The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I
have watched on TV.
Fermín Bohorquez rejones bulls
for Manuel Manzanares and Nuñez del
Cuvillo bulls for Enrique Ponce and José María Manzanares
The first Cuvillo showed
early signs of weakness. It would usually be a cause for concern, but, given
that it would be treated by Ponce’s medicinal muleta (it cures every bull’s
ill), I retained hope that we would experience a meaningful lidia. Happily, and
without wanting to sound too boastful, I was correct. Ponce spent the early
part of the faena coaxing the bull through each series, giving it mid-height
passes, without obliging it during the charge. This superficial, but
attractive, tact kept the crowd entertained, even managing to get the music to
strike up. More importantly, however, it helped the bull find its feet, thereby
allowing for a second part of faena composed of demanding, better linked toreo.
The faena was on a continuous upward curve, and concluded with populist, but
exciting, circulares. This was a technically impeccable showing, which would
ordinarily have been remarkable had we not been used to Ponce regaling us with
these faenas for twenty five years. An excellent estocada, with swift effects,
was the final piece of the jigsaw to allow Ponce to cut two ears.
Ponce’s lidia to his
second bull was founded on a different technical base, but the result was still
the same – an excellent faena from the Valencian. Our cuvillo had acceptable
condition, but lacked nerve; it came and went with ease, but lacking the
ultimate desire to transmit emotion. Ponce was relaxed and able to torear with
ease, methodically teasing a long faena from the bull. The series of muletazos,
performed with either hand, were smooth, and well linked, increasing in
intensity as the faena progressed. The toques were as gentle as possible, adding
to the clinical cleanliness of Ponce’s performance. Before the bull knew it, he
had swallowed a long faena and Ponce was ready garnish the toreo fundamental
with his very personal poncinas - a circular genuflected doblon incorporating a
cambio de mano. Poor execution with the sword prevented him from capping his
afternoon with another two ears.
Enrique Ponce may be
celebrating his twenty sixth season on the circuit, but afternoons like today
serve as a reminder that, on his day, he remains a fresh and intriguing torero.
I have always enjoyed Ponce, a couple of faenas like today keep me believing
that he still can delight us with moving performances.
If Ponce’s faenas were
marked by their variety, Manzanares
produced two performances that were facsimiles of each other. While I admire a
torero’s consistency if he produces toreo of note on a regular basis, a great
part of toreo’s joy lies in improvisation and a matador’s capacity to mould
each bull into a truly unique performance. Therefore, while the ease with which
Manzanares can produce his faena has its merit, I cannot help
but be left increasingly cold by his toreo.
Both faenas were built
around the right hand and consisted of very well linked toreo en redondo
underscored by José Mari’s emphatic elegance. The remates and cambios de mano
were, as always, excellent, smooth and emotive. As per usual, Manzanares’ sure sword was the final
ingredient for the two ears. The ease with which José Mari can roll out this
faena is admirable and welcome, especially given toreo’s inherent
inconsistency. However, his toreo is fundamentally a triumph of style over
substance. Let us rewind to the start of Manzanares’
career to help us arrive at the crux of this issue.
After a couple of rocky
seasons following his alternativa, José Mari Manzanares began to rise to the top of the escalafón during the
2006 season, his rise was confirmed with an excellent faena in Sevilla during
2007’s historic Feria de Abril. However, there were still a number of
fundamental shortcomings in Manzanares’
toreo. His series en redondo were too short and his toreo tended to be slightly
rapid - although all of these was overcome by his brilliant remates and
imperial elegance. It was not until he solved these two faults that he was able
to give us his absolutely historic 2011 campaign – the indulto to Arrojado was a clinic in slow toreo.
Unfortunately, it seems that Manzanares
has regressed to his pre-2011 style – his series en redondo are terribly short,
rarely exceeding four muletazos and his toreo tends to quickness. Manzanares remedies all of this with his
remates, these help extend the series without the pressure of toreo en redondo,
and are given with emotive and relaxed elegance.
His elegance and
consistency, not to mention his sure sword, will no doubt keep Manzanares in the leading pack of
figuras. I hope that he can re-focus his tore so he can once again deliver the
high quality toreo he gave us for a couple of seasons at the start of this
decade.
Manuel Manzanares opened proceedings. While I
enjoy toreo a caballo, I feel underqualified to be able to write a meaningful commentary
on it. Suffice to say he cut two ears from a lacklustre Bohorquez lot to join
his colleagues on their exit by the Puerta Grande.
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