Selva morale e spirituale (SV 252-288) is the short title of a collection of sacred music by the Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi, published in Venice in 1640 and 1641. The title translates to "Moral and Spiritual Forest".[1] 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".[2]
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Selva morale e spirituale is regarded as Monteverdi's "most significant anthology of liturgical works since the Vespers in 1610".[3] 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.[4] 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.[2] The edition is considered Monteverdi's testament of church music, compiled when he was already 74 years old.[5]
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 orchestra. The first three works are morale madrigals on poems in Italian by Francesco Petrarca and Angelo Grillo.[5] The Mass, Messa à 4 da capella, is set in stile antico (old style) for four voices and basso continuo.[6] 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 (Psalm 110 in Hebrew numbering, Psalm 109 in Vulgate numbering), Confitebor tibi Domine (Psalm 111), Beatus Vir (Psalm 112), Laudate pueri Dominum (Psalm 113) and Laudate Dominum (Psalm 117), most of them in various settings. The collection also contains Marian hymns such as the Magnificat in two versions and three settings of Salve Regina. The last section contains motets for a single voice.
Following is the original table of content in Italian:
A
B
Motetti A Voce Sola
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.[7] 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 (1625).[8] A first complete recording of all works was recorded in 2001 by Cantus Cölln.[5][9] A 2003 recording of the Ensemble Vocal Akadèmia combined movements to Masses and Vespers.[10] 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.[11]
The Mass for four voices in stile antico has been published as Missa in F. Its duration is given as 13 minutes.[6][12]
The Gloria for seven voices, two violins and basso continuo has been published as Gloria à 7. Its duration is given as 8 minutes.[13]
The first Magnificat for four voices in stile antico has been published as Magnificat primo tuono à 4 voci. Its duration is given as 8 minutes.[14]
The second Magnificat for four 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 (alternative combinations: 3 vga and 1 cello, or 2 and 2) and basso continuo. Its duration is given as 13 minutes.[15]
