8 9 6 , ▁with ▁music ▁by ▁André ▁Mess ager ▁and ▁a ▁French ▁libre tto ▁by ▁Paul ▁Fer rier , ▁after ▁Dum as ▁père ▁and ▁August e ▁Ma quet . ▁The ▁play ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 3 ▁novel ▁– ▁in ▁five ▁acts , ▁a ▁pro log ue ▁and ▁ten ▁table aux ▁– ▁was ▁first ▁performed ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁July ▁ 1 8 4 9 ▁at ▁the ▁Thé âtre - H istor ique ▁in ▁Paris . ▁The ▁opera ▁was ▁first ▁performed ▁at ▁the ▁Op éra ▁Com ique ▁( Th é âtre ▁Sarah ▁Bern hardt ) ▁in ▁Paris ▁on ▁ 5 ▁May ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁but ▁ran ▁for ▁only ▁six ▁performances . ▁It ▁was ▁seen ▁at ▁the ▁Vienna ▁Hof oper ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 6 - 9 7 ▁season . ▁ ▁The ▁composer ▁l ament ed ▁that ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁work , ▁which ▁had ▁pre occup ied ▁him ▁for ▁three ▁years , ▁hurt ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁attached ▁great ▁importance ▁to ▁it , ▁and ▁had ▁put ▁considerable ▁effort ▁into ▁it ; ▁he ▁was ▁so ▁disc ou rag ed ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁to ▁compose , ▁and ▁wanted ▁to ▁go ▁away ▁to ▁England . ▁Mess ager ' s ▁bi ograph er ▁Michel ▁ ▁Aug é - Lar ib é ▁cont ends ▁that ▁the ▁fault ▁lay ▁with ▁the ▁d ull ▁words , ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁music , ▁which ▁he ▁claims ▁contains ▁a ▁prototype ▁of ▁the ▁" style ▁dialog ué , ▁just e , ▁rapide , ▁nature l ,