The first performance of Messiah in mainland Europe

It is not normally the business of this site to promote musical events, but I recently received a fascinating communication from Romano Vettori, artistic director of Accademia di Musica of Rovereto that prompted me to make an exception. It concerns the first mainland European performance of Handel's Messiah, given at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence on 6 August 1768 in an Italian language adaptation sung by all male forces. In 2018 maestro Vettori celebrated the 250th anniversary of this historic occasion with a performance given at the Seettenovecento Festival in Rovereto by the Mitteleuropean Baroque Orchestra and Chorus, also employing all male forces. More information on the project and a taster of what sounds to be an excellent performance can be heard here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU8FQFUglog

The purpose of maestro Vettori's contact with me was to ask for my help in spreading the news about 'the Italian Messiah' which I'm happy to do because I believe it is sufficiently interesting to deserve the wider dissemination he seeks. I hope that by using my site to help spread the word it may come to the notice of a promoter or festival director who might be interested taking the performance.