The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.
Parladé and JP Domecq Novillos Fernando
Rey, José Garrido & José Ruiz Muñoz
Fernando Rey began the novillada with a
bright intervention with the capote. He receveid his first novillo with a
couple of nicely performed veronicas, as after a number of charges the novillo
stayed short, he opted to conclude the capote greeting with some chicuelinas.
An attractive start that was followed by a galleo to the horse by chicuelinas
and a quite by lopecinas. His vibrant performance with the capote showcased
Fernando’s desire to please. The bull reached the muleta with a short charge,
and Fernando was unable to construct a faena. He tried losing steps between
passes in an attempt to link series en redondo, but to no avail. It was a solid
performance with the muleta, but the highlight of this novillo was Rey’s varied
cape work.
Fernando's second novillo was noble
with a repetitive charge. He began the faena with three passes cambiados in the
centre of the ring, a good start that served to capture the audience’s
attention and was concluded with some beautiful low trincherazos. The substance
of the faena revolved around well worked, and nicely linked, series en redondo
with both hands. However, Fernando’s poor timing prevented the faena from
really taking flight. If the series en redondo was clean, it came across too
briskly, but, conversely, when he tried to torear slower, he suffered
enganchones and the odd desarme. Nevertheless, the faena was vibrant and he
deserved the ear that the good kill put into his hand. But novillo had been
worth two ears. Fernando Rey’s desire to please, an indespensible quality for a
novollero, cannot be doubted. If he is determined, there will be time to
perfect his technique.
José Garrido is, by contrast, an excellent technician. His first novillo lacked casta and was problematic. It did not charge, it head butted the muleta. An attractive faena was impossible, but Garrido showed his experience and was a level above the problems posed by the bull.
Happily for Garrido, the fifth novillo had a better charge in the muelta and he was able to showcase his dominance and good toreo. Garrido greeted this novillo in the same way he had done his first, with low, slow and emphatic veronicas. They inspired the respectful “bien” rather than “ole” from the crowd, but they were a statement of intent that this novillo would obey and follow Garrido’s lures. A lively galleo by veronicas continued his decisive intervention with the cape (although these suffered the blemish of a desarme as a conclusion). Muleta in hand, Garrido performed a dominant and substantive faena. The bull charged with commitment, but lacked the desire to promptly repeat its charges. Garrido overcame this by teasing out each charge with good timing. The highlight of the faena were several smooth and well-timed series with the right hand; they were the type of series where one can sense the power of the torero’s muleta in bringing the novillo into his jurisdiction, drawing the pass and concluding it ready for the next derechazo. This novillo lacked the vigour of the fourth one, and soon ran out of gas. Garrido concluded with a somewhat protracted arrimón wherein his dominance was such that the performance lacked emotion. A defective sword denied him an ear, but could not erase the memory of a very notable afternoon.
Garrido has been one of this season’s success stories. I have followed him as much as possible since his excellent performance in Olivenza last March. He has not disappointed, the highlight being his exit by the Puerta del Príncipe in Sevilla. Garrido has another tough assignment on the horizon; six bulls in Bilbao. On today’s evidence he should overcome his obstacle, I wish him all the best.
José Ruiz Muñoz, who is Curro Romero’s great nephew, was the afternoon’s triumphant novillero. He cut two ears from the noble and lively third novillo with a delicious faena underscored by his striking elegant manner and creative remates. José showed his artistic interpretation of toreo with the capote, and continued displaying this virtue with the muleta. Fundamentally the faena was sound, clean and well timed. Ruiz linked his series with both hands in a pleasing manner. However, Ruiz’s unique selling point is his marked aesthtic manner. All his passes seem fresh and committed, and they are all pretty because of his taurine personality and expression. Furthermore, he peppered his faena with typical sevillian remates. This was a faena to be savoured. A sure sword gave him two ears.
With the sixth novillo, Ruiz once again showed his classy concept of toreo, as well as the delightful remates with which he garnished his work. However, the novillo, although noble, lacked vibrancy. The faena therefore lacked any vibrancy. A good estocada ratified his excellent afternoon.
Despite this promising performance, I would like to offer a word of warning. The path to figura (or even the route to just being a torero de ferias) is littered with classy, elegant toreros. It is technique that underpins success. Not all bulls will be as sweet and noble as today’s offereing, he will need to overcome the problems offered by other types of bulls, and impose his toreo on these. If he is able to do so, we will have a striking torero on our hands.
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