Monteverdi: Selva morale e spirituale Volume II

Featuring

Harry Christophers
The Sixteen
Claudio Monteverdi

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Composer Biography

Claudio Monteverdi, choirmaster of San Marco in Venice, published his monumental collection of sacred music, Selva morale e spirituale, in 1641, towards the end of his long life.

Composition History

The Selva morale e spirituale was dedicated to Eleonora Gonzaga, mother of Emperor Ferdinand III, and some of its music, like the opening spiritual madrigals, may have been chosen with Viennese tastes in mind.

Compositional Technique

Monteverdi's Mass setting in the Selva morale is deliberately written in the restrained a cappella style of sacred polyphony, similar to the masses of Palestrina.

Recording & Production

This recording was made with the harpsichord placed on top of the chamber organ, allowing Alastair Ross, the organist/harpsichordist, to move easily between instruments.

Composition History

Monteverdi's Selva morale e spirituale includes music originally composed for Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, such as the Pianto della Madonna, an adaptation of the 'lament of Ariadne' from his 1608 opera.

Performer Biography

The Sixteen, led by founder Harry Christophers, is recognized as one of the world's greatest ensembles, known for performing early English polyphony, Renaissance, Baroque, and 20th-century music.

Interpretation

The performers of this recording, The Sixteen, follow Monteverdi's dictum 'recitar cantando' (speak through singing), allowing for expressive freedom and intuitive time relationships.