Opera Infernal and Oud Tuareg are today’s protagonists in this article about the Exclusive Collection by Fabbrica della Musa. On Tuesday, Exclusive Collection – The new line by Fabbrica della Musa was already about the first fragrance Île Bourbon, which I really liked. I would once again like to recommend this extrait de parfum to all vanilla fans. Today I’m going to focus on the other two creations in the exclusive line of the brand by Barbara Adelmann and her husband, perfumer Hamid Merati-Kashani.
Opera Infernal – Havana’s Gran Teatro
One of the most impressive buildings in the Caribbean sits enthroned in the heart of Havana: the Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso. This opera house is not only an architectural masterpiece, but also the cultural center of Cuban high culture. The original theater stood here as early as 1838, but today’s magnificent building was built in 1915 in the neo-baroque style by Belgian architects. With its ornate façades, opulent balconies and impressive marble statues, it is reminiscent of European opera houses – a real gem in the middle of colonial Havana.
The Havana Opera House is also a symbol of Cuba’s passionate connection to art and culture. Even for visitors who do not attend a performance – thanks to its excellent acoustics, the Gran Teatro has served as a performance venue for some of the world’s greatest opera and ballet stars – it is well worth a visit. The magnificent chandeliers, the ornate staircase and the historic halls with numerous rows of red velvet seats bring history to life.
Hamid Merati-Kashani combined the ingredients pineapple, bergamot, geranium, magnolia, patchouli, cedarwood, vetiver and gourmand notes for the Havana Opera fragrance. The fragrance is said to embody the following: “The temperament of Latin America, where the rhythm of the tango moves through the streets and ignites sensuality. Inspired by a volcanic eruption, its fire and the fiery lava flows, the fragrance captures glowing energy: strong emotions and the feeling of freedom.”
Opera Infernal starts fresh and fruity with tart bergamot and sweet pineapple, which are soon joined by the subtle aquatic nuances of magnolia and greenish, sparkling geranium. These lend the creation airy, invigorating tendencies, into which the clean, powdery notes of cedarwood also play. Patchouli and vetiver underline the fragrance with subtly earthy and creamy facets, while gourmand nuances provide a sugary-sweet finish. Beautiful!
I find Opera Infernal surprisingly calm, relaxed and summery and carefree. I personally feel nothing of Latin American temperament, hot sensuality and the aforementioned “glowing energy”. This does not detract from the beauty of this composition at all. I like fragrances that are rather minimalist, transparent and restrained. And that is exactly what Opera Infernal is. An airy, powdery-soft, fruity-fresh extrait de parfum with a medium presence and good longevity that can be worn for any occasion and in any season. ❤️
Oud Tuareg – Gold of the desert
With Oud Tuareg, we leave Central America and turn our attention to northern Africa. More precisely: the Sahara and the Tuareg. The Tuareg are a fascinating, indigenous nomadic people who have been crossing the vast expanses of the Sahara for centuries. They live mainly in Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya and Burkina Faso. They are known not only for their impressive ability to adapt to the extreme desert landscape, but also for their distinctive blue clothing, which has earned them the nickname “the blue men of the desert”. The blue indigo dye often colors their skin – an unmistakable trademark. Traditionally, the Tuareg move through the desert as nomads with their camels to find waterholes and grazing land. However, increasing urbanization and political conflicts have forced many to settle down. Nevertheless, their time-honored customs and their language, Tamascheq, remain alive. Hamid Merati-Kashani used the ingredients mandarin, ginger, Damask rose, Arabian taif rose, myrrh, saffron, agarwood (oud) and sandalwood for his homage to the Tuareg and their special, fascinating culture.
Tangy, tart citrus fruits combined with a subtle ginger spiciness open Oud Tuareg, soon accompanied by the smoky-animalic and dry notes of agarwood, which dominate the fragrance from the very beginning. The rose provides transparent, airy and subtly sweet nuances, but never emerges from the shadow of the overpowering oud. Saffron underlines the special accents of the precious incense with a subtle, dark, spicy leatheriness, into which the warm, balsamic notes of myrrh flow – very gently and sweetly – to provide a sweet finishing touch.
Oud Tuareg once again takes up the theme of the oud rose. This time again with more focus on the agarwood, after I recently had almost exclusively rose-dominated creations of this melange in front of my nose. For me personally, but that is just my own opinion, this fragrance is in third place within the Exclusive Collection by Fabbrica della Musa. Opera Infernal takes second place and the undisputed and unattainable winner for me is and remains Île Bourbon. What do you think? Which of the three extraits de parfum is your favorite?
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