 As a belated homage to his late father @-@ in @-@ law , Bizet took up the Noé manuscript and completed it . Parts of his moribund Vasco da Gama and Ivan IV were incorporated into the score , but a projected production at the Théâtre Lyrique failed to materialise when Carvalho 's company finally went bankrupt , and Noé remained unperformed until 1885 . Bizet 's marriage was initially happy , but was affected by Geneviève 's nervous instability ( inherited from both her parents ) , her difficult relations with her mother and by Mme. Halévy 's interference in the couple 's affairs . Despite this , Bizet kept on good terms with his mother @-@ in @-@ law and maintained an extensive correspondence with her . In the year following the marriage he considered plans for at least half a dozen new operas , and began to sketch the music for two of them : Clarissa Harlowe based on Samuel Richardson 's novel Clarissa , and Grisélidis with a libretto from Victorien Sardou . However , his progress on these projects was brought to a halt in July 1870 , with the outbreak of the Franco @-@ Prussian War . 
