The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.
Jandilla,
Fuente Ymbro and Cuvillo bulls for Sebastián
Castella en solitario
Sebastián Castella is
shaping to be this season’s triunfador. His excellent performances in Madrid of
course stand out but we must not forget a dignified outing in Sevilla, a minor
triumph in Pamplona and an excellent faena in Valencia. In such a context, this
encerrona makes perfect sense. Facing six bulls in one afternoon is a mammoth
challenge that can only be confronted by a matador in prime form. All too often
we see encerronas as a desperate effort by a matador that needs to give added
impetus to his career, El Cid in
Madrid to give a recent example. These are generally doomed to failure. When a
corrida en solitario is viewed as a compliment to an otherwise triumphant
campaign, the chance of success is increased. That is not to say that
Castella is destined to triumph, just that he is currently in excellent form
and looking to add a signature afternoon to a leading season. Let us see whether he would be able to do
so.
The corrida started with
a sluggish Jandilla bull. It took one light, but long, pic where it pushed out
of frustration rather than vigour. The animal proved a tricky customer for the muelta; not
conveying any emotion, but with a tendency to cut in on the right side. On the
basis of good timing Castella was able to fashion two good series of naturales,
but the bull would not yield much more. Sebastián was above the level of the
bull, but it did not give him much of an opportunity to triumph.
The second bull, a finer,
more offensive looking Fuente Ymbro, had a disconcerting early charge,
measuring the torero with each spurt at his capote. It took a long, hard, but
very well placed vara, pushing with vigour at the horse. The bull retained its
nerve and strength after the pic, but displayed a lack of focus. Nevertheless,
its charge conveyed emotion, which is, of course, the key ingredient for a toro bravo.
Castella needed to show a firm hand with the bull, and gave it a series of
pleasing doblones to open. The bull retained its certain reticence to
charge; when it did so it came on strong. However, it to took too many pauses
between passes to allow Sebastián to construct a pleasingly linked faena. Castella managed the
odd emotive series on the basis of a strong toque and firm attitude – but his good toreo was intermittent due to the bull’s condition.
In third place came a mansito Cuvillo bull. It gave
a poor impression over the first tercio, entirely rejecting the horse and only
receiving a slight glance of a pic. The banderillas, however, seemed to put a
spring in the bull’s gait, as it pursued the banderilleros with speed and desire
after each pair – could it be a manso encastado and allow for a faena? Castella’s
start was excellent and vibrant. A series of estatuarios given with utter
stillness and concluded with some remates por bajo. Castella’s faena was an
exercise in determination. The bull’s charge was mobile but lacked class. Nevertheless,
Castella was able to get the measure of it and construct a solid faena of toreo
fundamental on either hand, culminating in an excellently still series of
derechazos. His inconsistent arrimón was the obligatory coda. A well-delivered full sword did not suffice to topple the bull, but the generous El Puerto crowd
saw past the two descabellos to petition for the afternoon’s first ear, which
was duly granted.
The opening three bulls each carried a series of
problems and Castella had been up to the challenge. Only the third granted the
chance of a minor triumph, but each helped show the Castella's rich vein of form. He had stood up to each bull and solved their problems, now if only one
could break and offer the chance of a great faena.
The second Jandilla carried the Vegahermosa brand
and continued the problematic tone of its three predecessors. It received two pics, but
retained its unfocussed mobility. The animal proved to be complicated to banderillear
and impossible to torear. The bull called for a faena de aliño and a sword
thrust, but Castella sought to torear en redondo. It required Spartan valour to
try to perform naturales and derechazos, but Sebastián was undeterred. Ultimately, clean, linked toreo was impossible, Castella nonetheless reminded us of the bravery
required to face up to a tough bull.
The fifth bull, another Fuente Ymbro, was the first
that allowed Castella to torear with the capote. It had been a tough afternoon,
Castella deserved even the slightest hint at a smooth charge. Sebastián
followed his recibo with a bright, nicely linked galleo by chicuelinas. The
bull received a light pic, Castella no doubt seeking to preserve its sweet
mobility. Castella began his faena de muleta with statuesque estatuarios, a pleasing start, but
perhaps not ideal given the bull's edge of weakness. However, we were soon into
the meat of the faena, with Castella giving us two excellent series of
derechazos, slow, long and beautifully linked. The first naturales were accompanied by Nerva’s beautiful solo, the music’s emotion supplementing the bull’s
failing vigour. Back on the right side Castella managed the odd pleasing pass,
but the bull’s charge was finished. A pity that a bull with such a charge of such quality could only last a couple of series. Sebastián finished the faena with a number of tight bernadinas. The estocada was brilliantly executed and the crowd
was moved to petition for two ears which the president, no doubt feeling generous, awarded.
The corrida closed with a Cuvillo bull. The animal took an average
pic and remained with an undefined charge over the first couple of tercios.
Castella began with his typical passes cambiados in the centre of the ring, tightly executed, as
ever, and serving to grip the crowd. The bull was mobile, but lacked class; however, Sebastián found the depth of its
casta and built a long faena of toreo fundamental of increasing intensity. The
early series were vibrantly linked and moving and culminated in a profound
series of naturales. The animal was better on the right side, so Sebastián completed
his toreo fundmental with a couple of deep series on that horn. The faena
concluded with a short burst of figure of eight toreo that was underpinned by a
wonderfully long, slow and languid natural rather than an arrimón. Another
good, full estocada finished the bull as the plaza rang with palmas por
bulerías. Not even some clumsy work from the puntillero could prevent the torero
from Beziers completing his afternoon with another couple of ears.
Beyond the five oreja triumph, this was mission accomplished
by Castella, from a taurine perspective. Above all the aficionado was able to enjoy his ability to give each
toro its lidia and not be overwhelmed by the problems posed by this tough lot.
No bull gave a complete performance to allow Castella to give a great, rounded faena, but each improved with his handling.
The principal disappointment is bound to be the relatively poor attendance of
about two thirds of the ring (which, nonetheless, being El Puerto means that
the fiesta congregated several throusand people) that, serves to show, how the wider, casual taurine audience is not entirely up to date with the season.
The casual viewier will no doubt recognise and attend the corridas involving
the likes of Morante or Manzanares. But are unmoved by the names
of Castella and Talavante who, nonetheless, are arguably the two figuras in the
best form, or even Perera, last season’s prime triunfador.
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