the great composer even smaller, which means that the title of the book is rather misleading. This, of course, does not mean that those who appreciate this wonderful music will not find something interesting in its pages, it just lacks what would give something more, a little more courage, although surely this story of the two sisters is quite interesting and touching.
Είχα διαβάσει πριν από λίγο καιρό το Vivaldi's Virgins που έχει πολλές ομοιότητες με αυτό οπότε αναμενόμενα διαβάζοντας το έκανα μία σύγκριση που μάλλον δεν βγαίνει υπέρ του. Είναι, βέβαια, αρκετά καλό και μας βάζει κάπως στο κλίμα της εποχής, με πολλές αναφορές για τη μουσική δημιουργία που ήταν στο απόγειο της, και φυσικά παρακολουθεί από κάποια απόσταση την πορεία του Αντόνιο Βιβάλντι. Το πρόβλημα είναι ότι το πρώτο στοιχείο είναι κάπως περιορισμένο, η αναφορά στη μουσική δημιουργία είναι αποσπασματική και η παρουσία του μεγάλου συνθέτη ακόμα μικρότερη, κάτι που σημαίνει ότι είναι μάλλον παραπλανητικός ο τίτλος του βιβλίου. Αυτό, φυσικά, δεν σημαίνει ότι αυτοί που εκτιμούν αυτήν την υπέροχη μουσική δεν θα βρουν κάτι ενδιαφέρον μέσα στις σελίδες του, απλά λείπει αυτό που θα έδινε κάτι περισσότερο, λίγη περισσότερη τόλμη, αν και σίγουρα αυτή η ιστορία των δύο αδερφών είναι αρκετά ενδιαφέρουσα και συγκινητική.
Είχα διαβάσει πριν από λίγο καιρό το Vivaldi's Virgins που έχει πολλές ομοιότητες με αυτό οπότε αναμενόμενα διαβάζοντας το έκανα μία σύγκριση που μάλλον δεν βγαίνει υπέρ του. Είναι, βέβαια, αρκετά καλό και μας βάζει κάπως στο κλίμα της εποχής, με πολλές αναφορές για τη μουσική δημιουργία που ήταν στο απόγειο της, και φυσικά παρακολουθεί από κάποια απόσταση την πορεία του Αντόνιο Βιβάλντι. Το πρόβλημα είναι ότι το πρώτο στοιχείο είναι κάπως περιορισμένο, η αναφορά στη μουσική δημιουργία είναι αποσπασματική και η παρουσία του μεγάλου συνθέτη ακόμα μικρότερη, κάτι που σημαίνει ότι είναι μάλλον παραπλανητικός ο τίτλος του βιβλίου. Αυτό, φυσικά, δεν σημαίνει ότι αυτοί που εκτιμούν αυτήν την υπέροχη μουσική δεν θα βρουν κάτι ενδιαφέρον μέσα στις σελίδες του, απλά λείπει αυτό που θα έδινε κάτι περισσότερο, λίγη περισσότερη τόλμη, αν και σίγουρα αυτή η ιστορία των δύο αδερφών είναι αρκετά ενδιαφέρουσα και συγκινητική.
October 20, 2020
The Four Seasons was an historical fiction centered around Vivaldi’s Venice in the 18th century. Vivaldi was an Italian composer, most famous for his symphony The Four Seasons.
This book was rich in history, giving an insight into the life of a composer as well as the city which inspires him. Vivaldi’s muse is a girl named Magdelena, who lived in a Pietà. She was orphaned as a girl with her sister, and finds a life of music within the Pietà, particularly catching the eye of Vivaldi with her passion at the violin. The author gave such rich detail of the life of a girl within the Pietà and the circumstances in how she can leave such a place. There was also the perspectives of the Italian nobility, who lay for the music Vivaldi writes.
Another aspect I found interesting is the way that adultery is viewed within Italian society during this time - men are expected to have a woman or two besides their wife, and women are encouraged to have admirers who take them out every day and keep them wooed and entertained. It was a weird concept for me.
I will say I enjoyed the history of this book. However, there was a lot of moments written solely in Italian and Latin, neither of which I speak. There is a glossary in the back, but it was a lot to flip back and forth to understand what I was reading. It did slow down the pace of the book for me.
The relationships in this book is what saved it for me. The sisters were beautifully close, even when Chiaretta married into Italian nobility and left the Pietà. They supported each other throughout this book and the trials they faced. The ending was heartbreaking and I definitely cried, which is a new one for me.
I would still recommend this book, even with the slow pace and language barriers.
3.75 🌿
This book was rich in history, giving an insight into the life of a composer as well as the city which inspires him. Vivaldi’s muse is a girl named Magdelena, who lived in a Pietà. She was orphaned as a girl with her sister, and finds a life of music within the Pietà, particularly catching the eye of Vivaldi with her passion at the violin. The author gave such rich detail of the life of a girl within the Pietà and the circumstances in how she can leave such a place. There was also the perspectives of the Italian nobility, who lay for the music Vivaldi writes.
Another aspect I found interesting is the way that adultery is viewed within Italian society during this time - men are expected to have a woman or two besides their wife, and women are encouraged to have admirers who take them out every day and keep them wooed and entertained. It was a weird concept for me.
I will say I enjoyed the history of this book. However, there was a lot of moments written solely in Italian and Latin, neither of which I speak. There is a glossary in the back, but it was a lot to flip back and forth to understand what I was reading. It did slow down the pace of the book for me.
The relationships in this book is what saved it for me. The sisters were beautifully close, even when Chiaretta married into Italian nobility and left the Pietà. They supported each other throughout this book and the trials they faced. The ending was heartbreaking and I definitely cried, which is a new one for me.
I would still recommend this book, even with the slow pace and language barriers.
3.75 🌿
July 13, 2025
3.75 stars
Sisters Maddalena and Chiaretta are left with the Pietra in Venice during the late 17th century. This is an orphanage that brings up girls, in many cases to play music or to sing. Chiaretta grows to be a beautiful singer, but they don’t seem to see any talent in Maddalena, until a priest with red hair, Antonio Vivaldi, plays with her in a lesson and sees something no one else does. He takes her under his wing (at least when he is welcomed at the Pietra for lessons or anything else), but after a while, they both feel something they shouldn’t. As the sisters grow, things change further when Chiaretta is given a choice to marry to enter a convent.
I quite liked this. I love Vivialdi’s music and this was set mostly leading up to him composing “The Four Seasons”. I did have a bit of trouble with some of the vocabulary, not sure if some of it was Italian or musical vocabulary that I didn’t know (I don’t sing, nor did I ever learn to play an instrument). There was a detailed author’s note at the end that explained that many of the characters were real people (though they don’t know much about them, nor about any of the girls who were raised at the Pietra), even if the timelines were played with a little bit. There was much I didn’t know about Vivaldi himself that I learned (even that he was a priest). There was also a pronunciation guide and a glossary at the end (I would have loved to see that at the beginning of the book, though).
Sisters Maddalena and Chiaretta are left with the Pietra in Venice during the late 17th century. This is an orphanage that brings up girls, in many cases to play music or to sing. Chiaretta grows to be a beautiful singer, but they don’t seem to see any talent in Maddalena, until a priest with red hair, Antonio Vivaldi, plays with her in a lesson and sees something no one else does. He takes her under his wing (at least when he is welcomed at the Pietra for lessons or anything else), but after a while, they both feel something they shouldn’t. As the sisters grow, things change further when Chiaretta is given a choice to marry to enter a convent.
I quite liked this. I love Vivialdi’s music and this was set mostly leading up to him composing “The Four Seasons”. I did have a bit of trouble with some of the vocabulary, not sure if some of it was Italian or musical vocabulary that I didn’t know (I don’t sing, nor did I ever learn to play an instrument). There was a detailed author’s note at the end that explained that many of the characters were real people (though they don’t know much about them, nor about any of the girls who were raised at the Pietra), even if the timelines were played with a little bit. There was much I didn’t know about Vivaldi himself that I learned (even that he was a priest). There was also a pronunciation guide and a glossary at the end (I would have loved to see that at the beginning of the book, though).
May 31, 2017
3.5 stars. When two young sisters are abandoned on the doorstep of the Pietà in Venice in 1695, they enter the care of an extraordinary institution: part foundling hospital, part secular convent, and part conservatorio. The girls of the Pietà learn to love God through the medium of music, whether by playing an instrument or by singing in the weekly Masses, which draw admiring crowds to the chapel beyond the grille that prevents any of the performers being seen. And the soloists of the Pietà become stars, their talents as well-known as any opera singer’s, even though they must remain screened away. Of these two abandoned sisters, one, the playful and exuberant Chiaretta, will turn out to have a voice that wins her legions of admirers. The other, Maddalena, looks in vain for an instrument that sparks the inner core of her being. But then she discovers the violin, at around the time that the Pietà hires a young priest to help with giving lessons: a virtuoso violinist and budding composer with flaming red hair, named Antonio Vivaldi...
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2017/05/14/t...
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2017/05/14/t...
July 30, 2020
As the title indicates, this is not a story of Vivaldi. It's actually not a story of Venice, either, but of what life could be like for girls who were fostered by church institutions in Venice at the time of Vivaldi.
This is fair. The man was a wonder, and his story was interesting, but it's the girls' stories that grab the imagination. I can't imagine being a musical genius with a serious health problem. But I can imagine so many scenarios depending on who has talent or charm or looks, or who's drawn to glittery glamour, the musical magnificence, or simple security.
Ditch whatever you thought about orphanages if you based your assumptions on Oliver Twist. This would make a great movie, too, with Vivaldi's music sometimes as a centerpiece and sometimes in the background of the mind. You don't have to be a serious Vivaldi fan to be blessed by a bit of his Four Seasons stuck in your head.
This is fair. The man was a wonder, and his story was interesting, but it's the girls' stories that grab the imagination. I can't imagine being a musical genius with a serious health problem. But I can imagine so many scenarios depending on who has talent or charm or looks, or who's drawn to glittery glamour, the musical magnificence, or simple security.
Ditch whatever you thought about orphanages if you based your assumptions on Oliver Twist. This would make a great movie, too, with Vivaldi's music sometimes as a centerpiece and sometimes in the background of the mind. You don't have to be a serious Vivaldi fan to be blessed by a bit of his Four Seasons stuck in your head.
February 26, 2025
This was an interesting book that I stumbled upon and decided to read. Not a big fan of historical fiction, but nevertheless, I enjoyed learning about 18th century Venice.
It seems that the era in which Vivaldi lived was an era of high musical culture. The musical scene was full of religious, private performances for the wealthy and the opera as an institution. That era seems well researched by the author, and I learned a lot about the cultural norms and the lifestyles that people from different classes enjoyed there.
The central story of the two orphan sisters is one of sadness and melancholy. Vivaldi is kind of a supporting character. One of dubious moral and conviction he still managed to produce masterpieces that are highly esteemed in the present day.
I often read this book while my kid was practicing their sixth grade Vivaldi concertos for violin. It was a pleasure to imagine him writing those pieces 300 years ago...
It seems that the era in which Vivaldi lived was an era of high musical culture. The musical scene was full of religious, private performances for the wealthy and the opera as an institution. That era seems well researched by the author, and I learned a lot about the cultural norms and the lifestyles that people from different classes enjoyed there.
The central story of the two orphan sisters is one of sadness and melancholy. Vivaldi is kind of a supporting character. One of dubious moral and conviction he still managed to produce masterpieces that are highly esteemed in the present day.
I often read this book while my kid was practicing their sixth grade Vivaldi concertos for violin. It was a pleasure to imagine him writing those pieces 300 years ago...
August 27, 2022
This book had been sitting in my Kindle queue for several years; there was always something more timely or intriguing for me to read instead. Until I found myself stuck at an airport for hours, and then on a 13-hour train ride. (Thanks, Air Canada.) Finally reading this was one good thing to come out of my travel snafu. The degree of details about life in 18th-century Venice, for the wealthy and for those reliant on the Church's charity, was impressive, and the writing was so graceful and fluid that I felt immersed in that time. You don't need to be a music aficionado to appreciate this story of two orphaned sisters who find varying degrees of acclaim and satisfaction at the Ospedale della Pieta, an orphanage renowned for its musical performances, though I imagine if you are, you'd love the book even more.
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