For the third consecutive time, Summer-like conditions were the backdrop for a fireworks night this year. Temperatures faithfully remained at 26 C during the evening and late-evening hours in Montreal’s metropolitan area, along with partly cloudy skies (mid- to high-level clouds), building high humidity, and light winds. However, as noted by Fred, the winds were a little too light, especially to compensate for the forecasted high humidity that developed during the evening, and, as mentioned by Robert Fendrich, periods of smoke accumulation occurred at low-levels, in particular. Fortunately, the smoke was generally pushing fast enough towards the North for suitable viewing.
The renowned Vincente Caballer certainly did not disappoint with their (traditional) display, entitled “Once Upon A Time”. For a decade, I patiently waited for this Spanish team to return (I still cannot believe 10 years have elapsed), and, as such, my expectations were naturally quite high. Also, given the information that Paul kindly brought to us, this promised to be a massive display, and vividly remembering many of the details from their 2004 participation (including the unfortunate technical problems discussed), during the 20th edition, I was most eager to see how the 2014 performance would turn out. Most assuredly, we were treated with a true Spanish fiesta that featured fabulous choreographed segments and effective transitions in rhythm and pace that evoked the correct emotional atmosphere. As Enkil mentioned above, the display only became better as it progressed. Indeed, the effects became quickly diverse, and the high quality of the products was soon apparent and complemented most sections rather nicely and serenely. Many of the effects were additionally quite memorable when representing the soundtrack utilized for this display. The nautical shells, for example, although much less in number compared to what was seen with the Italian team, were stunning, and I enjoyed the series of flare arrangements that were used at low-level. Later in the display, including 23 minutes into it, we also experienced some shells that emitted a noise that resemble the sound of extreme tire friction (just at a much lower pitch) when a vehicle suddenly comes to a halt upon immediately pressing the brakes after going at a fast enough speed. The series of photoflashes were, as always, thoroughly admired, as were the double-ascension glittering girandolas, clusters of weeping willow shells, shells of crackling pistils, mines of salutes, and the variety of screaming serpents. Of all the sections, the penultimate part of the display (called “La Salinas”) exhibited the most exemplary synchronization/complexity and was, in my opinion, the most creative – the firing angles and sequences used were just so intriguing at low-level and along the lake and were a little reminiscent of parts of Italy 2013’s “Jailhouse Rock”.
In terms of structure, the large vertical depth and width of the show were often apparent, as much of the space from top to bottom and left to right was effectively used while sustaining good symmetry. Most of the songs were also creatively represented. As a result, the general design of the show was excellent and, as I mentioned before, had a definite 90s appearance to it (which nearly brought tears of joy to my eyes when remembering how displays used to be done during the course of the infamous 1990s!), largely due to the size of the display, as well as the nature of its more vigorous moments (to some extent, the launching sounds, too, as heard in the video compilation that I made). The colors, like the effects, were also very rich and diversified, and the traditional Spanish colors were sometimes used in a mixture.
My criticisms are generally minor and mostly pertain to the technical design. Whereas Italy had a more obvious thematic connection (though it was mostly sensed through the soundtrack), I could not quite establish the relevance of the Spanish display’s. As such, as much as I enjoyed most of the soundtrack, even though it was not familiar, it was difficult to comprehend how it related to the selected music. Apart from the theme, I felt that there were some somewhat monotonous firing patterns during a few sections early in the display, and I found the horsetails/falling leaves a little too common. This occasionally gave the impression of a more simplistic design. For the opening, I was, again, also left with the feeling of an anti-climax following Michel Lacroix’s countdown, where nearly a minute of narration opened the display. Finally, as mentioned above, the finale was exquisite, but it just did not have the longevity and crescendo that I was previously envisioning, especially after recalling their 2004 version. Still, the finale had a striking structural resemblance to that of 2004, which did put a smile on my face.
Overall, this was a fabulous display that was extensively enjoyed by the (large) audience and certainly is in contention for a Jupiter award this year. Despite a weak thematic premise, I thought the display was very successful in its delivery. As always, I hope to see Vincente Caballer of Spain return to our competition in the near future!
Trav.
