Undoubtedly, their performances transport the spectator to the so-called ‘Rococo’ period, which covers almost the entire 18th century, and evoke the Venice of figures such as Casanova, Goldoni and Vivaldi and the France of Louis XV. The group was also called upon to represent Venice in other parts of Italy, such as the famous ‘Infiorata di Noto’ in Sicily. Unfortunately, as is the case for many other re-enactment groups, the activities of ‘Le Maschere di Mario del ‘700 Veneziano’ also suffered a setback due to the coronavirus. They were among the last to have to regretfully leave the big stage of the Venice Carnival in the beautiful St. Mark’s Square for the suddenly discontinued 2020 edition.

The performance “Feste a Palazzo” honours two great 18th century musicians: the Venetian Antonio VIVALDI, considered among the greatest exponents of Baroque music, and Georg Friedrich HÄNDEL, one of the most important composers of the 18th century, famous for his works performed in the greatest European courts.

The music accompanying the ‘Dances’ is taken from ‘Water Music’.
We begin with ‘Feasts at the Palace’, followed by the ‘Royal Dance’, a ‘Minuet’ to music by Händel, evoking the joyous Feasts along the Thames at the Court of George I King of England.
On 17 July 1717, Händel’s famous ‘Water music’ suite was performed in the middle of the Thames. His Majesty took such great pleasure in the music of the famous Händel that he repeated it three times, twice before and once after lunch, although each performance lasted an hour. The boats crammed with people wanting to listen were countless.