The view from the sofa,
my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.
Daniel Ruiz novillos for
Álvaro Lorenzo, Ginés Marín and Varea
Today’s three novilleros are firmly in the
front row of the starting grid for this year’s junior escalafón. Each has
matured as a novillero and they are now looking forward to a forthcoming
alternativa. Ginés Marín, who caused such a great impact during his debut with
pics in Olivenza, and has spent the last couple of seasons confirming the qualities
he showed that morning, has booked his alternativa for May in Nimes. Álvaro
Lorenzo has maintained a lower profile, although his career has been
purposefully constructed around a concept of sober, castillian toreo. He is
also taking his alternativa this May in Nimes. Varea flattered to deceive after he exploded on the scence with an
execellent Los Maños novillo in Zaragoza a few years ago. He has shown a superb
left hand, but his toreo has been too inconsistent – he has the quality to shine,
he just needs to show this more often. Varea’s
alternativa has not been confirmed, but there are rumours that he may take this
in Alicante.
Disappointingly the crowd was sparse in the
cavernous arena. We know how difficult it can be to attract crowds to watch
novilladas, the public at large see it as an inferior spectacle, and only
generally flock to the glamorous star cartels. Regardless, this is the lot that
the current fiesta has drawn. Let us just hope that the powers that be in the
mundillo recognise the importance of novilladas and do not lose interest in
programming this type of events.
Álvaro Lorenzo met his opening novillo with
gentle veronicas taking it from the tercio to the centre of the ring. A
pleasing start, concluded with a nice media and attractive revolera with the reverse
of his capote. The novillo protested at the horse, shaking his head vigorously
as he felt the iron. Lorenzo gave a very steady quite by rogerinas, three well
linked passes and a remate performed cleanly and with confidence. Álvaro
started the faena with doblones designed to dominate and focus the bulls charge,
but given with the necessary temple to preserve its vigour. The novillo, though
mobile, lacked casta and therefore protested throughout the faena, shaking its
head tirelessly as he followed the lures. The first series of derechazos was
excellent, made up of five long and low derechazos. However, subsequent series
were muddied by the novillo’s condition. Lorenzo was firm throughout, he stood
his ground, even after a dramtic mid-faena tossing, timed the bull impeccably
and managed to construct a faena structure around fundamental toreo. After the
bull became parado, Loreonzo’s fanea did not decline. He gave strings of
isolated passes, each of which was excellent and managed to build the faena to
a crescendo. Lorenzo ended his faena with a long series of tight manoletinas
and lost a very well earned ear with the sword. Regardless, this was the
performance of a capable young torero who is ready to move to the senior
escalafón.
The fourth novillo gave a good of account of
itself at the horse. This was by no means a spectacular pic, but the novillo
pushed hard and long, to a backward placed vara. It is the minimum that an
aficionado would want from a pic. The novillo did not take kindly to the
banderillas, chasing the peons with vigour although, fundamentally its charge
was distracted. The best medicine to an unfocussed bull is a focussed muleta.
This was just the tactic applied by Lorenzo with a magnificent series of low,
dominant and deep doblones to guide the bull from the pic lines to the centre.
The first two series of derechazos were equally profound, both of which were
long and emotive, ensuring that the muleta was placed just so after each pass
so that the bull had no option but following the lure. The subsequent series of
naturales was more intermittent, but with individual passes of absolute
quality. Back on the right side, Loreonzo was able to link his toreo more effectively,
but the novillo’s charge was by now raspy. The fundamental toreo therefore gave
way to an arrimón, circulares and the usual pyrotechnic passes that close
faenas in contemporary toreo. Once again poor sword work cost him a prize.
Nonetheless, Lorenzo could not have caused a better impression with this lot of
novillos. It is clear that he is a very proficient novillero and although he
will no doubt experience the typical post-alternativa dip, we would do well not
to forget this torero.
Ginés Marín is a very promising capotero, he
was unable to show his full dimension with the first novillo, but still managed
a couple of low, cadenced delantales to welcome it into the ring. The novillo
took a regulation pic, it was an entirely non-descript encounter with the
horse. His quite by ganoeras was given with utter stillness, although the bull’s
distracted condition wrested emotion from proceedings. The bull reached the
muleta with mobility, but ultimately doubts as to the depth of its nerve. Marín’s
faena was technically faultless toreo that, nonetheless did not convey emotion
due to the novillo’s lack of nerve. His opening estatuarios were given with
utter stillness, the derechazos that followed were clean, low and long. He even
interspersed his toreo fundamental with creative notes such as an arrucina
here, a pase de las flores there and some cambios de mano for good measure.
Marín tried, with his emphatic attitude, to give proceedings the emotion the
novillo’s charge lacked and managed to raise pulses with an arrimón and a final
tres en uno to close the faena on an emotional high (as I always say, structure
in toreo is key, a torero must procure to finish a faena at its highest point,
how often do we see faenas that lose their way as they are extended unnecessarily?).
Some closely worked bernadinas preceded a defective sword that cost Ginés what
would have been a well-deserved ear. It had been a good faena, but the torero’s
insultingly dominant toreo calls for a nervier animal, not this simplistic
opponent.
Marín welcomed the fifth novillo with a larga
cambiada de rodillas, which showcased his determination to triumph. The good torero,
however, came with his toreo de veronica, concluded with a closed stanced
cordobina, once on his feet. Once again, there was nothing to highlight at the
horse. Ginés’ quite by chicuelinas was performed with utter stillness and met
with approval by the crowd. In banderillas Javier Ambel showed his cass with a
couple of elegant and emphatic pairs that earned him saludos. The novillo
reached the muleta with mobility but, given the general condition of the novillada
thus far, we wondered whether it had the depth of nerve and bravura to continue
with impetus to the end of the faena. Marín began the faena on his knees with
silky smooth toreo en redondo with the right hand. On his feet he gave a long
series of smooth toreo with the right hand, capped with a cambio de mano and
wonderful natural. Ginés juxtaposes apparent tremendismo with quality toreo. He
passes the bull very close, and effortlessly intertwines arrucinas and passes
cambiados into his series en redondo. However, when he performs fundamental
toreo, this is of the highest quality, both with the left and right hand. His
toreo is low, it is slow and seamlessly linked. All of this was on display in
today’s faena. It was a pity, however, that the novillo was slightly distracted
between each pass, detracting from the emotional intensity of the performance. The
one criticism is that the concluding arrimón was not necessary, the novillo’s
charge was completely exhausted by this stage and it added nothing to his work.
His estocada was slightly unconventional and ended slightly tendida, but it was
sufficient to finish the bull and served to allow Marín to cut the first ear of
the afternoon. Like Lorenzo, Marín is fully prepared to graduate from the
novillo to the bull. If Marín can perform the toreo he showed this afternoon to
serious, piquant bulls he will indeed be a significant player in the senior
escalafón.
Varea’s calling card was an excellent series of low
veronicas, the bull’s nervy charge was delicately channelled by Varea with his slow and low veronicas,
capped with a curious cordobina to add freshness to his work. The galleo by
rogerinas was bright, but untidied with a rough remate. A non-descript puyazo
followed which offered little clue as to the bulls condition. During
banderillas the novillo displayed mobility and charged with its head low,
giving us hope that it might provide Varea
with the raw material for a good faena. Varea
began with excellent passes ayudados, por alto and por bajo – well timed and
controlled. The good vibe continued with a demanding first series of
derechazos. The bull was noble and committed, but the mobility it had showed
during banderillas was slowly dissipating. With it, the intensity of the faena
declined; perhaps the demanding beginning did not help the novillo’s longevity.
Nonetheless, the quality of Varea’s
toreo was patent, although he lacks the wherewithal to create spectacle out of
nothing as his opponents wane.
The afternoon’s final novillo showed signs of
mansedumbre at the horse. By the muleta third, the novillo’s charge was sour.
Its untidiness betraying the animal’s lack of fight. However, when Varea timed the novillo well, lowered
its head with low lures, and guided it through the pass, the novillo committed
to the charge and allowed for good toreo. Varea’s
naturales were particularly noteworthy. Despite the moments of good toreo
throughout the performance, the faena was always destined to be undermined by
the novillo’s poor condition. This was a novillo with which Varea could show that he is a capable
(although perhaps not outstanding) technician and is sure of himself. Furthermore,
when he puts his mind to mind to it, his concept of toreo is excellent.
However, fundamentally, there is perhaps an edge of coldness in his
performances that may hold him back. Varea’s
sword work was once again poor, it is a trait that he has carried for some time.
The novillada had been distinctly average. Most
of the animals had some charges in them, but none had charged with true desire through
a faena, there was not, either, any obviously dangerous, problematic novillo
that would have the crowd on the edge of their seat (although no doubt the
toreros might disagree). It had been, in many respects, an identikit novillada
that we recognise all too readily in contemporary toreo. Thankfully, we had
three novilleros with the ability to extract the good toreo that the novillos
offered. As for the novilleros, the star was Ginés Marín, he is an
exceptionally gifted young torero that deserves a chance to measure himself
with the other young toreros that are emerging. Lorenzo also made a good case
to be included in that conversation. His toreo is perhaps less striking that
Marín’s, but he is by no means less capable. Varea is a good torero, but I have my doubts as to whether “good”
is enough to cause an impact with the current crop of outstanding you toreros. All
three were poor with the sword, which probably cost Ginés Marín and Álvaro
Lorenzo an exit on shoulders.
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