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Meggi
12/14/2016 - 02:47 PM
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Gigli-Sweetness

When Enrico Caruso died in August 1921 from a neglected pleurisy, he left a gaping hole in the ensemble of the New York Metropolitan Opera. To put it bluntly, two people were needed to carry on the legacy of the tenor, who is considered unmatched in his field and - perhaps uniquely among singers - became proverbial among laypeople. The two colleagues who essentially shared Caruso's repertoire at the MET were Giovanni Martinelli and Beniamino Gigli.

Gigli was a controversial figure. He could, as Jürgen Kesting put it, “sing like a seraph and flatter the audience like an artist-courtesan.” Privately, he is described as unscrupulous, not to mention his open affinity for Italian fascism. On the other hand, MET colleague Lauritz Melchior reported that Gigli was “so much fun and so nice.” Regardless, today we are here to discuss a peculiarity of his singing. But more on that later. Let's start with the scent:

The top notes are rather meek. The only noteworthy contribution comes from the pepper, and even that is merely supportive. I can hardly detect any citrus, aside from a more noticeable addition of, let's say, corresponding leaf. What little there is can gladly adorn itself with the title “Bergamot.”

But basically, it gets straight to the point: Opoponax. And labdanum. On the paper strip, the resinous O (and thus a striking resemblance to Interlude Man) comes through much faster, clearer, and more persistently than on the skin. There, eterno takes its time. Strangely enough, it seems that a sort of base is being built up first; it smells sharp-woody-resinous, perhaps even a bit leathery. Unfortunately, I have never smelled nagarmotha pure, so I wonder if it is responsible for the portion of darkness?

The mentioned similarity to Interlude Man thus reveals itself primarily with some distance. Directly on the skin, the bitterness prevails. I quite like all of this, as I also appreciate the “divider” Interlude Man.

Unfortunately, a floral-vanilla note after about two hours adds just a tad too much sweetness to the fragrance. I find myself back with Mr. Gigli: His sole aim was to emotionally seduce the audience. Richard Aldrich once criticized Gigli's opera performances for “the constant tendency to sing only for the auditorium and never to pay attention to...those [the fellow performers] he should be addressing.” As he aged, he increasingly infused his performance with artificial expressiveness, such as the notorious sobs in the aria of Canio (“Laugh, Bajazzo!”) from Ruggero Leoncavallo's one-act opera “Pagliacci.” The rather effective sob had been introduced by Caruso, though he maintained more composure.

The heliotrope is for me likewise a Gigli sob: A touch too much sweetness in the middle, which detracts from the profile. Overall, eterno seems to lose itself a bit - a possibly strictly subjective feeling. In the afternoon, I smell a vanillic amber note. A hint of acidity in the background, it almost seems fruity to me; I have no idea what it is. It smells like dried fig and even brushes against the dark-rosy. The (depending on perspective) characterful or exhausting opoponax has become a co-player.

In contrast, I would say pine resin is indeed present. If leather is involved, a tiny bitter birch tar trace might be meant. I'm not sure about that. I even ponder whether the leather is actually an oily rose. Then the spontaneous thought of rose-but-somehow-not from above would make sense - still, I would consider such a placement unfortunate at this point.

Conclusion: Despite all the grumbling, I quite like eterno; after all, such fragrances are fundamentally exactly my thing. I just prefer the more straightforward Interlude Man. Others will say the opposite because eterno seems rounder and milder and ultimately more varied in the long run. Just like Gigli's style, of course, is a matter of taste, for the man could sing - no question about it.
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18 Comments
FloydFloyd 3 years ago
As always, great. Really enjoyed reading it!
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GerryGerry 5 years ago
Sounds like the scent isn't for me after all. A test will show. Gigli has the most beautiful interpretation of the Handel aria "Care selve" ever (for example, briefly heard at the beginning of the movie "Funny Games").
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reni379reni379 8 years ago
Looking at the pyramid, it gives the impression that the scent could be waxy? And if so, could that generally be due to the opoponax? I'm currently looking for fragrances that smell milky. This one seems to fit..?
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Sweetsmell75Sweetsmell75 9 years ago
I didn't know this gentleman until now, and I'm joining in because I regularly learn from you here. Pleurisy... I was almost "dying" from the pain back then too. As for the scent... it could be something special.
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PlutoPluto 9 years ago
As a classical philistine (I've never heard of Mr. Gigli), I'm regularly educated by Meggi :o)
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TaurusTaurus 9 years ago
I think I might like that one too ... :-)
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GelisGelis 9 years ago
Opoponax and pine resin make me shake my head in disapproval. Still, I always enjoy reading your comments. You're really busy testing! A trophy for everything.
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MokkaMokka 9 years ago
I'll stick to just reading. But that’s a lot of fun :-)
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MarWicMarWic 9 years ago
Once again, a great comment that satisfies both the curiosity about the scent and provides an educational background story!
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MisterEMisterE 9 years ago
The scent sounds great, especially since it seems to have more facets than the Amouage. What a wonderful excursion you're offering us here...
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JumiJumi 9 years ago
Once again, a very informative comment from you. I think I have to pass on the scent.
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FirstFirst 9 years ago
Interesting comment, but is the scent any good? No idea, but that's secondary for me in this case.
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SeeroseSeerose 9 years ago
Yes, Gigli could sing, even though he was a "vero Divo." He is still regarded as THE role model for Belcanto in expression, perfection, lightness, and agility - ever since recordings became available. Caruso was so famous because he had incredible stamina and could record many wax matrices one after the other. However, he isn't considered a role model for singing students of Italian Belcanto. Today, his singing wouldn't win any "pots."
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CravacheCravache 9 years ago
An informative comment. Too bad, up to "a bit too much sweetness," it could have been my scent.
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YataganYatagan 9 years ago
I learned something new! :)
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ErgoproxyErgoproxy 9 years ago
As for the name Gigli, I feel the same way as Palonera. I don't know the scent yet, but it could be something I like.
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PaloneraPalonera 9 years ago
And once again I've learned - far beyond the described scent. It really appeals to me, but that probably doesn't surprise you. And the fact that I associate Gigli more with perfume (Paolo) and fashion designers (Romeo) hasn't diminished my enthusiasm for your comment at all.
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GschpusiGschpusi 9 years ago
Gigli is truly an icon, or was it impossible? I can't remember the word anymore.
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