IIn the 18th century, Venice was Coral figures was generally considered the best orchestra in the Republic. It was composed of girls from the Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage founded by wealthy private individuals and run by nuns. Unwanted babies – those who had escaped drowning – were “sent” through a tiny hole in the orphanage’s wall. They were given housing and musical training and had to endure hard housework before being married or taking the veil.

However, a few talented musicians joined the orchestra and performed in churches and private homes to raise money for the orphanage. Despite their ability, orchestra members often had to play behind screens because they were disfigured – they had smallpox scars or were missing eyes and toes. Antonio Vivaldi was the violin director of the orphanage from 1703 to 1715. Anna Maria, a violin prodigy at the tender age of eight, became his best student.

Journalist and documentary filmmaker Harriet Constable’s compassionate coming-of-age story, inspired by true events, explores youthful ambition and the allure of fame. Anna Maria’s stubbornness and outspokenness don’t sit well with her status and the times, but Constable understands the power of music to sustain us – her mother was a classically trained musician and she grew up playing the flute and piano. Anna Maria sees colours when she plays, her instrument is “an extension of her own body” and her all-consuming obsession with being the best, becoming first violinist and gaining recognition as a maestro are vividly described. However, as her career progresses, she becomes increasingly isolated.

Constable is good at creating atmosphere. Her admirable research and careful accumulation of details as she describes life in Venice, inside and outside the orphanage, gradually work their magic. The pace picks up in the final quarter, as Anna Maria’s success and talent as a budding composer threaten to overshadow those of her mentor, and their relationship develops into a rivalry. Her attempts to step out of Vivaldi’s shadow and create her own future are compelling.