182
Milano 19 Giugno 1895.
Innanzi tutto le attesto la mia gratitudine per l’atto cortese ch’Ella jeri fece presso di me, e che mi è stato confortante e preziosa prova di cordiale amicizia: tale sentimento esprimo pure a mio cognato Erba, che per di più rispose con tanta premura al di Lei appello.
Ho nuovamente ponderato la situazione, e penso non dovere ritirare la mia lettera precedente a Lei diretta. Non si può stare alla testa di una complicata azienda, senza avere l’animo tranquillo e questo non lo posso più avere, e nessuno me lo può ridonare.
In tutti questi anni sociali mi sono logorato la vita, non pel lavoro che anzi mi è sempre caro e piacevole, ma per le ansie terribili che continuamente dovetti subire, tanto da chiedere a me stesso se la Gerenza non porti con se l’jettatura. Infatti io credo che raramente una industria sia stata bersagliata da così fieri e ripetuti colpi come la nostra in questi anni! - Senza entrare in dettaglio, accennerò all’inganno sul valore del
E pensando poi che a tutto questo si è fatto fronte, senza capitale di riserva, senza far debiti, con un peso annuo gravosissimo di 50,000 lire, davvero non capisco come non si giudichi oculata ed imprevidente l’Amministrazione. Che se poi queste linee generali devono sparire innanzi a qualche questione di dettaglio, se un frontispizio a più, o meno colori, deve formare oggetto di speciali preoccupazioni allora non so più che dire!...
Certo, non solo è un diritto, ma più che diritto è dovere nei soci di sorvegliare l’impiego de’ propri capitali: mi pare, tuttavia, che io sono socio quanto gli altri, però con questa probante differenza che tutto il mio piccolo avere è impegnato nell’azienda, che senza utili di Gerenza, non potrei nemmeno far fronte ai miei ordinari impegni di famiglia!!.... dal che è facile arguire s’io possa con lieto animo andar incontro a spese fatali improddutive [sic] !!... Ogni industria ha peculiari caratteri propri, dai quali subisce forzatamente alcune perdite, compensate tuttavia dal cammino in avanti impresso all’industria stessa.
Quanto all’
E qui si appare il vero danno!! - ed io dico: impeditelo - qui si appare il vero pericolo!! ed io dico: schivatelo! -
Così, come stanno oramai le cose, non mi fanno persuaso possibile un rimedio alla ferita datami - sarà torto mio!! - ma cambiate mo’ natura agli uomini cocciuti! -
Infine, anche sieno pochi, pochissimi gli anni che mi rimangono da campare, non voglio abbreviarli, nè renderli troppo infelici con simili patemi d’animo.
Appunto perch’io credo avere in Lei un sincero amico, apertamente le ho scritto: come potrebbe darmi torto?...
Sempre con stima
Dmo Suo
Giulio Ricordi
182.
pp. 370-373
CLET002047
Milan, 19 June 1895
Eg. Avv. Umberto Campanari
(Private)City
First and foremost, I want to thank you for having acted so courteously on my behalf yesterday, which was comforting and precious testimony of your cordial friendship; this is also true for my brother-in-law Erba, who was even so good as to respond quickly to your request.
I have carefully reconsidered the situation, and I think I should not withdraw the previous letter I sent to you. It is not possible to be at the head of a complex company without feeling fully at peace with one’s sense of purpose, and this I no longer have, nor can anyone return it to me.
All of these years with the company have worn me out, not for the work itself which in fact I have always embraced with pleasure, but for the terrible anxieties that constantly assailed me, so much so that I had to ask myself if the position of General Manager carried something of a curse. Indeed, I believe that rarely has an industry been the target of such bold and repeated attacks as we have endured in these years! Without going into detail, I can point to the inflated purchase price for the holdings of Casa Luca, which were immediately revealed to be worth £500,000 less! – or the Sonzogno lawsuit, which cost us no less than £200,000 in expenses and damages! – or the disaster in Argentina, which destroyed our business with South America!.... or the international currency situation, which brought sales to a complete halt in Europe! – or the lawsuit and settlement negotiations for the Wagner operas – and so on. No one has understood or cared to recognize the determination and immense energy it cost me to fend off such a flood of disasters!!... the only support and encouragement I had came from some of the good people who work with me in the office!.. but the shareholders’ meetings were always such a burden to bear!
And when I think that all this had to be confronted without any capital in reserve, without creating debts, with a heavy annual carryover debt of 50,000 lire, I honestly do not understand how the Administration could be accused of carelessness and lack of foresight. If all of these general concerns mean nothing compared to some detail, if the number of colors for a title page deserves such disproportionate consideration, well then I don’t know what to say!...
Certainly, the shareholders have not only the right, but even more the duty to oversee the way their capital is employed; nevertheless, it seems to me that I am a shareholder just like them, only with the decided difference that all of what little I have is invested in the company, and that without my income as General Manager I could not even provide for the basic needs of my family!!.... such that it is entirely too easy to presume I might confront such ruinous non-productive expenses with a light heart!!... Every industry has its own peculiar characteristics, some of which inevitably bring about occasional losses, which are nonetheless compensated by the very same industry’s progress as it moves forward.
As far as the Tessaro affair goes, is it necessary for me to repeat what I have already told you so many times before?... You see what I thought of the arbiters’ decision!!... and the consequences that came of it; and I would have understood the same impression in the shareholders, which would have reflected upon me, if – without denying my good faith, of course – the General Manager were told: You’ve been a fool in this affair – and perhaps even: Pay it out of your own pocket..... patience, I would have recited my mea culpa. But they drew decidedly different conclusions from the Tessaro affair!!.... the letter of the 16th reported the result of lengthy discussion, not just a moment of sharp displeasure, however perfectly justified that might have been: that letter was meditated and is therefore the exact reflection of what they thought. This cannot be denied, because it is as clear as day! – How then can I confidently continue to look after the company?.... It’s impossible! – I am disgusted to the absolute limit of my endurance, and I lack the serenity to successfully arrange for any truly important artistic productions, nor do I have sufficient peace of mind to support the endless annoyances from so many of the composers, whether they are in bad faith or just plain crazy I hardly can tell.
Herein lies the real damage [to my position as publisher]!! – and I say: Prevent it –Therein lies the real danger!! – and I say: Avoid it! –
So, as things stand now, I cannot be persuaded there is any remedy for the blow I was dealt– perhaps it is my fault!! – but there’s no changing the nature of hard-headed men like me! –
In the final analysis, even if I have few, very few years left to live, I do not want to cut them short, nor make them miserable with such heartache.
It is precisely because I believe in the absolute sincerity of your friendship that I have written this openly to you; how could you blame me?...
With respect, as always
Yours most sincerely,
Giulio Ricordi
Milano
Lettera titolo DOC01827.182
Segnatura Volume DOC01827
Anno 1888-1901
Volume 01
Pag 370-373
Nr. pag 4