De Musset wrote Namouna in 1832, consisting of 147 verses in three 'chants' (only the last dozen or so deal with the tale of Namouna). In 1871 when Bizet was stalled on other projects for the stage, Camille du Locle, director of the Opéra-Comique suggested to him a piece written some years earlier by Louis Gallet based on Namouna. After some hesitation, Bizet composed the work during the late summer of 1871 but the premiere production was delayed due to trouble in finding suitable singers.
| Librettist | Louis Gallet (after A. de Musset) |
| Date of composition | 1871 |
| Premiered | 1872, May 22nd (Opéra-Comique) in Paris, France |
| First published | 1872 |
| Type | Opéra comique |
| Catalogue | WD 27 |
| Instruments |
Chorus/Choir
Orchestra Voice (Mezzo-Soprano) - Djamileh Voice (Baritone) - Splendiano Voice (Tenor) - Haroun Narrator, Recitant, Speaker - A slave merchant |
| Autotranslations beta |
Georges Bizet: Djamileh, WD 27 Georges Bizet: Djamileh, WD 27 Georges Bizet: Djamileh, WD 27 |