He finished "Djamileh" at le Vésinet. It was produced at the Opéra Comique in May of 1872. Gallet tells us that he did not write the book specially for Bizet. Under the title of "Namouna," it had been given by M. du Locle to Jules Duprato, a musician and a "prix de Rome." But Duprato _paressait agréablement_, and never got much further with it than the composition of a certain _air de danse_ to the verses commencing: "Indolente, grave et lente," which are to be found also in Bizet's score. Then there came a time when the Opéra Comique, truly one of the most good-natured of institutions in its own peculiar way, so far belied its reputation as to tire of this idling on the part of M. Duprato. So the work passed on to Bizet. He suggested change of title, and "Namouna" became "Djamileh." But it remained nevertheless the poem of Musset.
"Je vous dirais qu' Hassan racheta Namouna
Qu'on reconnut trop tard cette tête adorée Et cette douce nuit qu'elle avait espérée Que pour prix de ses maux le ciel la lui donna.
Je vous dirais surtout qu' Hassan dans cette affaire Sentit que tôt ou tard la femme avait son tour Et que l'amour de soi ne vaut pas l'autre amour."
There you have the whole story. It is but an _état d'âme_--a little love scene, simple enough in a way, yet so delicate and so full of colour. It was a matter of "atmosphere," not of structure, a masterpiece of style rather than of situation; and from its first rehearsal as an opera it was doomed. In truth, these rehearsals were amusing. There was old Avocat--they used to call him Victor--the typical _régisseur_ of tradition; a man who could tell of the _premières_ of "Pré-aux-Clercs" and "La Dame Blanche," and, what is more, expected to be asked to tell of them. From his corner in the wings he listened to the music of this "Djamileh," his face expressive of a pity far too keen for words. But it was a matter of minutes only before his pity turned to rage, and eventually he stumped off to his sanctum, banging his door behind him with a vehemence that augured badly for poor Bizet. As for De Leuven, his co-director: had he not written. "Postillon de Lonjumeau"? and was it not the most successful work of Boiledieu's successor? The fact had altered his whole life. Ever after, all he sought in opera was some similarity with Le Postillon. And there was nothing of Adam in this music, still less anything of De Leuven in the poem. That was sufficient for him. "Allons," said he one day to Gallet, who arrived at rehearsal just as Djamileh was about to sing her _lamento_: "allons, vous arrivez pour le De Profundis."