Le Mondial SAQ 2003
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

Italy Melody of Fire July 5^th, 2003

Parente Fireworks. Designed by Claudio Parente, wireless digital firing with Firemaster Plus

This year, Italy is brilliantly represented by Parente Fireworks, internationally acclaimed masters of fireworks and heir to a family tradition that spans close to a century. For its first presentation at Le Mondial SAQ, Parente Fireworks presents Melody of Fire, a flamboyany yet refined pyromusical show that will set the Lac des Dauphins and Montréal's skyline ablaze. A colourful symphony of posies, butterflies, comets and fountains will descend in a series of breath-taking crescendos, all of which will be in sync with an extravagent musical program starring Pink Floyd, Andrea Bocelli, Céline Dion, Handel, Pavarotti and Orff.

Once again, perfect summer weather was the backdrop to this debut display from the famous Italian firm of Parente, which is now one of the largest exporters of fireworks in Italy with manufacturing facilities on Italy and China. Around 50% of the material used in the display was sourced from Parente's Chinese factories and 20% of the material was specially created for their competition entry. They used their well regarded wireless digital firing system for the show. an interview with Claudio Parente from the public relations people at La Ronde.

Part 1 to the music Another brick in the wall by Pink Floyd. The display began with nautical strobes on the lake and a single comet shot. After the strobes had burned for a while, mines in 180° fans in note synchronized red white and blue shots. Then shells of silver dahlia comets with titanium salutes. These were followed by multi-break shell-of-shells of silver comets. Below these a single V of magnesium comets, then three overlapping Vs, increasing until the whole front was in Vs of overlapping dazzling white magnesium comets. Above these, shells of pale colour stars ending in crackle, and mines of crackle below. This continued and then mines of blue stars ending in salutes with shells of colour stars and crackle above. This theme continued with the segment coming to a close with shells of colour stars and crackle above and mines of crackle below.

Part 2 to the music Wish you were here by Pink Floyd. A more serene beginning with shells of falling leaf stars and fronts of meteor headed comet candles below. Then crossed blue star candles and shells of crackling ball stars followed by a return to all blue candles. These were augmented by mines of blue stars and large shells above with blue stars and silver starfish comets. This theme continued with the large blue and silver starfish comet shells and more blue mines. These were followed by shells of silver go-getter comets and more shells of blue stars and silver starfish comets. Next bow-tie shells of comets and rings, saturn shells and other shells with comet rings and star pistils. These continued, then with shells of shuttle (crossing) stars and huge shells of crossette ball stars, these theme continuing to the end of the segment.

Part 3 to the music Mission by OST. This segment began with a large number of dazzling yellow magnesium nautical flares in the lake. Then the most incredible nautical shells: comets were launched almost vertically into the air, these broke into multiple smaller comets and then after a tiny delay, these turned into red flares which fell into the lake, covering it with dancing red flares all the way to the edge. The audienced gasped in amazement as multiple volleys of these were fired; I discovered later these are called "tapieta" which loosely translates as carpet. Truly the most incredible effect. After this, a long waterfall set piece lit up, starting out bright yellow and then trailing white sparks. This continued to burn for quite a while and then dazzling white silver comets flew up from the centre, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 4 to the music The Prayer by Andrea Bocelli &s; Céline Dion. A line of fifteen white fountains lit up across the lake front and then a mine sequenced of angled charcoal glitter mines travelled left to right, right to left, criss-crossing as the sequence moved, sometimes from the left, the right or in both directions at once. This sequence continued for a while and then shells of red falling leaves with shells of crackling ball stars above. Mines of crossette stars and then a left to right sequence of silver candles with pattern shells above of five pointed stars surrounded by a ring. Next, gold glitter comet candle fans with candles of blue stars. These continued and then gold kamuro shells above, the glittery comets ending in crackling strobes. These kamuro shells continued with more and more, filling the sky. Then the same but in bright silver kamuros with silver comet nautical shells in the lake below. This continued until the end of the segment with huge silver kamuros trailing all the way to the lake to cheers from the audience.

Part 5 to the music Hungarian Song by Brahms. A line of tourbillon candles were followed by bright mines and then mines of red falling leaves. As the music picked up pace, faster and brighter effects and then an immediate slowing to serene falling leaf effects perfectly reflecting the music. Then a sequence of magnesium comets staring at the left and right and moving from both side to the centre, giving the effect of an inverted arch. Again the pace picked up and so the mines and comets picked up and then back to falling leaves as the music became more serene again. The segment coming to a close with a front of mines.

Part 6 to the music Music from the Royal Fireworks by Handel. This entire segment consisted of fountains of different types. It started out with fifteen posts with two X shaped pieces on each, so eight fountains per post. These started out as gold sparks, then they all turned silver, then all to glitter and then finally to silver. This was all done in one four-effect changing tube, not four tubes of different composition and the transitions between effects were simultaneous across all fifteen posts of eight devices. After this a line of fifteen bright titanium fountains with a very high spray, continuing until the end of the segment.

Part 7 to the music Waltz N^o 2 by Shostokovich. Candles of crackling glitter bombettes opened up in fans. These continued and were followed by the same in gold glitter comets. Then three sets of 180° mines perfectly note-synchronized. These were followed by bright star candles and then fans of stars again on the notes. Next, bombettes of gold glitter to silver strobes with bright mine fans. As the bombettes continued, shells to crackling ball stars and mines of whistling comets below. These were followed by a line of fifteen glitter wheels which then turned silver and one unfortunately stopped turning at that point. These followed by candles of blue stars bursting to bombettes of electric comets with shells of bombette comets above, this theme continuing bringing the segment to a close.

Part 8 to the music Adiemus by The Journey. Purple star candles began at the left (and a group of out of place pink star candles in the middle for a while). Then, as the purple candles continued at the left, blue candles to the right of these; these two sets continued and turquoise and then green candles were added to the right; all of these continued as yellow candles were added, then orange, then red and finally pink until the whole front was filled with a rainbow of star candles from left to right. This continued and then the segment came to a close with fronts of dazzling mines in the same rainbow colours - this whole sequence being a Parente signature item.

Part 9 to the music Nessun Dorma by Pavaroti. Mines of orange stars in the centre and the same in shells above were the opening theme to this segment. This continued and then large shells of crossette stars. These were followed by shells of pink stars, then shells of blue and then green. After these, mines and candles of bombettes in gold kamuro. These continued with gold kamuro shells above and nautical shells of gold kamuro comets. This theme continued with more and more and larger and larger kamuros shells as well as more nautical kamuros. As the sky and lake became filled with gold kamuros, the audience cheered as the final huge kamuros trailed all the way to the lake with the sky filled.

Part 10 to the music Victory by Bond. Multi-break shell-of-shells in red then in crackling stars and then in blue were followed with barrages of salutes. Then shells of silver go-getter comets and the same in pastel comets. These were followed by shells of blue stars with silver dahlia comets with candles of silver go-getter comets below. This theme continued with tourbillon candles below and then shells of silver comets above. These were followed by shells of of crackling comets and then huge shells of bright colour stars. Below these, mine fronts of silver go-getter comets and then fronts of mines red silver and green, forming the impression of the Italian flag. Next shells of rings of tourbillons and stars (farfalle) above with mines of tourbillons below, the segment coming to a close with a huge front of 180° fans of mines.

Part 11 to the music Mythodea by Vangelis. This began with shells of charcoal comets and the same in candles or mines below. Then shells of silver shells followed by a repeating sequence of shells of large tourbillons and then fronts of whistling comet candles. These were followed by very large shells of silver strobes and then shells of bright stars and very large titanium salutes. This intense segment continued with huge shells and more massive titanium salutes and then alternating green and white star shells followed by shells of silver crossette comets, this faux finale segment coming to a close with huge shells and mines, though my notes are hard to read at this point!

Part 12 to the music Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. Enormous multi-break shell-of-shells in stars, then comets, then stars opened this promised Italian finale. Then repeating sequences of stutata multi-break sequenced shells in blue; then the same thing in gold glitter; then in purple, then multi-break shell-of-shells of silver comets. A huge front of glitter mines and then the pace began to increased beyond any possibility of taking notes. Massive shells of bright colour stars with pistils were mixed in with barrages of salutes; then huge numbers of nautical shells started to fire as the pace of the shell barrages above increased and increased with massive dazzling shells, all the while with barrages of salutes going off. As the pace increased still further, flight after flight of salute candles with huge multi-break shell-of-shells above and yet more nautical shells. The whole incredible finale coming to a close with a thunderous volley of huge titanium salutes, to roars of appreciation from the packed crowd.

This was an excellent display which made great use of the lake. The fantastic nautical shells launched almost vertically as comets, then bursting into red flares and diving into the lake were fabulous. The fans of stars and mines forming three sets of 180° were used again and again, also fan cakes of fast sequenced stars which were lost in my notes somewhere. The many different multi-break shells from shell-of-shells to studato sequences were terrific and, of course, the rainbow colour sequences are a Parente trademark. There was a good variety of rhythm and pace and the synchronization was flawless throughout. And, of course, the incredible Italian finale where all I could read in my notes was WOW! in big letters. As a debut display, simply amazing and must be a contender for a Jupiter this year and they received a terrific reception in the Salon des Artificiers after the show was over.

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