Inspired by the Opera, the new collection from Histories de Parfums sings in a tune that’s melodious
Anyone who has followed the creative streak of Gerald Ghislain has surely noticed his prolific outpour, his penchant for the theater and milestones of the arts. The stage setting of Moulin Rouge and L’Olympia fit his project like a glove, so the next move was to venture in the field that unites the literary prowess of his famous authors’ first line with the theatrical element and the musical streak of his former two ventures.
With the Opéra collection, Ghislain puts music to fragrance by introducing a lacquered wood box which opens to play the lyrical arias that have inspired these novel perfumes, comprising the top heroines from famous operas of European composers of classical music.
The historic glassblowers’ house of Waltersperger has undertaken the task of creating unusual looking bottles, each slightly different from the other, in its mirrored box of delights, each in a different shade to denote a different character: 1831 Bellini’s iconic Norma, 1875 Bizet’s fiery Carmen, 1890 Liza from La Dame de Pique by Tchaikovsky, 1905 the fragile Madame Butterfly by Puccini, and 1926 for the melting Turandot by Puccini.
The immortal Norma sings in notes of rose, ylang-ylang and jasmine with accents of pink pepper and aldehydes. The final stage of labdanum, vanilla, patchouli and benzoin hints at the passion of character.
Queen Of Spades is perhaps the more familiar name for English-speaking readers of La Dame de Pique opera by the famous Russian composer, based on the text by Pushkin. Its heroine, Liza, and the ambience of the city and palaces of St. Petersburg, are recreated in comforting notes of incense, noble flowers, musk, leather, patchouli, amber and spices to give an impression of Russian nights.
Georges Bizet’s Carmen is based on Prosper Mérimée’s tale of the star-crossed lovers – on one hand the cigarette factory work girl and on the other the passionate Don José. The aria of love is echoed in a composition marrying exotic davana and lemon to saffron, incense, sandalwood, gaiac wood, patchouli and ginger.
The tragic story of the geisha Cho-Chosan and the American naval officer Pinkerton is told in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly but also in the corresponding fragrance by Ghislain. The perfumer composed a fragrance resting on delicate notes of fresh neroli and mandarin segueing into a heart of predominant iris, fanned on heliotrope, cedar, musk and sandalwood.
Turandot, the heroine with a cold heart putting an enigma for her suitors to solve and falling at last in love with Calaf, takes an oriental tale and gives it the wings of great art. For this iconic character sung by the greatest opera singers, Ghislain chose jasmine, orange blossom and narcissus as the triptych on which patchouli, amber, leather and incense are deepening the mystery.
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