The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.
Victoriano del Río Bulls for Morante de la Puebla, El Juli& Daniel Luque.
If yesterday was the feria’s weakest cartel, this afternoon, we were presented with, arguably, the Fallas’ most attractive combination of bulls and toreros. Each of the remaining cartels has, in my view a weak point, usually the veteran opener that stars of the programme request. However, here we had two figuras, in Morante and El Juli, each looking to rebound from a somewhat underwhelming 2014 and Daniel Luque, one of the leading candidates ascend to figura status, who in turn enjoyed his best season in 2014. On paper, the Victoriano del Río bulls should provide adequate material for each matador to display their tauromaquia.
Morante’s opening bull had nerve, but lacked class. A complicated proposition. Although it would follow the lure when it was presented with conviction (it charged well to José Antonio Carretero’s cape), its reticence made it an uncomfortable opponent. Morante was not in the mood to spend a faena trying to solve its problems, thus opting for a few passes de castigo and the kill. He was rewarded with a chorus of whistles for his trouble.
The fourth bull had an undefined charge through the first tercio, however, as the horses left the arena, it gave Morante five delicate charges that the Sevillian artist used to sculpt four marvellous veronicas and a media. Four seamlessly linked, low, smooth and sweetly timed passes wherein the torero’s whole body accompanied the charge. A timely reminder that Morante is an all-time great with the pink cape. Morante began the faena with beautiful ayudados por alto. Despite its brilliance, the punishing beginning was perhaps not the ideal start given the bull’s condition. Nevertheless, the bull maintained sufficient nobility and vigour to allow for a stirring faena based around series of toreo fundamental with either hand. Morante is not one to alleviate a bull’s charge with his toreo, and these were low and demanding series of long muletazos. The highlight were three well linked, long and curved naturales that brought the crowd to its feet. As is characteristic in Morante, the toreo acesorio was just as significant as the toreo en redondo. He sprinkled a farol, molinete with the left hand, pase de las flores and molinete abelmontado across the faena. It was a pity that the excellent estocada with which he killed the bull was preceded by a pinchazo as it no doubt cost him the bull’s second ear.
El Juli’s first bull allowed his and Daniel Luque’s capework to shine. El Juli opened with pleasing veronicas, taking the bull away from the boards with each successive pass and concluding with a nice media and attractive revolera. El Juli opted for chicuelinas at the quite, these required valour to wait as he gave the bull distance and it galloped slowly towards him. Daniel Luque is an underrated capotero – he could conceivably be regarded as the second best capotero in the escalafón after Morante – and confirmed this with a well worked quite by veronicas and delantales, the quite’s second pass was truly exceptional.
The bull was noble and willing to charge and El Juli masterfully applied his good timing to channel this into two very good series of derechazos to open the faena. The bull lacked the casta to grow into the faena, and seemed less willing to charge thereafter. El Juli’s applied his masterful muleta to extract one more series with each hand before working his way in between the bull’s horns for an ojedista arrimón. I often criticise this type of ending when it is ill conceived or, plainly, not executed correctly. However, El Juli’s arrrimón was emotive, not only was he working close to the bull, with its horns literally brushing his thighs, but the closeness was a means to extract a string of long, low and slow derechazos. This arrimón was a well worked combination of pure and brave toreo. El Juli necessitated a pinchazo, low estocada and descabello to kill the bull and therefore lost a potential ear. The minor petition was unwarranted given the poor execution of the supreme suerte, it is as if the crowd needs an ear in order to ratify that it has seen good toreo, rather than accept good toreo as an end in itself.
The fifth bull’s charge did not fill us with hope; it was classless and lacked commitment to lower its head. However, El Juli’s powerful muleta was the perfect tool with which to correct these defects and convert its mobility into a worthwhile charge. El Juli lowered his hand and timed the cloth; the bull had no choice by to follow the lures and repeat its charges. El Juli was thus able to construct a worthwhile faena, largely based on the right side, but with some work al natural. It was not an emotive performance, rather, one was left with the satisfaction of a job well done, of correctly executed and masterfully technical toreo. El Juli concluded with six very closely worked manoletinas given in a profile stance during which a sensation of danger, despite the torero being entirely in control. A three quarters estocada led to an ear and a frenzied petition for a second, which was rightly ignored.
Luque welcomed his first bull into the ring with a series of lovely veronicas, he gave some isolated passes at first. As the bull gained its focus, Daniel linked a long series of slow, low and smooth veronicas that took him from the tercio to los medios. The excellent cape work continued into the first tercio with a pretty galleo by chicuelinas to take the bull to the horse, these were characterised by Luque’s low hands and rhythmic execution. The galleo was capped by a surprising tijerilla. Luque displayed variety with an attractive quite by cordobinas, those on the left side were particularly good. In all Luque’s intervention with the capote confirmed his status as a leading capotero and served to keep the crowd engaged throughout the first tercio.
Daniel opened with estatuarios controlling the bull though the pass while executing them with calm stillness and concluding with some remates por bajo to savour. The first two series of derechazos were well linked, but the bull was losing impetus and the passes lacked emotion. The bull maintained its class on the left side, which allowed Luque to perform the odd excellent natural within a long and ntermittent series. The bull was no longer apt for toreo en redondo, so Luque resorted to well linked and closely worked figure of eight toreo that lifted the crowd and the faena. With the bull rajado, Luque concluded his faena with a long, clean and continuous series of luquesinas. Luque had correctly structured his faena to ensure that it maintained an emotional intensity as the bull’s charge lost its vigour. Despite the defective sword, which necessitated the descabello, Luque was awarded the ear that his cape and muleta work deserved.
Luque’s good afternoon with the capote continued with his greeting to the sixth bull, four dominant genuflected veronicas and another four on his feet that were delicately executed with low hands. The double media to conclude the greeting was emphatic. Once again, Daniel intervened in quites with a string of attractive chicuelinas with an open stance. By the tercio de muleta, the bull’s charge lacked conviction; it retained mobility, but lacked a brave desire to chase the lure. It was a complex and ungrateful bull that, while not boring, did not allow for consistently good toreo en redondo. The second series of derechazos was emotive, but the remainder of the faena was as inconsistent as the bull’s charge. A series of luquesinas closed the faena and provided the crowd with pyrotechnics that would have no doubt convinced it to petition for an ear had the sword travelled true.
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