op é us ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁in ▁the ▁library ▁of ▁Blo is , ▁where ▁he ▁took ▁refuge ▁during ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Paris ▁Comm une . ▁The ▁libre tto ▁was ▁originally ▁called ▁P ert ina x ; ▁it ▁was ▁first ▁draft ed ▁in ▁pro se ▁and ▁later ▁vers ified ▁by ▁Bla u ' s ▁collabor ator , ▁Louis ▁de ▁Gram ont . ▁In ▁that ▁form ▁– ▁a ▁rom antic ▁mel od rama ▁in ▁five ▁acts ▁– ▁it ▁was ▁offered ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 ▁to ▁the ▁Belg ian ▁composer ▁François - August e ▁Ge va ert , ▁who , ▁however , ▁decl ined ▁to ▁set ▁it . ▁So on ▁the ▁libre tto ▁found ▁its ▁way ▁into ▁Mass en et ' s ▁hands , ▁though ▁the ▁precise ▁circumstances ▁in ▁which ▁this ▁occurred ▁remain ▁a ▁mystery . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 ▁August ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁Mass en et ▁and ▁his ▁publish er ▁Georges ▁Hart mann ▁attended ▁a ▁performance ▁of ▁Par s if al ▁at ▁the ▁Bay re uth ▁Festival , ▁an ▁event ▁which ▁deeply ▁im pressed ▁the ▁composer ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁significant ▁influence ▁on ▁his ▁music . ▁He ▁had ▁already ▁seen ▁the ▁entire ▁Ring ▁cycle ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁produced ▁in ▁Br uss els ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁Mem oir s , ▁which ▁were ▁compiled ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁life , ▁Mass en et ▁as cri bes ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Es cl arm