Selva morale e spirituale is the short title of a collection of sacred music by the Italian composerClaudio Monteverdi, published in Venice in 1640 and 1641. The title translates to "Moral and Spiritual Forest". The full title is: "Selva / Morale e Spirituale / di Clavdio Monteverde / Maestro di Capella della Serenissima / Republica Di Venetia / Dedicata / alla Sacra Cesarea Maesta dell’ Imperatrice / Eleonora / Gonzaga / Con Licenza de Superiori & Priuilegio. / In Venetia M DC X X X X / Appresso Bartolomeo Magni".
History
Selva morale e spirituale was Monteverdi's "most significant anthology of liturgical works since the Vespers in 1610". The collection of various works in different instrumentation was published in Venice in 1640 and 1641. While the 1610 publication summarizes Monteverdi's sacred works written for Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, Selva morale e spirituale presents works composed at San Marco, Venice, where Monteverdi had served since 1613. The collection was dedicated to Eleonora Gonzaga and published by Bartolomeo Magni. The date in the original title is 1640, but the process of publishing lasted until 1641. The edition is considered Monteverdi's testament of church music, compiled when he was already 74 years old.
Content
The collection contains various forms of sacred music, from madrigals in Italian to a complete Mass, the instrumentation varying between a single voice to eight voices with instruments:
The Mass, Messa à 4 da capella, is set in stile antico for four voices and basso continuo. It is complemented by a seven-part Gloria à 7 in stile concertato, and separate parts of the Credo, such as Crucifixus, Et resurrexit and Et iterum.
A prominent feature of the anthology is psalms compositions, especially the ones used regularly for a vespers service such as Dixit Dominus, Confitebor tibi Domine, Beatus Vir, Laudate pueri Dominum and Laudate Dominum , most of them in various settings.
The collection also contains settings of Marian hymns such as the Magnificat in two versions, and three settings of Salve Regina. The last section contains motets for a single voice.
O Ciechi il tanto affaticar Madrigale morale a 5 voci & due violini
Voi ch'ascoltate Madrigale morale a 5 voci & due violini
E questa vita un lampo a 5 voci
Spontava il di Canzonetta morale a 3 voci
Chi vol che m'innamori Canzonetta morale a 3 con due violini
Messa a 4 da capella
Gloria a 7 voci concertata con due violini & quattro viole da brazzo
Crucifixus a quattro voci. Basso Tenore Quinto & Alto
Et resurrexit a due Soprani o Tenori con due violini
Et iterum a 3 voci. Basso & due Contralti Concertato con quatro Tron-
B
Motetto a Voce sola in Basso Ab æterno ordinata sum
Dixit Primo a 8 voci concertato con due violini & quattro viole on Tron-
Dixit secondo a 8 voci concertato co gli stessi istromenti del primo &
Confitebor Primo a 3 voci con 5 altre voce ne repleni
Confitebor Secondo a 3 voci concertato con due violini
Confitebor Terzo alla francese a 5 voci quali si può concertare se piacerà
Beatus primo a 6 voci concertato con due violini & 3 viole da brazzo ove-
Beatus Secondo a 5 voci qual si pou cantare ridoppiato & forte o come piacerà
Laudate pueri Primo a 5 concertato con due violini
Laudate Pueri Secondo a 5 voci
Laudate dominum omnes gentes Primo a 5 voci concertato con due violi-
Laudate Dominum Secondo a 8 voci & due violini
Laudate Dominum Terzo a 8 voci
Credidi a 8 voci da Capella
Memento a 8 voci da Capella
Sanctorum meritis Primo a voce sola e due violini sopra alla qual aria si
Sanctorum meritis secondo a voce sola concertato con due violini sopra
Iste Confessor voce sola & due violini sopra alla qual Aria si puo cantare
Deus tuorum militum Hinno con doi violini
Magnificat Primo a 8 voci con 2 violini e 4 viole ovvero 4 tromboni quali in accidente si possono lasciare
Magnificat Secondo a quatro voci in genere da Capella
Salve regina con dentro un Ecco voce sola risposta d'ecco & due violini
Salve Regina a 2 voci due Tenori o due soprani
Salve Regina a 3 voci Alto Basso & Tenore o Soprano
Motetti A Voce Sola
Iubilate a voce Sola in Dialogo
Laudate Dominum voce sola Soprano o Tenore
Pianto Della Madonna sopra al Lamento del'Arianna
Recordings
Selva morale e spirituale is a collection of individual works, not intended to be performed in that order. An early recording of the complete collection was performed by the Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne, conducted by Michel Corboz, in 1965 to 1967. Several movements have been grouped to form vespers services. A vespers sequence was recorded in 1992 by Musica Fiata Köln, including Dixit Dominus II, Confitebor I, Beatus vir I, Laudate pueri I, Laudate Dominum III, Magnificat I and Salve Regina. The vocal movements were combined with instrumental works of Giovanni Picchi from his Canzoni da sonar. A first complete recording of all works was recorded in 2001 by Cantus Cölln. A 2003 recording of the Ensemble Vocal Akadèmia combined movements to Masses and Vespers. In a similar approach, the ensemble La Venexiana provided in 2008 two Vespers and a Mass, trying to recreate the solemn Mass, which celebrated the cessation of the plague in Venice on 21 November 1631.
Michel Corboz, Ensemble Vocal et Instrumental de Lausanne, Erato Records 1965–87, reissued 6 CDs 2009
Pablo Heras-Casado, Balthasar-Neumann Choir and Ensemble, Harmonia Mundi HMM 902355, 2017
Single works
Missa in F
The Mass for four voices in stile antico has been published as Missa in F. Its duration is given as 13 minutes.
Gloria à 7
The Gloria for seven voices, two violins and basso continuo has been published as Gloria à 7. Its duration is given as 8 minutes.
Magnificat I
The first Magnificat for eight voices and instruments has been published as Magnificat a 8 voci con 6 vel 10 istromenti. It is set for double choir, two violins, four trombones, four viole da gamba and basso continuo. Its duration is given as 13 minutes.
Magnificat II
The second Magnificat for four voices in stile antico has been published as Magnificat primo tuono à 4 voci. Its duration is given as 8 minutes.
Literature
Denis Arnold: Monteverdi. revised by Tim Carter. London: Dent 1990
