onde ▁to ▁a ▁chance ▁meeting ▁with ▁Sy bil ▁Sand erson ▁som etime ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁He ▁rec ount s ▁how ▁he ▁was ▁aston ished ▁by ▁the ▁range ▁and ▁capacity ▁of ▁her ▁voice , ▁real izing ▁at ▁once ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁the ▁perfect ▁choice ▁for ▁the ▁hero ine ▁of ▁his ▁new ▁opera , ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁compose ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁It ▁is ▁almost ▁certain , ▁however , ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁received ▁the ▁libre tto ▁to ▁Es cl arm onde ▁much ▁earlier ▁than ▁that , ▁and ▁the ▁meeting ▁with ▁Sy bil ▁Sand erson ▁served ▁rather ▁as ▁an ▁additional ▁catal yst ▁– ▁a ▁stim ulus ▁to ▁complete ▁the ▁opera . ▁The ▁work ▁was ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁spect ac ular ▁event ▁to ▁open ▁the ▁Paris ▁Ex position ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 9 . ▁During ▁the ▁most ▁int ensive ▁period ▁of ▁creation ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁Mass en et ▁moved ▁into ▁the ▁Grand ▁Hotel ▁in ▁Ve vey , ▁where ▁Miss ▁Sand erson ▁was ▁also ▁stay ing ; ▁there ▁he ▁re he ars ed ▁with ▁her ▁each ▁evening ▁the ▁various ▁sections ▁of ▁his ▁new ▁opera ▁as ▁he ▁composed ▁them . ▁The ▁opera ▁was ▁completed ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 8 , ▁and ▁stage ▁re he ars als ▁started ▁at ▁Op éra - Com ique . ▁Mass en et ▁dedicated ▁the ▁work ▁to ▁Sy bil ▁Sand erson ▁in ▁grat itude , ▁allowing ▁her