[19 settembre?] 1901
Desidererei rispondere ad litteram alla Sua d’jeri ma pur troppo per fare ciò mi manca il tempo, né lo stato dell’animo non mi permette in questi giorni di argomentare con quella freddezza che trovo del caso. Cercherò di rispondere brevemente, scorrendo il suo scritto.
Non ho fatto alcun caso alla gita di
E poi in quei giorni io aveva preoccupazioni ben dolorose, ben crudeli!.. Fu grande sacrificio recarmi a Brescia…. ed aveva altro pel capo che libretti, opere,
Quanto poi alla seduta nel mio studio, e non era cosa intesa, per vedere come Ella avrebbe ideato i due atti mancanti?... perché
Pure a me recò sorpresa la proposta di Giacosa di fare il dramma sceneggiato: ma poi l’interpretai nel senso che questa [sic] era modo di fare più presto, risparmiando per questa volta una prima verseggiatura e così meglio rispondere al desiderio di
Quanto poi a ciò che riguarda i compensi a
E quì finisco, perché tutto il resto non vale ch’io abbia a confutare, perché cade da sé. Questo le dirò solo, per finire, ch’io le dirò solo che udii
Infine moltissime cose avrei a dire, ad osservare ma….. Lei si metta ne’ miei panni, e dica se può essere piacevole ricevere di tanto in tanto dei fulmini da destra, da sinistra, senza nemmeno aver visto prima le nubi temporalesche: per cui se anche volessi munirmi di cannoni grandinifughi, a nulla mi servono! -
Già altre volte la pregai a non dar corpo alle ombre!... e soprattutto a tenere per vere quella stima e amicizia ch’io ho per Lei, e che hanno anche gli altri miei!!.... ma se compare il ritornello…. pensi che sono tante punzecchiature, piccole sì, ma tanto ripetute che finiranno per formare un patereccio! -
Di
di lei Aff. Giulio Ricordi
232.
pp. 495-498
CLET002091
[19 September?] 1901
Dearest Illica,
Cassano d’Adda
I would like to respond ad litteram [word for word] to your letter from yesterday, but unfortunately I haven’t the time to do so, nor does my state of mind these days allow me to discuss things with the detachment I find appropriate. I will try to respond briefly, skimming over what you wrote.
I had absolutely no objection to Mascagni’s coming to visit you; on the contrary, I was pleased to think that it meant something would finally be decided about this opera, which I had asked Mascagni to start working on right after Iris!!... On what basis then the aforementioned claims that if I had known of his trip I would have impeded it, I have no idea! – But such an affirmation is that of either an ill-intended individual or an irresponsible fool, because I would have had to act contrary to my oft-repeated wishes and to my own interests. Perhaps because I went to Schöneck instead of remaining here to wait on Mascagni?... but go on now, that’s called having time to waste, and I care a bit more for myself than for Iris and its descendants. As for Brescia, there was hardly any reason for me to abandon Mascheroni, only because he is Mascheroni and not Mascagni!!!...
Then too, I had preoccupations in those days that were decidedly painful and distressing!.. It was an enormous sacrifice for me to go to Brescia.... with far more on my mind than libretti, operas, Mascagnis, Cassanos, Addas, etc. etc.
As for the meeting in my studio, hadn’t we agreed it was to go over your plans for the two missing acts?... Why wasn’t Mascagni supposed to be present?.... but if I myself had arranged this blessed – or better, blighted – meeting?... And how many telegrams!!... to try and locate Giacosa.
Mascagni came to Milan in response to my telegram – I knew full well when he was due to arrive, but at that very hour I had quite other serious obligations and therefore did not go to the station. So therefore if I am not ready to bow and scrape at his every appearance, it’s immediately embellished to become some sort of laughable heroic drama?... come on, dear Illica, this goes entirely too far!
I too was surprised by Giacosa’s proposal to do the dramatic adaptation himself; but then I interpreted this as a way to move forward more rapidly, avoiding the need this time for an initial versification and thereby better suited to Mascagni’s desire to work as quickly as possible. And I am convinced this was Giacosa’s intention, which he offered in complete good faith... but will never put into practice, because unfortunately he works for no one, whether Mascagni or Puccini it makes no difference. That corresponds perfectly to what we predicted would come of 3 collaborating artists, one of whom is in Parella, the other in Cassano, the third in Torre del lago, and now we add a fourth traveling between Pesaro and Rome.... and other places! And faced with all of the aggravation resulting from this state of affairs, from natural delays, etc. etc., it’s quite convenient for these fine gentlemen to heap the blame on Sig. Giulio, and Casa Ricordi, or even Sig. Blanc, who has about as much to do with this as oysters on ice cream. For all these deductions, assumptions, kaleidoscopes, mutoscopes, tragedies, comedies, conspiracies, bees in bonnets and tempests in teapots!... Oh! what a lovely party!...oh what a lovely party, quite a Class di asen [collection of jackasses] – and don’t be offended, because I’m one of them as well!!...
As for Giacosa’s fees, my response to you is again a solemn negative.... and it seems to me that should be sufficient!!..... And Avv. Campanari couldn’t have said anything because he cannot and should not know the details of my administration, aside from that which, strictly at my behest, regards legal procedures and advice.
And here I have finished, because all the rest does not merit my rebuttal since it has no substance. Only this I might add, which is that I have always heard Giacosa speak of you differently, quite differently from the way Illica now speaks of him, and I am thoroughly astonished that a man like Illica would give any importance to what the journalists write. What can I say about the Corriere.... whose dog-and-cat attitude toward my company I have never understood, and who has also always been unkind to Puccini whenever it could?....
In conclusion, I would have many, many things to say, observations to make, but..... put yourself in my place, and tell me if you find it pleasant to receive these occasional bolts of lightning from right and left without even a hint of a thundercloud by way of warning, so that even if I wanted to arm myself with cannon against the hailstorm it would be of no use!
I have begged you time and again not to imagine things that don’t exist!... and above all never to doubt the genuine respect and friendship that my family and I have for you!!.... but if the same old refrain keeps coming back.... just remember that all of your jabbing, while seemingly slight, will end up causing a serious inflammation!-
I’ll write you about Franchetti another day – and we should also think about putting the Germania libretto in order because I now have to prepare it both so that it may be used for the vocal score, which needs all of the scene descriptions, and for coordinating the printing of the libretto itself. With renewed cordial greetings, I remain as always
Yours warmly, Giulio Ricordi