Origninal Watercolor of Igor Stravinsky and dancers by Jasia over Le Sacre du Printemps Score
Le Sacre du Printemps is one of the most infamous ballets, causing arguably the biggest scandal in dance history. What was the upheaval about, the choreography or the music? The answer with this epochal ballet is in a perfect paring of both. It is of little wonder that in the year of Sacre’s centenary (2013), the Swiss perfumer and classical cellist Vicent Micotti, set himself the task of making a fragrance inspired by this work.
Orignial Watercolor: Stylized dancers in Najinsky's primitive choreography
When Le Sacre du Printemps premiered in 1913, audiences were unprepared for Vaclav Nijinsky ‘s crude, ‘primitive’ choreography and the wild and at times fierce rhythms paired with dissonance and experimental tonality which dominates Stravinsky’s score. Famous Italian composer Puccini described the choreography as ridiculous and the music as cacophonous—"the work of a madman”.
Original Footage from Nijinsky's Ballet 1913 Magic Circle Le Sacre Du Printemps
Perhaps that is known by most of those interested in ballet and/or music, but it’s worth adding that the choreography and musical score were equally excruciating difficult to perform. Partly because of the thumping and changing rhythms and for the dancers additionally because of the many unusual “tribal” steps, as opposed to the steps and positions of traditional ballet practiced by the dancers every day. The synopsis is simple; a tribe is dancing different ritual dances to celebrate spring with the dramatic curve reaching its climax at the sacrifice of a young girl, ending in ‘the sacrifice’; the chosen girl dancing herself to death.
Ys UZAC Le Sacre du Printemps watercolor by Jasia
Yz USAC’s Sacre du Printemps the perfume starts with fire and earth. It’s like smoked oak barrels added tart herbal grassiness. There is no doubting that this is meant to evoke sacrifice; the herbal aspect of angelica and galbanum is stimulating and savage, the fire clear yet strong. As the ritualistic fire calms the grass becomes calmer and earthier as if the dancers stomping on the spring-sodden ground, have now beaten the grass into subordination. It’s the scent of green and roots, and a perfume of fierce resolve. Le Sacre du Printemps, the perfume, while definitely not “the work of a madman”, is a bold and contemporary interpretation of the Stravinsky/ Nijinsky masterpiece, and it is arguably the fiercest green perfume on the market today.
Le Sacre du Printemps – the perfume, is as far from the typical ballet aesthetics of a perfume as you get, it is an ode to the bold and brave, to Stravinsky and Nijinsky’s courageous and daring masterpiece.
–Jasia Julia Nielsen, Guest Contributor and Editor of The Sounds of Scent
Editor’s Note: Jasia ‘s feature Perfume and Opera won a Perfumed Plume Award 2016 for Visualization of Scent Stories – Overall Design Presentation: ÇaFleureBon Perfume as Opera Madama Butterfly and Turandot (original art by Jasia Julia Nielsen). All the art in this piece is original and by Jasia.
Thanks to Vincent Micotti of Ys UZAC PERFUMES we have a draw for Le Sacre du Printemps, which is a limited edition for a REGISTERED CaFleureBon reader in the EU, USA and Canada: 100ml of and 1 sample for a registered reader world wide. To be eligible, please leave a comment with your thoughts on Jasia’s review of Le Sacre du Printemps, where you live and which ballet you think would be a great inspiration to Mr. Micotti for a fragrance. If you have ever worn a YS Uzac perfume before we would love to know. Draw closes 6/26/2016
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