The mysterious journey of incense history (see part 1) with the complicated olibanum chemistry takes us in 1903 when something unusual took place in Paris. Just before 1900, the new dawn of the 8th art, Jacques Rouché, director of the famous L.T.Piver house (and later director of the Parisian Opera) gave carte blanche to the new perfumer, Pierre Armingeat, the genius of invention, and to professor Auguste Georges Darzens, the famous chemist from Ecole Polytechnique. From their collaboration appeared the most unusual, daring and controversial perfumes using what we call today captive molecules. These were secret ingredients developed only for Piver. None of these perfumes have survived because after 1925 the house was oriented to a less luxury clientele and what can be found is usually the low quality fragrances, reformulated and with little relation to the glorious Belle Époque era. Very few are reconstructed at Versailles.
In 1903-1904, prof. G. Darzens came with a new reaction, known today by his name, and with a new set of molecules for Piver - the superior aldehydes - with the famous, strange and unusual MNA aldehyde (methyl nonyl acetaldehyde). The same year, another team synthesized the other fatty aldehydes, which will be soon incorporated in bases and perfumes. For instance, there is a very beautiful amber-opoponax base with a light MNA note which made it very special compared to the traditional accord invented at the end of XIXth century.
MNA aldehyde has something highly unusual compared to the other aldehydes and in fact, starting with C11, everything changes - the olfactory profile, the volatility and how it can be used inside a perfume. There are also C13, C14, normal and alpha branched, and many curiosities. Unlike the lower aldehydes and their powerful freshness with green-citrus-rosy facets combined with their waxy character, MNA aldehyde has an important incense and amber note under its orange freshness recalling the C10 aldehyde, with facets of pepper / elemi / nutmeg and a honeyed sweetness sitting between the note of jasmine absolute - rose absolute - chamomile - genêt absolute. It is also a deep and very long lasting ingredient, a dry-down note, but again, if it is used in a greater concentration its effect would be noticeable in the top.
As soon as it was discovered, the MNA aldehyde started to be used by some perfumers who had access to this note. It is important to remember that, as it was an exclusive ingredient for Piver, it took a long time until other perfumers were able to find a MNA bottle. Both Pierre Armingeat and Jacques Guerlain used it in very precise way, and there are several Guerlain perfumes where this molecule is essential for the unusual beauty.
The first major application of the MNA aldehyde (but not the first historic use), where it is quite overdosed, is the original Pompeia (Piver), a perfume created in 1907 and with a short existence (later versions are not good). This creation was highly unusual and mystical, conceived after theosophical principles, from the bottle to the perfume, something that would be too avant-garde for modern tastes in 2011 but was perfect in 1907 and not the only perfume with such an aesthetic.
In fact, the beautiful red box with garlands is the reproduction of an ancient coffin, it preserves the crystal bottle like legendary crystal sarcophagus, and the perfume is imagined as an elixir. It is the quintessential soul of ancient Rome, built around 2 symbolic ingredients, rose and incense. Life, death, resurrection - this is meaning of Pompeïa and the opening of the bottle releasing the spirit in the room was said to have unusual effects. It was the opposite of the seduction principle and nothing inside this perfume was carnal. In fact, it was quite avant-garde in 1907 Catholic France because, unlike opopanax, the scent of incense was still a taboo. We might consider today the perfumes of Comme des Garçons as daring, when people go to church as tourists, but the real avant-garde creation was imagined 100 years before. For this reason, the perfume, more than 50 years after its glory when the formula was changed but still preserved its principles, can be seen in photos of shrines from South America, South Africa and many islands. It was the special incense note, revealed by MNA aldehyde and other clever combinations, and not the name or design, that made this creation almost a sacred scent in places where olibanum is not available. People did not know what Pompeia contained, the composition was never explained, but those using the Piver (cheap) lotion in their ceremonies were lead by the nose as I have explained in the previous article about the archetype of olibanum scent.
The main accord of Pompeia (Piver) is a simple numeric combination between Olibanum and MNA aldehyde, and this accord was "mystikal" with a K from "Kabala" because it was chosen having in mind the power of numbers. This cannot be understood by the user because only those who can read the formula (or posses it) are able to see the intention of the perfumer. It's like the Chartres Cathedral - the symbols are there no matter if you can "read" them or not.
MNA aldehyde was used a lot after 1915 in the new floral aldehydic perfumes, but rarely in a powerful combination with olibanum, sometimes the effects are too addictive. There is a lost perfume from Ernest Beaux, containing a massive blend of aldehydes, all the members from C9 to C12 L and C12 MNA. Well aware of the importance and unusual effects of MNA aldehyde and similar molecules, Jacques Guerlain used them in 2 major perfumes, very mysterious creations with a highly addictive power and a symbolic "mystikal" structure of the perfume (maybe I will present the relation between Guerlain and Goethe one day).
But about one year ago, Givaudan made the impressive discovery with Mystikal, their new captive molecule. In fact, Mystikal is the corresponded acid of the MNA aldehyde, 2-Methyl Undecanoic acid, something highly unusual because there are not many acids in the perfumer's palette.
The aldehydes we use today (from C6 to C12L) correspond to the common fatty acids found everywhere in nature, from the plant oils to your skin. In fact, that's how they were first prepared, except MNA.
While the reaction aldehyde vs. its corresponding fatty acid is basic in chemistry, Mystikal was for about a century the "ingredient under your nose nobody speaks about". I was very surprised because this simple quintessential molecule is missing from all the major works since 1904. For about 2 weeks I made a research in my fragrance chemistry papers pre WWII and mainly in the glorious era of aldehydes. There was not a single mention about this highly unusual and secret molecule, an alpha branched alkanoic acid. Was it intentional?
Is it possible that a Pompeia perfume or soap with a massive dose of MNA aldehyde would produce some Mystikal over the years in a slow reaction? Is it possible that Mystikal belongs to that category of those very secret molecules developed before WWII, used by some great perfumers, and then completely forgotten by the next generation? These are secret stories that make chemistry one of the most fascinating disciplines.
Though recently launched by Givaudan and available only to some perfumers, this molecule (2-Methyl Undecanoic acid) belongs to a very different era and acts like a time machine. I have in mind another forgotten and mysterious perfume called Mystikum, created by the German company Scherck. It is a very rare and special fragrance with an unusual symbol on the bottle, created in a time when German architects like Erich Mendelsohn were conceiving expressionist buildings rich in symbols, theosophical elements and biomorphic forms.
Pompeia, Mystikum and the molecule Mystikal belong to this highly unusual aesthetic based on the distortion of form for a strong emotional effect and inner experience with a highly symbolic stylistic expression. Translating biomorphic principles into fragrance design is the essence of the 8th art.
The scent of Mystikal is close to MNA aldehyde but at least 10 times stronger. It is powerful with a strong woody-incense facet and the unusual contrast between deep opulence and coldness. It has both the incense scent of a gothic church and the cold stones with traces of decay as found in the early primitive Christian dwellings. Mystikal is the Underground of Vatican. It is strange and human, with something that suggests blood, liver, wax, under the very strong burning incense element. It possess the very powerful and diffusive note of natural resins like olibanum and myrrh, with an unusual elemi facet. The waxy deep background suggests also orris concrete (and its rich "human" dimension, not brought by ionones/irones) and ambrette seed. Mystikal offers the burning incense note, different from the olibanum oil/resinoid.
Mystikal is not alone at Givaudan because other alpha branched alkanoic and alkenoic acids were developed by the Swiss chemists. Mystikal can be used in many types of products, where a subliminal level is required for an unusual addictive effect and though I consider it a fine fragrance ingredient, I wouldn't be surprised to find it in detergents.
One of the very first fragrances to use this captive ingredient is the perfume conceived by Yann Vasnier for Ricardo Tisci, the Givenchy artistic director who authored Visionaire Sixty Religion, the 60th edition of the famous magazine. In the unusual wooden box like an antique altar-piece, the perfume represents the theme of this edition, "Religion".
Ricardo Tisci said in the interview for Independent: "I wanted the perfume to be something very fresh and innocent. The first impression is strong and sharp and then it becomes delicate, romantic and soft." But the perfume conceived by Yann Vasnier, with a short and rich formula, is something much profound!
The perfumer brought the unusual power of Mystikal inside a blend of sacred ingredients used as I explained in the previous article - olibanum, myrrh, ciste labdanum. Because the religious experience means burning, and thus other molecules, he completed the missing link with ingredients that capture the various facets of the ritual. Both as a resinoid and as an oil, the sacred materials are combined to offer a full sensation during the evaporation. The use of the aldehydic element gives wings to the deep notes and Yann Vasnier captures with grace the air, the spirit, the explosion, the light. It is not the beautiful strangeness of CDG, but the ray of light sparkling inside the blend of notes that cannot fly because they are too heavy. One should notice that resins, despite their spiritual connotation, are deeply anchored and "material" for the perfumer, they cannot fly in the air unless you give them wings. And that's precisely what Yann Vasnier does in this unusual creation with the sparkling Mystikal.
Spray in the air the recent rose Yann Vasnier did for DelRae and the spirit of Pompeia will appear by magic in the room. Maybe with one drop of Mystikal you will feel the invisible perfume of "Le Spectre de la Rose", the beautiful 1911 ballet with Nijinsky and Karsavina. Some very rare roses have a delicate incense note. It is not magic but the chemistry of life when the most mysterious Science becomes the most mysterious Art - the perfume.
See also Part I - Mystikal De Profundis
Photo: my Pompeia box on my deskDid you enjoy my article? Sign up for updates about new fragrances, reviews of artistic perfumes and exceptional vintage masterpieces. I would be very happy if you would consider joining 1000 Fragrances, throughRSS feed,GoogleFriend connect, Facebook (more personal), or any other way that appeals to you.
Fragrance is the 8th Art - Octavian Coifan - Le Parfum est le 8ème Art
