Once Upon A Time
Designed by Luis Fuentes Piquer, PyroDigital Firing with 490 16-cue modules and 6884 cues
A perfect July evening, with a capacity audience once again, was the backdrop to this much-anticipated return to Montreal by Vincente Caballer. Last performing in the 20th Edition competition ten years ago, we were promised a a return of the grandiose display style that garnered Caballer the Gold Jupiter in 1993 and the Silver in 2000. Technology has moved on considerably since the 1990s, though, and so the display was up-to-date with more than 5,000 one-shots.
The soundtrack, comprised of pieces from several different Spanish composers in various genres, was largely unknown to the Montreal audience, save for the well know En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor, performed by Placido Domingo. However, I certainly felt the music was both evocative and engaging, lending the feel of a real Spanish fiesta to La Ronde and I sensed the audience felt similarly. The transitions between the pieces were well executed and we had a variety of rhythm and pace, leading to the right build up of intensity, but with periods of intensely serene beauty.
Despite the large numbers of one-shots, the pyrotechnic design of the show was deceptively simple. The display area was well utilized in both breadth and height, some of the shells bursting extremely high in the sky. In fact, one small criticism would be that, occasionally, there was too much space used! Synchronization was good, with some well-executed note-synchronized parts – one that stands out in my mind is when sequences of one-shot stars created a “Mount Fuji” effect, but with perfect synchronization with guitar notes – the flights of the stars giving the impression of strings in the sky! Some sequences of fast-shooting horizontal gerbs also were tightly coupled with the music.
The quality of the fireworks themselves was exceptional. Extremely vivid and flamboyant colours, even the willows and kamuro sections of the display were vivid, never being drowned-out by the background light from the city (and large full moon). The range of effects used was good, though I did find there was some repetition of effects (such as the beautiful strobing horsetails – though in different colours). A friend who’s an amateur painter noted that the colour palette used reflected the music extremely well, with the colours transitioning as the music dictated.
The display was definitely reminiscent of some of the grandiose displays of the 1990s. The sound of large volleys of shells being fired increased the anticipation as one wondered what would appear in the sky! The display itself was almost flawlessly fired, with just a few small errors here and there – a testament to the hard work of the team who had had a very busy setup due to the large number of products used.
After a brilliant finale, with the sky and lake full of vibrant colours and noise, the display came to a thunderous close and the team received an ovation from the audience, cheering as the pyrotechnicians waved from the control room. In any ordinary year this would certainly be in with a strong chance of a Jupiter, but we still have four strong contenders to consider. What a treat this 30th Edition is turning out to be!
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