Le Mondial SAQ 2004
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

Spain Saturday June 19^th, 2004 Lights for Peace

Pirotécnia Igual [Gold Jupiter, 1988 and 2001] designed by Albert Rovira-Bertran; manual electrical firing and FireOne sequencing, ScriptMaker choreography.

In memory of Mr. Mario Igual Baseda, founder of Pirotecnia Igual, who passed away in March 2004. Product of a century-old family tradition, Pirotécnia Igual will be competing at the Montréal International Fireworks Competition for the ninth time. Over the years, this Spanish firm has garnered close to 40 international awards. This year, it will be presenting "Lights for Peace", a grandiose pyromusical celebration of peace, with spectacular starbursts illuminating the Montréal skyline.

Gusty winds and cool temperature were the order of the day after a week of warm weather. As display time approached, the temperature dropped as much as the wind but we had brilliant Spanish fireworks to warm our hearts as the competition proper began after a moving speach for peace by the Spanish Consul General in Montreal. Eagerly anticipated by aficinados of all things pyrotechnical from the Iberian peninsula, Spains absence for three years was brought to an end by a fantastic display from the team from Barcelona. Fired with a mix of traditional manual electrical firing, and computer sequencing of the appropriate parts of the display, they demonstrated their mastery of the art of pyrotechnics.

Part 1 to the music The Grenadiers Drums by R Chapi. The display opened serenely with mines of strobes. Then shells of comets with crackling pistils above. Next, mines in triple clusters in the centre with shells of rings of comets with crackling pistils above and large shells of crackle. Then mines in alternating colours, green, red and then very bright stars. These were followed by shells of green go-getters above with mines in orange below. Next, a flight of silver girandolas which rose hight into the air. These were followed by a flight of bright gold glitter double-ascension girandolas followed by shells of red go-getters as the crowd cheered. Next, mines below and shells of comets with crackling pistils above. Then barrages of shells of red with blue pistils and shells of comets ending in strobes. Barrages of colour shells were followed by shells of bright dahlia comets, some with rings around as meteor-headed comet candles fired below. Then shells of rings with colour pistils followed by salutes at a lower level with large shells of comets and crackling pistils above. The pace increased as the segment came to an end with huge shells above and fronts of mines below.

Part 2 to the music Spanish and Catalan Fantasy (Mix). This segment opened with bright meteor-headed bombette candles and barrages of salutes. Then candles of serpent comets with shells of contrasting colour comets above. This theme continued and then shells of crackling comets followed by shells of electric comets (the comets look like branching electrical sparks). After these, shells of gold glitter turning to gold strobes. These increased in size and number and were augmented by mines of the same in triple clusters below as the shells got larger and larger. Then bright mines with shells of comets ending in crackle above. These were followed by colour changing shells ending in crackle as more serpent comet candles fired below. Really nice shaped shells of butterflies with rings fired and were followed by huge shells of brilliant silver crossette comets, filling the sky. The music changed character as bright mines fired below with shells of crackling comets above. This theme continued and then more shells of the electric comets as the music changed character again a return to the shells of comets with crackling pistils. These were followed by huge bright colour shells and shells of stars and comets, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 3 to the music Diamonds are Forever performed by Shirley Bassey. A line of set pieces in the shape of diamonds lit up and twinkled white in very bright strobing lances which lasted for the duration of the segment. After these, shells of comets turning to strobes with meteor comet candles below and mines of strobes. Then go-getter shells above as the meteor comet candles continued below. Next, shaped-burst shells in the form of six pointed stars surrounded by a ring and then fabulous shells forming six pointed stars with each point in different colours. These were followed by a return to the mines with shells of silver crossette comets above. This theme continued and then was followed by shells of shells of silver crackling comets and huge shells of rings of comets. Next, fafalle shells (rings of tourbillons with colour pistils> and shells of rings of comets with colour pistils. Nautical fountains then lit up in the lake as mines of strobes fired and shells of electric crossette comets turning to strobes above. This theme continued, the segment coming to an end with huge shells of silver comets.

Part 4 to the music Crimson Time soundtrack by H. Zimmer. A serene start with pastel-headed charcoal comet candles firing up and to the right. These were augmented with the same comets in weeping willow shells above, with barrage after barrage of these. Then glitter mines and mines of serpent comets. These were followed by shells of tourbillons and farfalle shells, with bombettes below. Next, crossed glitter candles and candles of violet stars. As these continued, huge rockets flew high into the air and burst gently into gold firedust and violet stars forming a fabulous tableaux in the sky. Then shells of broccade introduced different gold glittering effects. These were then followed by shells of meteor comets with steeply angled bright orange candles firing left and right below. This theme continued and then shells of bright orange and white lit up the sky as crossed meteor headed comet candles fired below. These were followed by pink shells and then shells of silver comets with contrasting pistils, barrages of these bringing this segment to a close and leading into

Part 5 to the music The Rock soundtrack by H. Gregson-Williams. Large shells ending in crackle were followed by shells of crossette comets with bombettes below in orange and violet. Then huge mines in orange and then yellow with shells of rings of comets above and salute barrages below. This theme continued with the segment coming to an end with huge shells of comets and pistils and ending with large silver kamuros.

Part 6 to the music Elsewhere by Vangelis. A line of set pieces in the shape of chevrons, several to the left and several to the right forming a pattern like < < < < > > > > lit up in brilliant white strobe lances. Above these, multiple volleys of silver falling leaf shells. Then shaped-burst shells in the form of spirals. These were followed by shells of stars and starfish comets and then a return to the spiral shells and then more falling leaves. Next shells of silver comet wiggly go-getters as nautic strobes lit up and the lake and then shells of strange moving wiggly tourbillons zig-zagged across the sky. Below these, tourbillon candles and shells of silver comets above, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 7 to the music Ben Hur (mix) by M. Rozsa. Shells of go-getters were fired as a line of gold wheels started to turn below. Then more go-getter shells. These were followed by nautical fountains in the lake and a line of triple fountains behind on the floating ramp. Above these, shells of niagara falls comets trailed in the sky and were followed by shells of falling leaves. Next, shells of colour changing stars with pistils and then, in perfect harmony with the music, shells of strangly wiggling tourbillons coinciding perfectly with glissando runs on the clarinet in the soundtrack! These were followed by barrages of strobe shells and then fast mine and comet fans in chase sequences in perfect synchronization to the music. Angled mine shots on the notes with comets to the left and right worked perfectly with the music. These were followed by shells of crackle with mines of blue and crackle below. Next, shells of gold glitter turning to strobes and then a fabulous repeating sequence of crackling crossette comet shelsl and shelsl of electric comets. Below these, barrages of salutes and then barrages of colour shells above, getting larger and larger. Next shells of charcoal comets followed by shells of spiral patterns and then the pace increased with huge saturn shells and then a return to charcoal comets with pastel-headed tips. These increased in size and number, filling the sky with enormous bursts bringing the segment to a close to cheers from the audience.

Part 8 to the music Nutcracker suite (mix) by Tchaikovsky. This fabulously choregraphed segment was done almost entirely in mines and comets, the synchronization and attention to the music making it especially memorable. As the music started out gently, single V-shaped comet shots strated in the centre. Notes were emphasized with mines at the left and right, moving with the music. Then angled comet shots to the left and right followed by comet shots in V patterns. First a single V, then increasing to two, three, four and five. Similar treatment was done with mines of clusters of stars. The character of the music was perfectly matched by a change to comets of fireflies, using the same sorts of sequences. Then in mines. As the music demanded, chase sequences in comets moving left and right. Then mines in alternating contrasting colours, moving faster and faster in perfect harmony with the music. As the music became faster, the mines became brighter and the sequences moved faster with brilliant colours. Then mines of serpents and, as the music moved towards the climax of the piece, shells fired abouve in colours and comets, with mine sequences below ending in fronts of mines with huge shells above. Absolutely fantastic throughout!

Part 9 to the music Firebird suite (mix) by I. Stravinsky. This began with crossed comet candles with shells of thick comets above. Then shells of tourbillons and shells of comets with colour pistils. These were followed by fans of glittering comet shots, sequenced perfectly to the music. Above these, large shells of comets with pistils and then mines below. Next, hughe shells of silver with crackling comets. Barrages of these were augment by mines below and then shells of stars with starfish comets. These were replaced by shells of crackling comets as the music moved to:

Part 10 to the music Schéhérazade (mix) by Rimsky-Korsakov. Shells of firefly comets were fired and these continued and were replaced by large charcoal comet shells and then shells of rings of stars surrounding comets. Next, fans of charcoal comet candles with shells of the same above and then barrages of weeping willow shells in charcoal comets, the size increasing and ending with huge shells of comets ending in strobes.

Part 11 to the music Mythodea by Vangelis. This finale section began at a fast pace with huge shells of stars with contrasting pistils and then shells of crackle and fans of crackling comets below. Above these, crackling silver comet shells, meteor-headed candles at a low level, bombettes at a higher level. The pace increased beyond my ability to take notes as barrages of salutes thundered in among the huge barrages of bright yellow shells, nautical shells in the lake, becoming more and more dramatic as the audience roared in delight. I lost ability to write anything else except a large "WOW" in my notes as shell barrages filled the sky and fronts of mines fired below. Just the sort of classic finale everyone was expecting!

Part 12 to the music Imagine by John Lennon. A post-finale tribute to the main theme of the display, peace. Double concentric hearts in red broke softly in the sky above shells of broccade and candles below. The broccade shells increased in size and number as more and more double concentric hearts in violet and pink burst above. This theme continued with larger and larger barrages of broccade shells, filling the sky and the lake also with nautical shells, bringing the display to almost the end as the crowd cheered and the music stopped. Then, the final apotheosis as flights of huge salutes thundered into the sky bringing final cheers from the audience.

The audience gave the team a standing ovation after this fabulous debut to the competition proper. Beautifully designed and choregraphed throughout, this was just the sort of opener everyone was eagerly anticpating. Showing true artistic skill in the choice of colours and effects, the display was a joy to behold. Particularly effective were simple things like using white strobing lances to trace out the shapes of diamonds in the "Diamonds are Forever" section. However, for me, the highlight of the entire programme was the wonderfully sequenced Nutcrack Suite section using mainly comets and mines. Very simple in many ways, but very effective and showing terrific restraint and attention to detail throughout. In a normal year, I would end by saying "must be in contention for a Jupiter", but, of course, all the competitors are prior Gold Jupiter winners. And boy, does it show! I'm glad I'm not a judge this year. Viva España was the chant as the team came into the press room after the display. I, for one, cannot argue with that sentiment! One final comment, the order of the music in the press release was incorrect so one or two above may have the wrong headings. Pieces that were easy to recognize are correct though.

Thanks to the public relations people of La Ronde for the official press release material, shown in white.