The Instrumentalist

Anna Maria is now 13. She and Paulina are no longer friends. Paulina long ago requested to be moved to a bed further away from Anna Maria, and Anna Maria did not befriend the girl, Sara, who sleeps in Paulina’s old bed. During the last five years, Anna Maria has focused the entirety of her energy on her art. She is still required to complete her daily chores, and even that duty feels like an imposition. After her work is done she devotes the remaining hours of her day to practicing the violin. There is no time left over for friendship.

Vivaldi guides Anna Maria through a difficult piece, Tartini’s The Devil’s Trill. During the course of their practice, he notices her red, chapped hands. He promises her that he will speak to Sister Madalena: A violinist of her caliber cannot be required to perform chores that impact her ability to play. When Anna Maria is released from her duties, the other girls are envious and resentful, but Anna Maria ignores them. Her primary goal now is to be granted a position within the Pietà’s renowned orchestra, the figlie di coro. It is considered the best in Europe, and spots are limited.