Thank you to all the rocking musicians whose music I listened to and drew inspiration from while writing this novel, namely Nightwish, Lacuna Coil, Evanescence, Within Temptation, Delain, Stream of Passion, Epica, Florence + the Machine, Serenity, Tori Amos, and Icon for Hire. A special thanks to Lindsey Stirling for giving a voice to Adriana’s violin inside my head.
Heaps of thanks with sprinkles on top to my BFF and partner in frozen-yogurt crime, Jen Hark, for letting me babble at her about all kinds of historical subjects.
Thanks and virtual hugs to #TeamWritersHouse for reaching out via Twitter and Facebook and welcoming me to the family, and for all their support and wonderful bookish conversation.
Thanks beyond words or measure to my family. To my grandparents, Mike and Kathy Zimmerman, who read early drafts of this book and brag about me all the time. To my brother, Matt Palombo, for making me laugh and for always believing I could do it (even if this book has no duels, car chases, or explosions. Maybe next time!). And thank you, thank you, thank you to my parents, Tony and Debbie Palombo, for never doubting me for an instant, for supporting me in everything I’ve ever wanted to do, for instilling in me a love of reading and of history, for teaching me the value of hard work, and for their unconditional love every second of my life. Without them I would not be here, nor would I be a writer.
And last but certainly not least, thank you to Antonio Vivaldi. Grazie mille per l’ispirazione, maestro.
Discussion Questions
1. Both Adriana and Vivaldi reference the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice several times throughout the novel—also a brief, fateful love affair. Do you see parallels between this myth and The Violinist of Venice?
2. At the beginning of the book, Adriana is blinded by her passion for Vivaldi to such an extent that she often cannot fully comprehend the risks that others take on her behalf. But, by the end of the book, she is a complex woman full of great warmth and compassion for others. How might Adriana have been different if she had never ignored her father’s rules and taken violin lessons from Vivaldi?
3. Taking into consideration the time period of the novel, do you see Adriana as a feminist character? Why or why not?
4. Throughout the novel, Adriana has several relationships with men that evolve significantly over time, most especially Vivaldi and Tommaso, but also Senator Baldovino. How do you think becoming a mother—someone responsible for the life of another—might have changed these relationships or led to more understanding within them?
5. Though Adriana raised her children with more freedom than she had growing up, her daughter, Cecilia, ends up pregnant out of wedlock, much like she did. Cecilia confronts her for not telling them her mistakes so that they might learn from them. Does nature vs. nurture have a role here, or as humans are we always destined to follow our hearts regardless of the consequences? Discuss.
6. At the end of the novel, Adriana chooses not to reveal to Anna that she is her birth mother. Did you agree with this decision? Why or why not? What might have happened if she had?
7. Do you feel that Adriana, and the story as a whole, ultimately has a “happy ending”? Why or why not?
8. Wards of the Pietà, such as Adriana’s mother, Lucrezia, and her best friend, Vittoria, could marry if asked, but were forced to give up their (often celebrated) musical careers in order to do so. What choice would you make in that position?
9. Were you familiar with any of Vivaldi’s music before reading The Violinist of Venice? How did this prior experience—or lack thereof—affect your reading of the novel?
10. Adriana, who was, among other roles, Vivaldi’s muse, was a fictional character sprung from the author’s imagination. How do you think a figure like Adriana might have altered his work if she actually existed?
St. Martin’s Griffin
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALYSSA PALOMBO’s short fiction has appeared in Black Lantern magazine and The Great Lakes Review. She is a recent graduate of Canisius College with degrees in English and creative writing. A passionate music lover, she is a classically trained musician as well as a big fan of heavy metal. The Violinist of Venice is her first novel. She lives in Buffalo, New York. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Sinfonia
Movement One. Il Prete Rosso
Chapter 1. The Maestro
Chapter 2. Allegro
Chapter 3. Appassionata
Chapter 4. The Cross I Bear
Chapter 5. Spellbound
Chapter 6. Modulation
Chapter 7. Deceptive Cadence
Chapter 8. Improvisation
Chapter 9. Dissonance
Movement Two. The Point of No Return
Chapter 10. Without Fear
Chapter 11. End of the Dream
Chapter 12. Mea Culpa
Chapter 13. Adagio
Chapter 14. What Have You Done
Chapter 15. Largo
Chapter 16. L’Estro Armonica
Chapter 17. Partita
Chapter 18. Se Tu M’ami
Chapter 19. Opera and Concerto
Chapter 20. Scarlet
Chapter 21. Curtain
Chapter 22. Serenade
Chapter 23. Crossing the River Styx
Movement Three. Orfeo e Euridice
Chapter 24. Secrets
Chapter 25. Masquerade
Chapter 26. Rest
Chapter 27. Shadows
Chapter 28. Dying in Your Arms
Chapter 29. Counterpoint
Chapter 30. Composition
Chapter 31. The Siren
Chapter 32. Wild Rose
Movement Four. The End of Time
Chapter 33. The Child
Chapter 34. Orchestration
Chapter 35. Going Under
Chapter 36. Molto Agitato
Chapter 37. Stand My Ground
Chapter 38. Lost
Chapter 39. Nothing Left
Chapter 40. Good-bye
Movement Five. Without You
Chapter 41. My Heart Is Broken
Chapter 42. Sins
Chapter 43. Chains
Chapter 44. The Greatest Pain
Chapter 45. Darkness Before the Dawn
Chapter 46. Recapitulation
Chapter 47. B Minor
Chapter 48. Intermezzo
Chapter 49. Performance
Chapter 50. Long-Lost Love
Chapter 51. For You
Chapter 52. Consonance
Chapter 53. Stabat Mater Dolorosa
Chapter 54. Lullaby
Movement Six. Key Change
Chapter 55. Impromptu
Chapter 56. Sol da Te, Mio Dolce Amore
Chapter 57. Duet
Chapter 58. Harmonies
Chapter 59. Resonance
Chapter 60. The Dance
Chapter 61. Ave Maria, Gratia Plena
Chapter 62. Ensemble
Chapter 63. The Four Seasons
Chapter 64. Widow’s Weeds
Chapter 65. Ways to Sing of Love
Movement Seven. The Red Priest’s Annina
Chapter 66. Orlando Furioso
Chapter 67. Così Potessi Anch’io
Chapter 68. Forgiven
Chapter 69. Ritornello
Chapter 70. My Confession
Chapter 71. Da Capo
Coda. On the Other Side
Historical Note
Acknowledgments
Reading Group Guide
About the Author
Copyright<
br />
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE VIOLINIST OF VENICE. Copyright © 2015 by Alyssa Palombo. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Danielle Christopher
Cover photographs: woman © Alena Root / Shutterstock; Venice © Joan Allen / Offset.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Palombo, Alyssa.
Title: The violinist of Venice: a story of Vivaldi / Alyssa Palombo.
Description: New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2015.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015035712| ISBN 9781250071491 (paperback) | ISBN 9781466882638 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Vivaldi, Antonio, 1678–1741—Fiction. | Violinists—Fiction. | Venice (Italy)—History—18th century—Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Historical. | FICTION / Romance / Historical. | GSAFD: Historical fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3619.A3564 V56 2015 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015035712
e-ISBN 9781466882638
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
First Edition: December 2015
The Violinist of Venice Page 38
