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". 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 first three works are moral madrigals on poems in Italian by Francesco Petrarca and Angelo Grillo. The mass, Messa à 4 da capella, is set in stile antico (old style) 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 (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 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.
Table of contents
Following is the original table of contents in Italian:
A
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
overo 4 Tromboni quali anco si ponno lasciare se occoresce l'acidente
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-
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