Les Trois Roses - The Three Roses Rose Opéra - Rose de Mai - and Rose Thé are the three roses offered by Le Jardin Retrouve.
First, Rose Opéra.
Rose Opéra is rose with a little hype.
The first impression is more than rose, but then it settles into rose alone very quickly.
The back story:
How did Rose Opéra come to be?
When I think of the creation of Rose Opéra, I think of it along similar lines to synesthesia, because an opera was conceived as having a scent. Synesthesia is a phenomenon, thought to be neurological, in which a person perceives a sense with another sense, for example, a person who is a synthete might hear music and associate it with colors. Or, see colors and associate them with scents. Or smell a fragrance and see a color.
Les Indes Galantes, an opera by Rameau was to be performed at the Paris Opera House.
Maurice Lehmann, Director of the integrated Lyrique-Opéra and the OPERA COMIQUE theatres, wanted to include perfume, a third sense, in the theatre production, just as sound and light are.
In 1952, Yuri Gutsatz was asked to conceive a perfume for this opera. The result was a perfume called Apparition de la Rose for the second act of the Ballet des Fleurs. That became his inspiration.
Over a period of several months Gutsatz became intimately involved with the process of the ballet, from backstage to the changing of scenery and the personalities of the principal dancers.
How was it possible?
Fortuitously, Opéra had been equipped since 1936 with an air circulation system that would change and renew the entire volume of air in 10 minutes!
Thus it was possible for any perfume to be diffused, then eliminated in a short period of time.
How did he do it?
He released perfume at the air conditioning intake vents located under the dome. He perfumed 19,000 cubic meters with just two small flacons of 25 ml each in a concentration of 15%. Amazing, really!
How was it released at exactly the right moment?
That was the trick and the genius.
While it would be simpler today, maybe, through the use of computers to figure it out, in 1952 it was not an exact science. And, if we thought it were doable today, likely it would have been done again.
The perfume was first released either too soon or too late, but through these experiences, trial and error, a musical marker was found that could be used to release the fragrance so that it coordinated properly with both the visual and the music.
How did they determine it would be Rose?
Gutsatz suggested three perfumes:
- OPOPONAX AMBER type for the second act featuring the eruption of a volcano (masterfully orchestrated by RUGGIERI)
- a ROSE for the fourth act – the ballet of the flowers, where the principal dancer, dressed as a ROSE, emerged from a trap door –
- and finally a JASMINE for a decor representing a primitive island with imaginary flowers and ballet dancers dressed as panthers around the extras dressed as plumed warriors.
I think the Opoponax Amber would be delicious, but the eruption of the volcano was followed by the smell of gunpowder! Too bad!
That left the rose and the jasmine.
No expense spared
How lovely to be given carte blanche! That’s probably another modern day deterrent, though the amount released was not as much as I would have expected.
Gutsatz prepared both a rose and a jasmine without being concerned for cost. He attended over 150 performances and heard folks say they smelled roses, but never that they smelled jasmine. He felt that was because at that time they were unfamiliar with the fragrance of jasmine. So rose it was.
Was it successful?
Yes, it was so successful that he was asked to perfume Oberon later.
[He] imagined a green-algae perfume for a scene with tritons and naiads frolicking in the depths of murky underwater. A bit reminiscent of BALMAIN's VENT VERT. But without success: the spectators glanced at their neighbours thinking it was the perfume of the person next to them.
Vent Vert is a fragrance I love, so I would dearly love to know what this fragrance smelled like.
My take:
It is unfair for me to give it a rating. I am not successful wearing roses.
I struggle with wearing rose fragrances because on me they generally go through a funky stage or stay in this stage. I get a bit of that here, after the rose makes it appearance, but it moves into a nice rose on me after that.
If you like roses and are looking for a new fragrance or to enhance your wardrobe of roses, try all three of his roses. There are nuances between them. You will either find you like them all or that one is your favorite.
The story behind Rose Opéra gives an added pleasure in wearing it. One can imagine the curtain rising and being a part of this historical event.
What do you think?
Have you tried any of his fragrances? If you have, do you have a favorite? (If not: Ask Le Jardin Retrouvé for Free Samples - All around the world.) Can you wear roses – and do you? Learn more about Le Jardin Retrouve house and Yuri Gutsatz.
Best,
Karin
This post is by Karin of Savvy Thinker, guest blogger. Karin loves perfumes, especially vintage or artisan. She has a wide range of interests including but not limited to books, cosmetics, business, and jewelry, including beading.
Photo Credits: http://www.lejardinretrouve.com/
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