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Friday, May 06, 2011

Gershwin by Maria Candida Gentile

By Marina

Maria Candida Gentile
is an Italian perfumer with an interesting, so far pleasantly small line-up of fragrances. A stand out for me is Gershwin, a light, melancholy blend of incense and citrus. It might be that the atmosphere of the scent fits my mood, it might be that I am projecting my mood on the scent, but it works wonderfully for me right now.

Somewhat similar in concept to Mandy Aftel's Candide, Gershwin is drier and more transparent. The cool, wistful incense note is airy and diaphanous thanks to the presence of  a non-sweet, non-sparkly, oddly somber citrus accord. Candide could have been a smile through tears, Gershwin is not smiling at all. There is an air of beautiful dejectedness about it that I find fascinating. People more familiar with the work of the composer might be able to find an analogy among his compositions. (I just know, for example, that Rhapsody in Blue is too upbeat to be compared to this fragrance.) To me, this perfume is not Gershwin but Gluck, or more precisely J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice, from Orphee Et Eurydice.


Available at liannetioparfums.nl, €125,00 for 100ml. I am hoping to see the line in States one day soon.

Image, Orpheus by Francois Louis Francais, is from art.com.

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12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Beautiful...a good way to start my day, thank you!

3:47 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Incense and citrus can indeed have an almost-bitter, unsmiling yet fascinating smell, good for days when we're feeling more pensive than party-time.
-Marla

7:58 AM EDT  
Anonymous Maureen said...

The clip of Kasarova was a real treat and really makes me want to seek out the fragrance!

3:44 PM EDT  
Blogger Tammy said...

My plebeian, unsophisticated nose is having a hard time imagining the combination of incense (which I like) and citrus, (which I all but loathe), but I love the music!!

Hoping your melancholy lifts soon.

5:33 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Thank you, Birgit!

6:03 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Marla
Pensive is a great word to describe it

6:03 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Maureen
I am so glad!

6:04 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Tammy
Not plebeian at all. It is a seemingly uncombinable combo :)

6:04 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I always say I'm not a fan of opera, but clearly I need to expand that particular horizon. Lovely music and thank you for sharing it! It made my day. My particular citrus love these days is MFK Cologne pour le Matin.

8:44 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

I need to try the cologne, I tried it as absolue only, I believe. Thank you!

9:41 AM EDT  
Anonymous Marian said...

Thank you for the aria- it's so painfully sad.
I'm wondering if citrus might be like a knife wound in this composition. I'd really love to smell it but I'm on a "no buying" break.
I hope a sparkly lightness will soon overcome your despondency, Marina.

10:13 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

I think citrus here is more like a glimmer of light of that underworld tunnel from the myth

10:19 AM EDT  

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