Le Mondial SAQ 2004
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

Italy Saturday July 3^rd, 2004 Feste Romane

Ipon S.R.L. [Gold Jupiter, 1997] Designed by Benito Pagano, Pyrodigital firing; Show Director choreography; ~160 FM modules, 1588 cues

Founded in 1896 and run by the Pagano family for three generations, Ipon S.R.L. is based in Ottaviano, near Naples, and today ranks among the leading pyrotechnics firms in Italy. Among the awards to its credit: a Gold Jupiter for their first presentation (1997) and a Silver Jupiter (1998) at the Montréal International Fireworks Competition. Their performance at this year's competition, Feste Romane, promises to be a majestic pyromusical celebration in which fountains, comets and candles come together in tribute to the world's best-known Italian city: Rome.

Perfect summer weather finally graced the skies of Montreal for the eagerly anticipated display from the Italians. With more than 95% of the material produced by IPON, there were also some specially created shells just for the competition with some new effects introduced. The large audience made for a carnival atmosphere.

Part 1 to the music Circenses by Ottorino Respighi. The display began with very bright mines with shells of white to strobes above. Then crossed star shots below and more shells of white to strobes above. These were followed by large shell-of-shells of comets and fans of stars below. Next, shells of charcoal comets turning to fireflies and then note synchronized mines followed by shells of charcoal comets turning to fireflies. Barrage after barrage of the charcoal comet to firefly shells were followed by shell-of-shells of the same. The pace decreased with a return to single mines on the notes moving from the left and right in red and very bright blue. Then semicircular fans of very bright blue mines followed by the same pattern in silver glitter. Next, glitter comet shots with comet shells above followed by more comet shots and then shells of red stars and comets. The same theme continued but in shells of blue stars with white comets. Next, sky mines at a medium level with shells of white comets above and white comet fans below and then semicircular fans of bright meteor comets. Above these shells of glitter comets with crackle and salutes as the comet fans continued below with silver comets, meteor headed comets and glitter comets. Next multi-break studata shells in blue tipped willow comets, with barrage after barrage after barrage of these filling the sky. Then shell-of-shells barrages and shells of blue with silver pistils. These were followed by huge shells of blue with silver comets with barrage after barrage, with bright fans of glitter comets below, brining the segment to a close to cheers from the audience.

Part 2 to the music Balletto by Ottorino Respighi. Candles of tourbillons were followed by comet shells and then mines of serpents and mines of stars with more comet shells above. Then shells of silver and farfalle shells with different coloured stars. Next shells with pistils of tourbillons and shells of colours stars turning to white strobes. These were followed by a line of fountains with pairs in Vs and single fountains. Angled comet shots from the left and right fired over the fountains. As the fountains died out, shells of silver and blue with mines of serpents, fans of star mines and shells of very eccentrically spinning tourbillons intermixed with sky mines. These were followed by large shells of blue stars and comets and shells of glitter with tourbillons. Below these, shots of very bright mines and then shells of above in comets with colour changing tips. The segment came to a close with white comet shells and crossed glitter shots below.

Part 3 to the music Steel Magnolia suite by Georges Delerue. Single shots of charcoal comets turning to fireflies were followed by single shots of pink stars and then crossed shots of meteor comets. Small mines on notes one by one, then crossed yellow stars and crossed charcoal comet shots. The music was very serene at this point. Fans of blue mines were followed by shells of blue stars and broccade comets. Then large shells of weeping willow comets, trailing to the lake. The pace increased with barrages of weeping willow comets with strobing pistils, trailing to the lake. Then broccade shells with silver star shots below. The pace increased with barrages of huge pale gold broccade shells as the silver star shots continued. Back to a serene moment with single crossed star shots and single note mines. This serene theme with single shots comets in glitter turning to fireflies and then red meteor comets and then green, the segment coming to a close with bright blue star shots.

Part 4 to the theme music from the film Iron Will by Joel McNeely. Bright flares briefly lit up and were followed by comet shots with shells of glitter comets above. Then shells of colour changing stars with pistils and flash pots below. Angled comets were followed by shell-of-shells above with candles of stars turning to tourbillons at the last moment. Above these shells of stars and tourbillons with multi-break studatas and shell-of-shells above in serpents and stars. Below these, more flash pots and then mines of serpents. Next shells of charcoal comets turning to silver. Barrage after barrage of these weeping willow to silver shells were fired with star shots below. Then more multi-breaks in stars and comets. These were followed by barrages of bright silver kamuro shells with bright mines below, the segment coming to a close with huge shells of silver kamuro and studatas in comets and glitter.

Part 5 to the music Leaving Port by James Horner. Nautic flares lit up in the lake and then bright mines synchronized with the sound of bells in the music. Double ascension gold glittering girandolas rose and fell and rose again to cheers from the audience. The nautic flare then began to strobe as shells of comets turning to strobes fired above and bright mines below. Then shell-of-shells in willow with blue and huge weeping willow shells trailing to the lake. Next, mines one by one with bright shells above and single shot comets and mines below in fans. These were followed by large shells of colour stars and crackle with fans of stars below. Next mines of blue, red and green followed by weeping willow shells above and the same in shell-of-shells and multibreaks. Then big farfalle shells and shells with colour pistils. More huge shell-of-shells in colour with crackle built up the pace and then a return to serene music with single comet shots in charcoal, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 6 to the music The Sword Maker by Jerry Goldsmith. Bright fans of stars with salutes above and then shells of colour changing stars ending in strobes. These were followed by farfalle shells with fans of blue stars below and then more farfalle shells and shells of glitter comets above. Next bright fans of stars and then single shot glitter comets followed by shells of glitter and strobes. These were followed by mines of willow comets turning to silver - the same as had been in shells earlier. These were fired one by one and then in fans. The pace increased with sky mines and shells of serpents and then sky mines and shells of comets. Barrages of multi-breaks in red and shell-of-shells in silver and comets, the segment coming to a close with a very fast sequence of meteor comet shells.

Part 7 to the music The Might of Rome by Hans Zimmer & L. Gerrard. Three bright orange strobes lit up in the centre as fans of crossed glitter comets fired above these. Then silver comets and multibreak shells of comets and colour changing stars. This theme continued and then shells of colour turning to strobes. Next, shells of very bright white stars with salutes below and then bright colours mines below these. Barrages of huge shell-of-shells in silver comets and multi-breaks of glitter and colour were followed by shells of stars with tourbillon pistils and double ring farfalle shells. Massive barrages of huge multibreaks and shell-of-shells in tourbillons glitter colour and comets. The pace continued to increase with more massive barrages of shell-of-shells and multi-breaks in silver comets turning to strobes. Then a long repeating bombardment of bright white stars turning to strobes some in shell-of-shells filling the sky with white stars and strobes. The pace increased further as the bombardment continued and then suddenly the pace dropped and the sky was left filled with white strobes winking out. After the strobes died out, crackling fans in white were followed by silver kamuro shells above. The pace increased again as more and more silver kamuros filled the sky trailing to the lake with meteor comet shots in red below. A more serene moment as a line of flares lit up at the back and then a large silver kamuro. Barrages of white stars turning to strobes were augmented by shell-of-shells in strobes, filling the sky in massive bombardments. A return to serenity with fans of glitter comets and red stars in pairs, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 8 to the music Memphis Belle by George Fenton. A dazzling arc of initially yellow flares in the centre became so bright that people started putting on their sunglasses! As it was about to become unbearable it faded after some white shells were fired above and then a move to shells of willow with colour tips. Below these, crossed glitter shots and then sky filling barrages of huge golden broccade shells. These barrages continued and then were followed by shell-of-shells in silver glitter. Next shells of orange stars turning to salutes with shells of purple above. These were followed by shells of comets and tourbillons with mines of gold and blue below. Next, barrages of multi-break gold rain shells and shell-of-shells of blue creating a very nice effect. Then a return to broccade shell barrages filling the sky and trailing to the lake with shell-of-shells as well. This theme continued with a change to paler gold broccade barrages again filling the sky. The pace slowed with comet shots bringing the segment to a close.

Part 9 to the music I pini della via Appia by Ottorino Respighi. The finale began quite serenely with comets in Vs and fans of comets in silver. Then single shot mines and shells of double concentric rings above in red and gold and shells of crossed rings. The pace began to increase with shells of colour and comets and shells of tourbillons and colour. Mines of serpents with shells of colour and comets above and large farfalle shells and shells of glitter as salutes started to fire with every shell. Then the pace increased further with shells of silver comets, more salutes, more farfalle shells and multi-breaks and shell-of-shells of meteor comets. Things started to increase even further as enormous chest thumping salutes were fired every second and dozens of other salutes in between as more and more silver shells, huge multi-ring farfalles, shells of serpents, glitter and more and more salutes. The audience started to go wild as the pace increased, the chest thumping salutes continued for a full thirty seconds or more as more and more shells, shell-of-shells and salutes were fired. I couldn't write anymore as I was stamping my feet and cheering so loudly and my hands were shaking. The intensity increased still further with enormous volleys of deafening salutes. The sky was filled with silver and salutes as the pace increased even more with a massive barrages of studata lambi shells, then a moments pause after this penultimate barrage and then the sky as ripped apart by a massive barrages of huge salutes as the audience screamed and rose to their feet to give IPON a standing ovation. All I could write during the last minute was WOW in huge letters and a final "crowd go wild". What a finale!

As expected, a fabulous display from IPON with the greatly anticipated pure Italian finale. I later found out that the final minute of the display used just nine cues, with all the shells using 1 second pyro time delays between them, especially the enormous salutes which, I was told, contained around 1kg of composition. The rest of the display was extremely well done with a full range of intensity from sky filling barrages of enormous shell-of-shells to very serene moments with just single stars or comets being fired. Some people I spoke to thought that the serene moments were just a little but too serene. Throughout the display, many beautiful shells, especially the farfalles and different types of broccades and the bright white shells. Synchronization was perfect, though, in the final minute of the finale, it was impossible to hear the music anyway due to all the salutes. The team received an incredible standing ovation with the audience whistling and cheering for what must have been a full five minutes. Fantastico!

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