er ▁who ▁changes ▁sex ▁was ▁first ▁considered ▁by ▁Lam bert ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁Lam bert ▁started ▁compos ing ▁the ▁score ▁in ▁Paris , ▁but ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁dist ra ctions ▁of ▁other ▁work ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁en list ▁assistance ▁for ▁the ▁orch estr ation ▁from ▁younger ▁colle agues , ▁such ▁as ▁Robert ▁Ir ving , ▁Hum ph rey ▁S ear le , ▁Gordon ▁Jacob , ▁Alan ▁Raw st hor ne ▁and ▁Elisabeth ▁L ut y ens . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁three ▁bal lets ▁commission ed ▁for ▁the ▁Festival ▁of ▁Britain , ▁Lam bert ' s ▁score ▁is ▁roughly ▁contemporary ▁with ▁French ▁composer ▁Francis ▁P ou len c ' s ▁short ▁com ic ▁opera ▁Les ▁m am elles ▁de ▁Tir és ias ▁first ▁performed ▁at ▁the ▁Op éra - Com ique ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁on ▁a ▁similar ▁sex - change ▁theme , ▁based ▁on ▁Guillaume ▁Ap oll inaire ' s ▁sur real ist ▁text ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁premi ere ▁was ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁composer ▁and ▁given ▁in ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁The ▁Queen ▁Mother . ▁There ▁were ▁ 1 2 ▁performances ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁then ▁ten ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁seven ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁three ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁and ▁two ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁season . ▁The ▁critical ▁reception ▁was ▁generally ▁negative , ▁and ▁the ▁composer ▁instruct ed ▁solic itors ▁to ▁challenge ▁the ▁host ile ▁review ▁by