The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I
have watched on TV.
Conde de Mayalde Novillos for Posada de Maravillas, Clemente and Andrés Roca Rey.
A greatly promising international novillada. Posada has happily recovered from his
serious hand injury and, in Olivenza, given us one of the season’s most
delicious faenas. His elegant manner is always welcome, we need to hope that
his technique develops at sufficient pace to allow him to express it on a
regular basis, taurine history is littered with classy and artisitic toreros
who lacked the technical wherewithal and bravery to perform such toreo on a
regular basis. Clemente is one of France’s leading novilleros, I have not
previously been able to see him and I look forward to this opportunity to do so.
Roca Rey is a young Peruvian torero that has based his career in Europe and
recently exited Las Ventas on shoulders. He comes with excellent credentials,
it would be very welcome for an American torero to establish himself as a
leading torero in Europe.,Roca
Rey is one of the continent’s best hopes (incidentally, another promising Peruvian
torero, Joaquín Valdós, performs next Monday).
Posada’s opening novillo was noble, but
sickly sweet. It compliantly followed the lure, while lacking the strength and
nerve necessary to transmit danger and emotion. Posada was able to execute a number of aesthetically pleasing
isolated derechazos, but the novillo lacked the charge to allow him to
construct a complete faena. It was pleasing to see the torero in control of the animal throughout the faena, but the ultimate result left us
cold – there was no other ending possible given the animal’s limitations. The
torero wisely cut the faena short, a number of matadores could learn from this
sense of measure.
Posada’s second opponent gave him a
serious looking voltereta during the pics third, but this was not enough to take the
smile of the young man’s face. The faena started in the centre of the ring with
a cartucho de pescado followed by a well linked series of naturales, with the
torero gaining steps between each pass to stay in the correct position for the
next pass. The novillo was extremely classy, with its lack of vivacity not
preventing it from charging with desire. The fanea itself was short and intense, only a
couple of short series with each hand marked by Posada’s silky and dreamy toreo
fundamental. His effective estocada allowed him to cut a deserved ear.
The second
novillo did not display promising signs upon entry into the ring, charging
short and rough at Clemente’s capote. Andrés Roca Rey left his calling card
with a wonderfully lucid quite by tafalleras, capped with a saltillera and a
revolera – a bright and controlled quite that showcased an understanding of the
novillo’s charge and a calm sense of occasion. Clemente responded with a rapid,
less controlled, but tight and emotive quite by chicuelinas. Clemente sought to
temper the animal’s charge with his early doblones and it seemed that the
animal might have a strong charge that could be moulded into a faena. Sadly it
was not to be. Although the novillo showed flashes of nerve, it ended having a
short choppy charge that Clemente was unable to craft into any passes of note.
With the sword, he concluded with a horrid estocada trasera and tendida,
followed by a series of pinchazos, a media and descabellos.
Clemente’s
performance with the fifth novillo was disconcerting. It is true that the bull
lacked class, desire and bravery. However, Clemente lacked the wherewithal to
exert his dominance over the bull. He gave the odd isolated clean pass, but
this was at the expense of unnecessarily extending the length of the faena once
it was clear that it would ot yield a successful performance. No doubt this had
been a disconcerting outing for Clemente, his lot was poor, but he did not
display the capacity to overcome its problems. I am loathe to judge or dismiss
a promising novilleros chances on the back of one afternoon, let us therefore
wait until we have a further chance to assess his toreo.
Roca Rey’s
recibo to the third novillo was unorthodox and brilliant, a measured series of
gaoneras that showcased, once again, the ease with which Roca Rey performs
toreo shone. Posada exploited the novillo’s
class with a slow and profound quite by veronicas, to which Andrés replied with
silky chicuelinas, intertwined with tafalleras and capped with a larga to
savour. Roca Rey took the novillo to the centre of the ring and began his faena
on the left side without any tester passes. The animal lasted two series of
derechazos before giving up the ghost. Andrés displayed the same confidence and
assuredness with the mulet as he had previously shown with the capote, managing
two well linked and precise series. It is a pity that his novillo’s lack of
stamina prevented him from completing his faena.
The final novillo of the afternoon was a difficult opponent. Its charge lacked class but was demanding. Roca Rey once again showed his understanding of bulls and ability to control the screen. Notwithstanding the animal's problems, Roca Rey gave him a long faena, extracting meaningful and emotive passes. The overwhelming impression I had of Roca Rey was control. He was not at the mercy of the novillos, but rather their master. Of course, Andres has the logical lacunae of a novillero, more importantly, he carries himself like a young man that could build a career.
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