Le Bolshoi Saison 2012 La Traviata

Le Bolshoi Saison 2012 La Traviata was launched in 2012 as a limited edition to commemorate the premiere of the Bolshoi Theatre’s 237th season in Moscow, featuring Giuseppe Verdi’s celebrated opera La Traviata. Guerlain chose this name to honor the enduring partnership between the historic perfume house and the Bolshoi Theatre, as well as to celebrate Guerlain’s role in supporting the theater’s restoration. The name itself is French and Italian, pronounced as “Le Bol-shwah Say-zon Deux Mille Douze La Trah-vee-ah-tah.” It evokes images of grand velvet curtains, glittering chandeliers, and the elegance and drama of a world-class opera. The fragrance conjures the excitement of a premiere night—the anticipation, the refined glamour, and the delicate balance between art and passion.

Launched in the early 2010s, a period marked by luxury perfumeries exploring heritage, storytelling, and limited editions, Le Bolshoi Saison 2012 La Traviata reflects Guerlain’s commitment to combining artistry with history. Women of the period, particularly those familiar with travel retail exclusives or high-end perfumery, would have related to this fragrance as a collectible statement of sophistication and cultural refinement. The name suggests theatricality and romance, an interpretation mirrored in the scent itself: floral notes evoking opulent bouquets laid at the feet of the performers, woody nuances reminiscent of polished stage floors, and musky warmth conjuring the intimacy of a private box in the theater.

Created by Jean-Paul Guerlain, the perfume is classified as a floral woody musk fragrance for women. As a recreation of Les Secrets de Sophie (2009), it situates itself in the tradition of Guerlain’s signature elegance while interpreting contemporary trends in perfumery—balancing classic composition with accessibility and modern sensibilities. Among other market offerings at the time, it stood out due to its cultural narrative, limited availability, and the prestige associated with the Bolshoi collaboration, making it both a collector’s item and a wearable homage to one of the world’s most iconic operatic institutions.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Le Bolshoi Saison 2012 La Traviata is classified as a floral woody musk fragrance for women. 

• Top notes:  bergamot, petitgrain, bitter orange and neroli
• Middle notes: jasmine, violet, ylang-ylang and orange blossom
• Base notes: vanilla, tonka bean, incense and white musk

Scent Profile:

Le Bolshoi Saison 2012 La Traviata opens with a radiant citrus symphony that immediately lifts the senses. The bergamot, sourced from Calabria in southern Italy, is bright and sparkling, its natural limonene contributing a crisp, slightly bitter freshness that awakens the skin. Layered alongside is the bitter orange, whose essential oil from Spain brings a deeper, slightly more resinous facet, enriched with natural linalool and myrcene, which add a soft floral undertone to the vibrant opening. Petitgrain from the leaves and twigs of the bitter orange tree introduces a green, slightly woody brightness, while neroli—delicately harvested from Tunisian blossoms—adds a subtle honeyed, floral sweetness, giving the top notes a luminous and effervescent quality. Together, these notes evoke a crisp spring morning in a Mediterranean orchard, simultaneously refreshing and elegant.

At the heart, the composition unfolds into a floral bouquet of remarkable depth. Jasmine, likely from the highly prized Grasse region in France, exudes its velvety, indolic richness, with natural jasmone contributing warmth and sensuality. Violet petals lend a soft powdery nuance, their ionone molecules enhancing the airy, romantic character of the heart. Orange blossom reinforces the sweet, creamy facets of the fragrance, bridging the citrus top notes to the floral core. Ylang-ylang, sourced from the Comoros or Madagascar, provides a tropical richness, with its high concentration of linalool and benzyl acetate offering both floral opulence and a slightly exotic creaminess. These middle notes harmonize to evoke the grandeur of a theater box filled with fresh bouquets awaiting the opening curtain—a tribute to the elegance and drama of Verdi’s La Traviata.

The base notes ground the perfume with warmth and longevity. Musk, whether natural or enhanced with synthetic substitutes, adds a soft, animalic warmth that caresses the skin, enhancing the floral heart without overpowering it. Tonka bean, likely from Venezuela or Brazil, imparts a sweet, slightly spicy vanilla-like aroma thanks to its natural coumarin content, blending beautifully with the warm, creamy Bourbon vanilla to create a gourmand, comforting trail. Sandalwood and incense bring a smoky, resinous depth, with sandalwood from Mysore prized for its smooth, creamy, and long-lasting santalol-rich aroma, while the incense adds a subtle, spiritual lift reminiscent of candlelit opera halls. Together, these base notes anchor the composition, leaving a lingering sillage that is simultaneously elegant, intimate, and theatrical—an olfactory homage to the historic grandeur of the Bolshoi Theatre.

In its entirety, Le Bolshoi Saison 2012 La Traviata is a sophisticated interplay of citrus brightness, opulent florals, and warm, resinous woods and musks. The natural ingredients provide richness and authenticity, while synthetics subtly enhance radiance, longevity, and the clarity of each note, making this fragrance both modern in performance and timeless in its evocative storytelling.

Bottle:

Le Bolshoi Saison 2012 La Traviata by Guerlain was available in 60ml versions of Eau De Parfum concentration exclusively in Moscow from September 2012. A limited number of 655 pieces was available with a price of 685 USD. There was also a limited number available for sale at the Champs-Élysées boutique.