11 Nov.1901
Caris. Luigi.
Ricevo tua del 9 corr/. Io avrei non cento, ma mille, anzi centomila ragioni per dirti:
“te voglio bene assaie” ma la tua proposta non fa per me! -
Ma sarei ben crudele ad obbligarti di leggere le mie 100,000 ragioni; calcolando soltanto 1’ ½ per una, occorrerebbero 150,000 minuti…… e probabilmente finiresti coll’annojarti.
Te ne dirò pochissime:
1° In affari di Teatro, non si può tener conto di prezzi antecedenti; in pochi anni i noli sarebbero ridotti a Zero: noi teniamo conto invece delle circostanze speciali che mutano d’anno in anno, e che influiscono sul valore dei noli stessi.
2°- Da parte mia devo poi pensare alle spese effettive che condiscono le opere nuove: ora ne abbiamo 2!!... e sai cosa costano alla ditta le scene ed i costumi relativi?... la giuggiola di £ 8,000!!!... che devi diffalcare dalla somma totale. Aggiungi a queste 8,000, altre 3, o 4= per le abituali mancie al teatro, regalucci et similia e vedrai che al pensarci, si rizzano (non allarmarti….)… i capelli in testa! – E’ vero che se le opere piacciono, poco a poco dette spese vengono poi rimborsate!!... ma intanto…. I ghelli sono spesi! –
Lascio nella penna le altre 99,998 ragioni: e la penna è così gentile che se le tiene per lei – e buona notte.
Queste sono due ragioni che i tuoi distinti colleghi è bene conoscano, perché se le vostre rose hanno le loro spine, queste non mancano nel durissimo mestiere dell’editore musicale, cui si affibbiano troppo facilmente le più efferate crudeltà che si possano immaginare!....
Però……. concludo:
– Fiat voluntas tua –
ed invece di £ 34,400 sieno pure le Complessive £ 32,400 da te proposte – compresi in queste – i nuovi figurini
Bada però = che queste complessive £ 32,400 sono definitive, anche senza la 2° e la 3° Requiem: altrimenti, qualora dette due esecuzioni non avessero luogo, sarebbero altre £ 1,400 che la Ditta verrebbe a perdere = e sarebbe giusto?... In manu tua sum! – e dillo tu stesso.
Se vieni a
Spero starete tutti benone.
Saluti cordiali
dal tuo Aff.
Giulio Ricordi
La
2.4
pp.10-11
CLET002095
11 Nov. 1901
Comm. Luigi Erba
Cernobbio
Dearest Luigi,
I received your letter of the 9th of this month. [in response to which] I would have not a hundred, but a thousand, indeed a hundred thousand reasons to tell you: "I’m terribly fond of you" but your proposal isn't right for me!
But I would be quite cruel were I to oblige you to read all 100,000 of my reasons: estimating just a minute and a half to read each one, you would need 150,000 minutes ... and you'd probably end up getting bored.
I'll relate just a very few:
1st, in the theatre business you cannot take previous pricing structures into account; in just a few years the rental fees would be reduced to zero. Instead, we take into account the specific circumstances, which change from year to year and which have an influence on the rentals themselves.
2nd, for my part I have to bear in mind the real costs that go into preparing new operas, and at the moment we have 2!! And do you know what the relative set and costume designs cost the company? The trifle of £8,000!!!... which you have to deduct from the total sum. Add to these 8,000 the other 3 or 4 thousand for the usual tips to the theatre, the bits of graft et similia [and the like] and you'll see that just thinking about it will raise (don't be shocked...) the hairs on your head! It’s true that if the operas become popular then bit by bit you will recuperate these expenses!!... but in the meantime... the money has been spent!
I'll leave the other 99,998 reasons in the pen without writing them: and the pen is so accommodating that it will keep them to itself – and good night all.
These are two factors that you and your distinguished colleagues would do well to bear in mind because, while your roses have their own thorns, thorns are certainly not absent in the arduous job of the music publisher, which all too easily goes hand in hand with the most brutally cruel realities imaginable!...
Nonetheless ........ I conclude:
· Fiat voluntas tua [Thy will be done] –
and instead of £34,400 let’s have it be the total £32,400 you propose – included in these – the new costume designs for Trovatore that the Office of the Director will consign to the company.
But mind you, that these total £32,400 are definitive, even without the 2nd and 3rd [performances of] the Requiem; otherwise, in the event these two additional performances did not take place, the Company would lose another £1,400 – and would that be fair? … In manu tua sum! [I am in your hands] – and repeat that yourself.
If you come to Milan Thursday, it will be a great pleasure to see you briefly.
I hope you are all well.
Cordial greetings
From yours affectionately,
Giulio Ricordi
The [Corriere della] Sera is, as always, rude and unfair with us: see the issue of this past Sunday concerning a nice transaction with the tenor Bonci! That dear director [of the newspaper] did not lose the occasion to drool his stinking venom! If only he were, at least, more like a scorpion!!..
Alessandro Bonci
Il Trovatore
Letter name DOC01828.004
Volume Signature DOC01828
Year 1901-1909
Volume 02
Pag 010-011
No. pag 2