The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.
El Freixo novillos for Posada de Maravillas, Ginés Marín, Pablo Aguado & Juan Carlos Carballo (corrida matinal). Aguado and Carballo were making their debut with pics.
Posada de Maravillas returned to rings following a lengthy absence as a result of the serious hand injury he suffered in Pamplona last summer. The young novillero was visibly nervous before the paseillo and conscious of the importance of the morning, not just because it marked his return from injury but also, because of its importance in the wider context of his career. It has been two years since he burst on to the scene with a spectacular triumph in Olivenza and he needed to build some momentum for his alternative, which should be forthcoming.
Thankfully Posada celebrated his return with a triumph, cutting two ears from his first novillo: a compliant, noble animal with sufficient mobility to allow for toreo en redondo. Posada is an elegant torero, and elegant toreo is always welcome. However, the highlight of this faena was his desire to take the novillo long through the pass, guiding it around his body and keeping his hand low. Allied to this was his technically sound toreo fundamental that allowed him to link the series to perfection and time the passes to a tee. Following his spectacular first season, I was disconcerted by some of Posada’s performances last year, before he got injured. However, I am happy to report that this morning, he looked as good as ever, combining sound toreo with artistic touches. The full estocada confirmed his two ear triumph.
Ginés Marín was again on the card, looking to repeat Friday’s triumph. His saludo capotero was dramatic: Marín welcomed the novillo with a farol de rodillas, and sought to stay on his knees to torear. His desire to please overtook technical considerations and before he was able to execute the next pass the bull was on top of him, launching him to the boards with one shake of the head. Mercifully the bull did not pursue Marín and we had nothing more to lament than a serious fright. Once on his feet Marín executed some beautifully timed veronicas, capped with a wonderful low media. Marín remained engaged with the capote throughout the lidia and regaled us with a galleo by chicuelinas to take the novillo to the picador and some saltilleras as a quite – the variety was refreshing, but the intervention with the capote failed to connect with the crowd.
By the tercio de muleta the bull displayed the piquancy of casta, a most welcome addition that had been conspicuous by its absence in the previous novillada. The doblones with which Marín took the novillo to the centre of the ring was the perfect recipe to templar the bull’s vibrant charge, the test passes were emotive and dominant, concluded with an aesthetically pleasing vertical remate. The bull charged long and committed on the right side, and Ginés was able to channel this into good series of derechazos marked by good timing and long passes. Given the novillo was more reticent to charge on its left horn, the faena lost some impetus when Marín opted to torear al natural. Back on the right side the faena gained greater emotional intensity as Maín slowly worked his way closer to the bull culminating in a controlled arrimón. The manoletinas to finish the faena were acceptable but unnecessary. Ginés is an effective cannon with the sword and claimed his third full estocada of the feria. The crowd enthusiastically petitioned for a second ear, which was granted, but one ear would have been a sufficient reward.
Pablo Aguado greeted his first novillo in the centre of the ring with three tight faroles on his knees, although exciting, they were, technically not the ideal start and ended with a near tossing – I am willing to forgive this technical short coming in a novillero, toreo should be emotive and not merely academic, especially at this level. The bull retained the edge of casta that it displayed in the recibo capotero for the muleta, making its charge difficult to temper, but emotive. Aguado channelled this casta through early test passes and a low hand during toreo fundamental allowing him to sculpt some beautifully timed passes with either hand. However, the novillo’s charge was too uneven and all too often lacked commitment. It was evident that the animal’s initial nerve was founded in mansedumbre rather than bravura. The faena was therefore incomplete, but Aguado showed valour and good technique to overcome a couple of tossings and the problems offered by the novillo. As the faena faded, there was still time for Aguado to execute two stunning passes a pies juntos, one a natural, the other a chest pass with the right hand. An excellent sign off to an intriguing faena that was met with an ovation from the crowd and a minor petition that was rightly ignored by the president. There did not seem to be enough handkerchiefs and the faena, although technically sound and sprinkled with attractive toreo, was not quite deserving of an ear.
Juan Carlos Carballo was the mornings other debutant, his first novillo’s principal failing was its weakness and its resulting short and reticent charge. Carballo was confidently assertive and managed to extract one very good series of long naturales, the first three of the series were exceptional as the novillo’s momentum took it long through the pass, however as the animal lost this impetus, its lack of strength was evident and Caraballo could only manage short passes to finish the series. Juan Carlos continued the faena with incomplete series, which combined some good passes with some enganchones. Despite these lacunae, Carballo was careful to structure his performance to a crescendo with a closely worked arrimón during which he let the novillos horns brush his thighs – it may not be pure toreo, but it certainly ignites the crowd. Juan Carlos finished his faena with peculiar manoletinas, executed without the sword supporting the muleta’s cloth, followed by a desplante on his knees. He claimed a full estocada and was awarded two ears where maybe one would have been sufficient.
The six ears that had been cut by the half way point were somewhat excessive, but this should not obscure that this had been an entertaining morning thus far (as the reader will have noted, there was a great deal to write about). I am not one to quibble over excessive orejas, but it is incumbent on the aficionado to assess and calibrate the faenas regardless of their ultimate prize. In that spirit, I would want to highlight Posada de Maravillas’wonderful faena once again; the only one, thus far, truly deserving of the double prize. Some credit should also be given to El Freixo’s novillos, without being a fountain of casta and bravura, they had enough raw qualities for the novilleros to perform interesting and enjoyable toreo. The positive behaviour of the novillos would continue into the second half of the corrida and allow for more pleasing toreo; my major objection with the animals was their poor presentation.
Posada’s second novillo showed great mobility and desire to follow the lures. Such a charge needed a strong and imposing muleta to temper its strong nature, but Posada was not able to dominate on a consistent basis and the faena never took form. On the few occasions where Posada gave the novillo a low muleta, long passes and readjusted his footing as necessary between each pass he performed pleasing toreo. Ultimately, however, this was a disappointing faena, more so given the excellent impression Posadahad caused with his first toro, but an understandable result given that he is still a young novillero recovering from a serious injury. The key is to learn from this type of novillo and mature as a torero.
Ginés Marín met the sixth novillo with an excellent series of veronicas, the charge was long and true, and Marín gave long and very low veronicas, he was entirely dominant and relaxed – this was a young man entirely in control. The series of veronicas executed as the quite was just as emphatic, exceedingly low capotazos given with rhythm and during which the whole body was accompanying the charge. It was truly beautiful cape work. The start of the faena was toreo to savour, low genuflected test passes concluded with a majestic cambio de mano, which all had the stamp of assuredness that Marín gives to his toreo. The toreo with the left and right hand was equally assured and imposing. Marín’s derechazos were long and the naturales silky, the bull passing very close to the torero on each occasion. It is a pity that the bull, lacked an edge of commitment to give Marín’s toreo an extra level of importance. Refreshingly, Ginés concluded with two series of parsimonious and pure naturales and some genuflected passes, rather than the oft-abused arrimón. A half sword recibiendo concluded the faena and led to Marín’s third ear of the morning. However, above any prize, the principal conclusion of Ginés’ performance is the mastery that characterises each facet of his toreo. He is a novillero that is beyond his years.
As the seventh bull entered into the arena, its novillero, Pablo Aguado, was the only one that had not yet secured the puerta grande. Happily, he soon put this right with an excellent faena founded upon elegantly executed toreo en redondo. The El Freixo novillo certainly contributed to the tiumph, it had a long, classy and repetitive charge, especially on the right had side. A novillo like this can, of course, be a double edge sword, while it serves up the possibility of a triumph, if a novillero is unable to rise to its level it can be a worrying sign for their ultimate prospects. The faena began with a delicate series of passes naturales and cambiados to take the bull into the medios, concluded with an emphatically beautiful cambio de mano. Delicate is perhaps the best adjective for the faena, the bull’s classy charge called to be caressed with the muleta. Aguado duly did with long and smooth series of derechazos, seamlessly linked and concluded with a variety of artistic and elegant remates. The novillo was not as good on the left side, but this was no impediment to Aguado performing solid and emotive series of naturales. He killed with an untidy looking full estocada which was, nonetheless, effective and allowed him to cut two thoroughly deserved ears.
Caraballo’s recibo capotero to the eighth and final novillo was attractive, beginning with a saltillera a porta gayola and concluded with a revolera on his knees. This was another very good novillo that reached the muelta with mobility and vigour. Carballo’s faena was inconsistent and below the level of this very good novillo. The charge required timing and repose, but Carballo’s suffered too many enganchones and he did not always guide the novillo long through the pass as its charge required. Carballo was better with the left hand, extracting a couple of series of smooth muletazos, but the faena underwhelmed given the novillo’s quality. Nevertheless, despite his technical shortcomings, Carballo showcased valour and a great desire to please, these are the basic qualities we require from our novilleros. There will be time to learn the trade.
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