Potentially record-breaking cool temperatures for July 24th/early 25th were present for the Croatian team, forcing many spectators to equip light sweaters and light jackets. The winds became very light during the time of presentation, pushing the smoke gently towards the bridge, but also eventually to sections of Notre-Dame closest to the bridge. Fortunately, the low humidity prevented further accumulations of smoke from building.
This was a very enjoyable and impressive first-time display devised by the Croatian team and was certainly strong enough to distract us (even myself) from the chilly conditions. After just over a minute of introductions, the display appropriately initiated following a secondary 10-second countdown at the end of the opening.
Overall, the sequences at low- to high-level effects throughout the show were exquisite, and it was nice seeing firing angles enabling good use of the site. The product quality was also high, along with a fair diversity of effects and interesting patterned shells. The fans of flames distributed at low-level added, as expected, a nice dimension to the performance, and many were very enamored with the occasional use of the infamous shell of shells, multi-breaks and, my personal favorite, the shells of salutes. Also particularly memorable was the use of the large calibre shells, which were all powerful enough to produce a distinct thump in the chest. The sequences at low-level (especially with respect to the mines and z-cakes) also were very engaging and worked frequently well with the selected music. As such, synchronization was effectively executed and had been implemented with a great degree of creativity and precision. The soundtrack was enjoyable (some songs more than others), but my absolute favorites were "Chiquitita" and "Gloria".
While the display was very powerful and often exciting, it lacked, at times, the vibrancy of a rich color diversity (as compared to the American and Spanish displays) and would have otherwise been welcomed for certain segments, especially the finale. Thus, there were several segments that withheld the monochromatic approach, albeit this choice was relevant for some sections of the display. Also, I thought that the soundtrack could have benefited from some editing, as most tracks were too enduring before a transition occurred. The occasional narrative pauses, for me, also detracted a little from the display (though added context to its purpose), but more so for the beginning, where the introduction lasted for just over one minute (I counted nearly one minute and seven seconds, although the flame projectors appeared after approximately 34 seconds). This prompted the feeling of an anti-climax, especially since the display had begun following a countdown that was not voiced by Michel Lacroix! My principal negative point with this display, however, was the lack of a strong thematic connection with the utilized music. For some soundtrack, there was perhaps some semblance of adherence generated, but for several others, the connection did not give me that impression of being representative. I would have additionally liked to see nautical shells present to reinforce such a theme. As for the concluding piece, the faux and real finales were rather powerful, but they, notably the actual finale, needed more in the way of endurance and, as mentioned previously, color. Nevertheless, the actual finale was thunderous and filled the sky at all altitudes nicely with gold dust.
Overall, I thought that the display was quite successful for a first-time visit to Montreal and should be strong enough to potentially earn a place on the podium this year, especially because of the show’s high degree of creativity. Nice job, Mirnovek Pirotehnika of Croatia!
Trav.
