Outrageous Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle 2007

When Claude Debussy went to the Conservatory of Music in Paris, he was a rebel. And a young, inexperienced one at that.
As a composer, he began early on to dispense with tried-and-tested harmonic techniques ("Outrageous!!" or rather "Scandaleux!!", his professors must have exclaimed...) in order to implement his own style of pentatonicism, novel timbres and whole-tone scales. Strange, spherical sounds were the foundation of Debussy's non-conformist style, to this day the musician of Impressionism par excellence.

For me, Outrageous undoubtedly has Impressionist traits. All the statements here that accuse it of being iron-apple musk - or celebrate it for that very reason - have decoded the top notes of the fragrance very well. Similar to Debussy's compositions, however, the heart and base are still waiting for us reviewers with encrypted, twisted harmonies - devoid of any classical-romantic structure. Shimmering tremolo surfaces, morning mist legatos, sunbeam tones. A variety of timbres! Much in pianissimo. Restrained. But with soul.

Right from the start, it's not exactly Monetian sunrises - those come later - rather, Outrageous offers surprisingly Brazilian caipirinha notes: even if not listed here, that would be lime and mint above all. The Brazilian Debussy! However, the apple remains in the lead. Then there are the often obligatory fresh notes of bergamot and mandarin. Aldehyde musk circles the heart, blowing in the wind of the sunrise. But Monet again? The fresh-laundry Monet! Major chord brushstrokes up to the sky - in light green-blue.
It is said that Frederic Malle and Sophia Grojsman actually met in a Brazilian bar for their joint project. The impressions from this meeting gave birth to the idea for this very fragrance. And one of the two is said to have actually drunk a caipirinha....

Leaving the Brazilian image behind, a cedar tree that has been hiding for a long time surprises us at the end. As if it were a secret in the overall picture. A motif that you only ever see, hear and smell very quietly and very briefly. A solitary fifth. In the midst of the colorful light that has been shining on us the whole time...