Charpentier stated that, except in the prologue, "Louise and the various characters who surround Julien are not so much real people as an exteriorized realization of their inner souls".

[This quote needs a citation] The opera was not well received at its premiere, although it did gain Gabriel Fauré's admiration for its expressionist qualities.

[2] Apart from two productions in 1914, one of which was at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City with Geraldine Farrar and Enrico Caruso in the main roles, it had not been revived until 3 December 2000, when it had its German premiere.

However, after this point, the opera moves from the real world into the imagination until the final tableau, set in Montmartre, returns the plot to reality.

Act 4 Ivresse ("Intoxication") Set in Montmartre, it closes in the Place Blanche with the sudden appearance of the Temple of Beauty.