Puccini's publisher, Ricordi, had been against any project based on Prévost's story because Jules Massenet had already made it into a successful opera, Manon, in 1884.
Puccinis forlægger, Ricordi havde været imod ethvert projekt baseret på Prévosts historie, fordi Massenet allerede havde brugt den til et vellykket opera, Manon, i 1884.