Selva morale e spirituale
Collection of sacred music by Claudio Monteverdi
The composer, portrayed in 1640 by Bernardo Strozzi
CatalogueSV 252–288
Language
  • Latin
  • Italian
Published1640 (1640): Venice

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]

History

Selva morale e spirituale was 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]

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:

Table of contents

Following is the original table of contents in Italian:

A

overo 4 Tromboni quali anco si ponno lasciare se occoresce l'acidente
boni o viole da brazzo quali si ponno anco lasciare il qual Crucifixus servirà per variatione
della Messa a quattro pigliando questo in loco di quello notato tra li due segni

B

boni quali se portasse l'accidente anco si ponno lasciare
nel medesimo modo
con quattro viole da brazzo lasciando la parte del soprano alla voce sola (SV 267)
ro 3 Tromboni quali anco si ponno lasciare
ni & un choro a quattro voci qual potrasi e cantare e sonare co quattro vio-
le o Tromboni & anco lasciare se acadesse il bisogno
potranno cantare anco altri Hinni pero che sijno dello stesso Metro
a la qual aria si puo cantare anco altri Hinni dello stesso Metro
parimente Ut queant laxis die S. Gio. Batt. & simili

Motetti A Voce Sola

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.[7] Several movements have been grouped to form vespers services. A vespers sequence was recorded in 1992 by Musica Fiata, 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] In 2019 the Washington D.C. ensemble The Thirteen performed an acclaimed Lost Vespers reconstructed out of the Selva to evoke the Feast of St. John the Baptist, and leading to calls for future performances and recordings from Monteverdi's magnum opus.[12]

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.[6][13]

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.[14]

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 (alternative combinations: 3 vga and 1 cello, or 2 and 2) and basso continuo. Its duration is given as 13 minutes.[15]

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.[16]

Further reading

References

  1. ^ Gordillo, Bernard Gordillo (29 June 2009). "Monteverdi's "Selva morale e spirituale" of 1641". Harmonia Early Music. Indiana Public Media. Archived from the original on 21 September 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  2. ^ a b "General Information". IMSLP – Petrucci Music Library. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  3. ^ a b Clements, Andrew (29 October 2010). "Monteverdi: Selva Morale e Spirituale – review". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  4. ^ Grimshaw, Jeremy (2011). "Selva morale e spirituale, mass & motets, SV 252–288". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Hornig, Norbert (7 October 2001). "Claudio Monteverdi – 'Selva morale e spirituale'". Deutschlandradio (in German). Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Claudio Monteverdi Missa in F" (in German). Carus-Verlag. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  7. ^ "Discography" (PDF). Association du Festival Michel Corboz. p. 5. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  8. ^ "Monteverdi: Selva Morale e spirituale] medieval.org". Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  9. ^ "Monteverdi Selva morale e spirituale". Tradebit. 2011. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  10. ^ "Monteverdi Selva Morale e spirituale". Harmonia Mundi Store. 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  11. ^ "Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643), Selva Morale e Spirituale Venezia, 1640–41". glossamusic.com. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  12. ^ "Live Recording: The Thirteen's Monteverdi: The "Lost Vespers" (1641)". Facebook. The Thirteen. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Missa in F First page". Carus-Verlag. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  14. ^ "Claudio Monteverdi: Gloria à 7" (in German). Carus-Verlag. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  15. ^ "Claudio Monteverdi Magnificat a 8 voci con 6 vel 10 istromenti" (in German). Carus-Verlag. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  16. ^ "Claudio Monteverdi: Magnificat primo tuono à 4 voci" (in German). Carus-Verlag. Retrieved 24 February 2011.

External links

Claudio Monteverdi
Authority control databases
Categories