The view from the sofa,
my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.
Talavante novillos for Ginés
Marín, Juanito & Alfonso Cadaval
The second novillada of a feria was a blend of
the experienced Ginés Marín with the debutants Juanito and Alfonso Cadaval. By this stage, Ginés Marín requires
little introduction. He has been one of the stars of the junior escalafón
almost since his debut in this plaza two years ago. He is a mature novillero
who looks ready to take his tauromaquia to the four year old bull – his alternativa is scheduled this May and I am looking forward whether he can add
his name to young generation of aspiring figuras like Lopez Simón, Roca Rey and
José Garrido. I know little about the two debutants other than that Juanito is a young Portuguese torero and Cadaval
is the son of Césatr Cadaval, of the sevillian comedy duo Los Morancos. Talavante’s ganadería has its origin in Cuvillo, Garcigrande
and Daniel Ruíz, I would therefore expect them to be noble and compliant. The
question is will they have the mobility to create emotion with their charges?
Ginés Marín welcomed his first novillo with
kneeling veronicas – these were striking and well linked, but my favourite part
of the saludo was how he capped it with a larga cambiada and (once on his feet)
a revolera in extremely tight quarters without yielding an inch. His
control over novillos is bordering on absolute. The animal’s sole entry to the
horse passed with little note, but it's charge was very short in the subsequent quite
– it would need a good lidia during banderillas to elongate its charge once
again. Ginés started the faena by ayudados por alto. The bull displayed a
mobile nobility, but lacked vigour and, if the pass was demanding, commitment to
charge. The first few series with the right hand were therefore designed to
tease the bull into faena and they were followed by a couple of more profound
tandas of naturales. Despite the bull’s compliant nature, it did not have the
casta to rise to the challenge posed by Marín’s firm muleta, therefore the
toreo fundamental, while clean and correct, was nothing more than superficial.
Ginés showed his complete dominance of the novillo with a typical arrimón and
concluded with bernadinas. This had been a faena by numbers from a novillero
that is utterly capable of handling this type of novillo. A slowly executed volapié allowed him to cut
an ear.
The fourth novillo’s first tercio was subdued,
Ginés’ interventions with the capote underwhelmed because of the animal’s
lacklustre condition. He pushed with some conviction during the pic, although
only with one horn. The novillo’s charge seemed to improve during banderillas
as it was allowed to gallop and display mobility. Marín started his faena on
his knees in the centre of the ring, a spectacular opening somewhat muddied by
a couple of enganchones. The novillo was rough, but weak, it would charge from a
distance but could not cope with closely worked demanding toreo and would
raise its head alarmingly before the end of each pass. I enjoyed seeing Marín
with a tricky customer that did not readily submit to his muleta. Ginés stayed
firm, his timing improved as the faena progressed and he managed to impose
clean toreo en redondo on the novillo. These isolated passes more than clean
series, but it was clean and smooth toreo nonetheless. A full and effective estocada
allowed him to cut a generous couple of ears.
Juanito showed a spectacular and varied concept of toreo de capote. Starting the
lidia with a larga cambiada de rodillas and continuing with a quite by
saltilleras and gaoneras. His bright toreo continued into the muleta tercio
with a pase cambiado in the centre of the ring to begin his work. However, the
novillos soon became rajado and Juanito
was only able to give isolated passes near the boards.
Juanito continued to show variety with the cape in the first tercio of the fifth
novillo. However, his attempts at tijerillas and chicuelinas were roughly
executed and incomplete. Initially the novillo seemed to have more motor than
his first, but this was a mirage. After an acceptable and smooth opening
series, the novillo completely gave up the notion of charging. It stayed by the
boards and did not attack the lures. Juanito
tried to perform passes but it was impossible. Given the condition of both the
animals he faced, it is difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions from Juanito’s debut.
Alfonso Cadaval began his career as a con pics
with low and profound veronicas, they were not the finished article and will,
in time, need to create greater emotion, but the building blocks for a deep
veronica are there. The novillo had a short, intermittent charge. Alfonso could
do little but stay firm to try and extend the novillo’s charge with solid
timing. The faena was technically acceptable but was undermined by the novillo’s
condition. Alfonso sprinkled some artistic flourishes, the highlight of which
was a baroque molinete, to liven his work. Cadaval’s use of the sword was
poor.
Cadaval once again tried to impose low,
profound, toreo a la veronica to his second novillo, but the recibo was untidy
due to enganchones – his concept of toreo is plain to see, the crux will be
whether he is able to learn the technical keys of toreo in order to impose this
on his opponents. The bull took a light pic, although it did push at the horse
with some level of determination. By the muleta the novillo had developed an acceptable charge, repetitive, mobile and conveying certain emotion. Cadaval's opening gambit of passes with the front and reverse of the muleta was smooth, controlled and aesthetic. The heart of the faena was constructed around series on the right side (he tried once on the left but he was unable to control the novillo and the result was muddy). At its best the toreo was smooth and well linked, underscored by the aesthetic Cadaval tries to give his toreo. However, there were also the logical inconsistencies and technical lacuna one would expect in a debutant - these caused a number of enganches, close calls and a tossing. Alfonso needed a number of descabellos after his ineffective estocada, which, nonetheless, did not prevent him from cutting an indulgent ear. Questionable prize aside, we could see that Alfonso has a high concept of toreo, underlined by his aestheticism. As always, aesthetics are never enough in toreo. He will need to develop the technical foundations of toreo. Not to worry, he has the rest of his career (however long it lasts) to learn.
No comments:
Post a Comment