 From Bizet 's unfinished works , Macdonald highlights La coupe du roi de Thulé as giving clear signs of the power that would reach a pinnacle in Carmen , and suggests that had Clarissa Harlowe and Grisélidis been completed , Bizet 's legacy would have been " infinitely richer " . As Bizet moved away from the accepted musical conventions of French opera he encountered critical hostility . In the case of Djamileh , the accusation of " Wagnerism " was raised again , as audiences struggled to understand the score 's originality ; many found the music pretentious and monotonous , lacking in both rhythm and melody . By contrast , modern critical opinion as expressed by Macdonald is that Djamileh is " a truly enchanting piece , full of inventive touches , especially of chromatic colour . " 
