Wassily Kandinsky Yellow Red Blue
For at least a century, composers and interdisciplinary artists have been integrating music, fragrance and color in performance, their works becoming ever more popular and accessible with advances in science and technology. While mid to late 19th century musicians and artists were experimenting with experiences of synesthesia, the world-renowned Russian chemist (and soon to be musical composer) Alexander Borodin, was researching the organic compounds called aldehydes. Borodin was probably not contemplating perfumery at the time, but his groundbreaking work would eventually prove to be the gateway to a new artistic impulse in perfumery.
Berceuse Parfum’s Will Carius (right) and Bogue Profumo’s Antonio Gardoni
Several years ago, Will Carius, founder and president of Barrister and Mann Fine Shaving, fell under the perennial spell of perfume as music. Enchanted by the scent melodies of perfumer Antonio Gardoni’s Bogue Profumo Maai. Will took the idea of musical inspiration far beyond previous methods and fragrant interpretations, creating a play list of specific pieces of music that resonated with him emotionally. The plan for his new fragrance house, Berceuse Parfum, involved asking perfumers to choose the sound track of one these pieces to serve as a brief, a musical template, so to speak, to help recreate impressions of sound, emotion and form in scent. For his initial project, it was not surprising that Will Carius would tap the talent and innovative spirit of self taught perfumer and founder of Bogue Profumo, Antonio Gardoni. In late 2019, after three years of collaborative work, the second movement of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony was born again as Berceuse Parfum Allegretto 7.2.
Beethoven, Street Art via Pixabay ©
The Allegretto from Beethoven’s Symphony No.7, written in 1811/12, is probably one of the best-known and well-loved pieces of classical music in the orchestral repertoire. Simple rising and falling melodic lines and repeated pulsing rhythmic patterns draw the listener into melancholic resignation and eventually into a mysterious, triumphal musical world of ever broadening, deepening layers of instrumental timbre and texture. It is easy to smell this happening in Berceuse Parfum Allegretto 7.2. The dark blossoming and self reflective growth of Allegretto 7.2, the moments of delicate counterpoint, the depth and the slow march of the a scented harmonic rhythm are unmistakable reflections of Ludwig van Beethoven’s musical language.
Alexander Scriabin and his Tonal Circle of Fifths Color Wheel via Wikipedia. Composite photo by Gail Gross
Beginning with the breath, or as my conducting teacher used to say “the gesture”, of anticipation, Berceuse Parfum Allegretto 7.2 opens with a single clear, assertive “a” minor chord that immediately gives way to the counter theme, suddenly pianissimo. An almost secretive sense of the tonal center and the related harmonies of “a” minor are emphasized by the note “E” in the bass as well as in the melody. The result is a slightly somber, edgy herbal blue-green color in scent. These greens and blues that I perceive and what the perfumer perhaps intended, coincidentally correspond to composer Alexander Scriabin’s (1871-1915) note-to-color scheme, his “clavier à lumières” (keyboard with lights). Unlike most of today’s musical/color correspondences derived from scientific and mathematical comparisons of the wavelengths of sound and light, Scriabin’s tonal colors were based almost exclusively on his personal, synesthetic experiences and his association with theosophy.
Beethoven Symphony No.7, op 92. Second Movement Allegretto – score with samples of Berceuse Parfum Allegretto 7.2. Photo by Gail Gross
In Berceuse Parfum Allegretto 7.2, as in the Beethoven Allegretto itself, the serious, almost funereal nature of the minor key opens “soto voce” and evolves via predicable measured periods. Notes of pungent, medicinal bay leaves, cool mint and vibrant sweet lavender warm into successively richer and deeper textures, colored with the phenolic dynamics of thyme, grounded in smoky vetiver. At the heart, Allegretto 7.2 transitions to the warmth of “A” Major, and its golden yellow dominant tonality of “D”. Notes of vanilla, ylang ylang and benzoin create a “dolce espressivo” effect in scent (m. 101 in the score). Antonio Gordoni’s brilliant use of ylang ylang, masterfully integrated with vetiver, results in a stunningly beautiful depth and sheen! As Allegretto 7.2 dries down, the running staccato articulation in Beethoven’s music is mirrored in the perfume by cool, dry cedar wood and a suggestion of vetiver that lingers for eight hours on skin, fading overnight on clothing.
Details from an Old Album Cover “Perfume Set to Music”, RCA Victor © Photo by Gail Gross
Compounding and enjoying perfume, as well as composing, performing and listening to music can be syncretic, even synesthetic, experiences. Both disciplines share numerous descriptive terms; accords, tones, notes, “organs”, to name but a few. Also both music and perfumery are considered to be temporal (versus plastic) art forms. Vintage perfumes such as Lanvin’s Arpège and Crescendo and Nocturnes de Caron and Berceuse Parfum Allegretto 7.2, are witness to our abiding fascination with the musical qualities of scent. Words, colors and even music aside, the best way to understand Berceuse Parfum Allegretto 7.2 is to indulge your nose for a couple of days. Then refer to the second movement of Beethoven’s 7th symphony and be blown away by the depth of Antonio Gordoni’s skill and by Will Carius’ beautiful imagination and creative spirit.
Notes: Thyme, Rosemary, Bay Leaves, Mint, Lavender, Vanilla, Ylang Ylang, Vetiver, Benzoin and Himalayan Cedarwood.
Disclosure: I would like to thank Will Carius and Berceuse Parfum for the generous samples of Allegretto 7.2. My opinions are my own.
– Gail Gross, Senior Editor
A portion of all proceeds on sales of Berceuse Parfum Allegretto 7.2 are donated to mystuffbags.com, which help abused children. You can order samples or a bottle here
Photo courtesy of Berceuse Parfum
Thanks to the generosity of Will Carius and Berceuse Parfum, we have one tester bottle of Allegretto 7.2 for one registered reader worldwide. You must be registered, so please do so here. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you find most interesting about Allegretto 7.2, based on Gail’s review, and let us know where you live. You can also tell us if perfume ever sounds like music – or music smells like perfume – to you! Draw closes 1/15/2020
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This is a rare opportunity as for now Berceuse Parfum Allegretto 7.2 (50 ml) $225.00 is only shipped in the USA and samples which are available $8.99 are only available in the USA.
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