At the outset and deep into the heart, unsweetened, very sour, almost bitter citrus aromas (more unripe lemon than mandarin) dominate, combined with aromatic notes (lavender, mint) and earthy-mineral notes (notably mastic, perhaps a bit of geosmin, and from deep in the base, the patchouli+vetiver combo). The official scent pyramid seems relatively truthful to me.
In my mind's eye, deep green, slightly floral, and cool-wet associations arise - to be precise, I think of a castle park with well-kept lawns and rose hedges and/or gardenias, from which water beads shortly after a summer thunderstorm, while the sky has not yet cleared. With the rain, the temperature has also dropped; it has become a bit too cool for short-sleeved clothing.
I am still not one hundred percent sure which other fragrances this reminds me of, but there are definitely candidates. Perhaps Floris' Elite, which, when testing, reminded me of a distinctly more aristocratic (Gucci) Nobile. The base vaguely leans towards late 70s men's fragrances, without me being able to name anything specific. However, I generally think more of Aramis than Quorum, which the creator himself mentioned in his fragrance description.
For this turn towards classic men's perfumery, I respect this scent very much, but I wouldn't want to wear it frequently. The slightly gloomy and very classic aura is too alien to my nature or not what a fragrance should radiate for me.
In this respect, I find it quite fitting that the naming references classical music. Is it Beethoven's 6th Symphony? Probably not. If anything, only the less cheerful movements. Perhaps more Mozart or Schubert than Beethoven. But what do I know, I’m not really well-versed in that.
If the fragrance had more cheerfulness before and after the rather gloomy main part, it would indeed be comparable to a symphony and somehow genius. As it stands, Harmonie Pastorale gets a thumbs up from me but no purchase.
I'm quite curious now, will give it a try!