Histoires de Parfums is a Parisian perfume house that was one of the early purveyors of niche perfume but they seem to fly under the radar. I have always thought they made high quality, interesting perfumes with a slight reminiscence to perfumes of the past. Gérald Guislain, founder, is inspired by literary characters, music, and poems, and has created a perfumed library based on these references. The Opera Collection was released in 2014 but I only recently became aware of it. The collection was inspired by five great title roles in the operatic world, and the year in the perfume's name is the date that the opera premiered. I have previously reviewed 1890 Le Dame de Pique, and now review the other four in the collection. If you have a yen for fragrances that remind you of perfumes of the past, then Histoires de Parfums Opera Collection could be your ticket to that era.
1831 Norma Bellini
I was not familiar with this opera, Norma, but it turns out that this is the role that Maria Callas sang more than any other, and some consider the title character's songs a perfect demonstration of the bel canto style of operatic performance. Bel canto in this instance means an almost athletic display of vocal prowess, and sopranos consider the part of Norma "the role of roles". This opera is set in Druid times and Norma is a high priestess whose story involves love, betrayal, and ultimately tragedy when she offers herself as a human sacrifice on the alter pyre.
Here is Maria Callas displaying these vocal thrills.
1831 Norma Bellini is a floral aldehyde in the grand tradition. Although the conception of the floral aldehyde dates back to 1921 when Ernest Beaux created the now iconic Chanel No. 5, it was still a popular style in the 1970s when I got my first real exposure to perfume, so this one creates a lot of nostalgic memory flashes for me. 1831 opens with a soapy, sharp, nose-clearing blast of aldehydes. You can also smell the rose. Fairly quickly the ylang ylang becomes apparent, and if you visualize color when you smell scent as I sometimes do, this perfume presents as yellow, with sunshine radiance and that slight powder note that ylang ylang sometimes displays. After some time the jasmine, mingling with the rose, make their presence known. The scent hums along with the aldehydes, florals, and labdanum. Hours later the patchouli and benzoin give a slight spice and earthiness, along with the smoke of incense. The florals are still faintly present, but are more muted by the deeper notes. The perfume pyramid also lists vanilla and praline, but I never sense either of these notes. On my skin the perfume is a brilliant display of light and sparkle, eventually fading to a smoldering funeral pyre. Longevity is excellent.
1875 Carmen Bizet
The opera Carmen was written by French composer Georges Bizet and premiered in Paris in 1875. The lead, Carmen, was a somewhat shocking protagonist for this era. A strong women, she smokes, dances, seduces and betrays lovers, all with no thought to her honor or reputation. I found that the scent 1875 Carmen Bizet portrays a more masculine aura, as if defining Carmen's non-traditional feminine traits in a masculine context. If you watch this snippet from the opera, and picture yourself back in 1875, perhaps you'll glimpse how Carmen would have been a somewhat scandalous figure for the time period. You can also get the Spanish flavor of the music, an exotic setting which was further highlighted in the script by scenes with gypsies and bull fights.
1875 opens with a sweet, almost ambrosial amber. That this is an amber and wood perfume is immediately apparent. The initial sweetness takes it toward gourmand territory, but never totally goes there. A bit of citron and a slight touch of ginger join the amber note, followed by heart notes of bouquet of white flowers and saffron. I do think the floral notes add to the sweetness of the scent, but there is no particular flower that stands out. What does become more apparent is the saffron; a little dusty, a little spicy, and perhaps included as a reference to Spanish cooking. I can also smell the davana, and on my skin it has the fragrance of dried fruit mixed with a herbaceous scent.
Over some hours this will eventually wind down to base notes of sandalwood, incense, patchouli, and gaiac wood. The patchouli gives it a sweet earthy tone, and the incense a hazy smokey note. This perfume comes out at first spray big and bold, like the character Carmen, but it actually settles into a very nice but sedate fragrance featuring amber, wood, and spice. I found 1875 very wearable but in my opinion it would smell fantastic on a man.
1904 Madame Butterfly Puccini
1904 is the year that Madama Butterfly, an opera by Giacomo Puccini, premiered at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. Probably one of the world's most recognized operas, most know the story of Madame Butterfly, the beautiful geisha that is ultimately betrayed by her U.S. Navy lover and dies at her own hand. 1904 Madame Butterfly Puccinii is all innocence and young beauty, opening with a delightful powdery iris. In the opening there are notes of mandarin and neroli but they are faint and fleeting. This is all about the iris, and then the heliotrope which makes this even more of a powder scent. There is cedar, sandalwood, and musk in the base, but on my skin this stayed a powdery iris through most of the scent life. The powder note here is more of the lipstick/face powder scent rather than baby powder. I am not a big fan of powdery perfumes, but if you enjoy them or particularly like iris you may enjoy 1904.
1926 Turandot Puccini
1926 Turandot Puccini opens with notes that seem a snapshot of a golden era. Narcissus gives a sharp and pungent opening, but it is quickly cloaked in the golden glow of fleur d'orange which softens it into an opulent bouquet. There are notes of pear and ginger in the opening but they are faint. The fragrance heart contains carnation and maybe it is this note that gives 1926 its retro reference, but it is carnation in the old way, blended with jasmine and earthy patchouli, rather than a single note oeillet, as has been popular in recent releases. It smells rich, opulent, and luscious. Eventually leather, amber, and incense mix with the florals to give a deep allure. The tenacity of this perfume is amazing. The notes change and evolve for several hours and I could still smell it on my wrists a day later.
Turandot is a brutal Princess who challenges suitors with three riddles, and if they can't answer correctly they will pay with their life. While the perfume isn't as bloodthirsty as the Princess, thank goodness, it does show both power and tenacity. Ultimately the floral notes succumb to the base notes of leather and incense, however we can still faintly smell that rich bouquet of flowers, thrown to the diva after her stirring performance.
Here are my quick takes on each of these, in case you don't have the patience to read all this.
1831 - a diva, pyrotechnic in prowess until the smoldering end
1875 - opens with a bang, but then goes all warm and cozy
1890 - an Oriental leather, that moment when the curtain parts and the anticipation builds for the grand event
1904 - a perfume of quiet innocence
1926 - the stage is covered with bouquets that waft a sweet and honeyed fragrance
If these scents interest you, Histoires de Parfums has a great sample pack at a reasonable price. They give you 4 ml of each scent so you can really test it several times. Order here.
No comments :
Post a Comment