San Isidro - Primera Corrida 08/05/2015

The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.

El Cortijillo and Lozano Hermanos Bulls for Joselito Adame, Pepe Moral & Juan Del Álamo.

Thus begins San Isidro, La Fiesta’s show piece event. A month of toro’s which should be a a treat for the aficionado. However, by now we are used to this being a challenge of the aficionado’s endurance and patience. As if it was not tough enough to triumph in Las Ventas, the empresa tends to give us a wide array of cartels combining the figuras, second class toreros, some inadequate toreros and, of course, the well connected failures. 

Pleasingly, this afternoon, we were able to enjoy a trio of promising toreros. Joselito Adame and Pepe Moral had each cut ears in Sevilla, while Juan Del Álamo was that ferias unjust exclusions. They were facing a string of Lozano family Nuñez bulls that, notwithstanding the gaanadería’s inconsistency, would offer variety to the usual Domecq serving. 

Joselito Adame opened the feria with an impressive looking colorado and careto bull. It displayed manso tendencies during the lidia, but retained a powerful charge. The animal was a tricky customer for the muleta, it charged with mobility, but lacked consistency and although it would come from a distance, its charge into the lures was short. Adame performed a long faena, trying to unlock an emotive charge from the bull with either hand. He managed one emotive series with the right hand by judging the positioning and distance between each pass to perfection. However, despite his solid performance, the faena was ultimately inconsistent. Adame concluded his performance with a full and well executed estocada. 

The fourth bull offered few possibilities. It showed the same mansedumbre in the opening tercios to the whole corrida. However, with the muleta its charge had little style, with the bull holding its head at mid-height throughout. He began with estatuarios, but toreo por alto did not suit the bull at all. Following some more flaps to take the bull to the centre of the ring he managed a complete series en redondo with little emotion. Joselito tried during the long faena to try to string together an acceptable series of passes, but to no avail. 

Pepe Moral’s first bull attitude before the picadors was even more manso, barely allowing itself to feel the steel. Nevertheless, it was happy to charge after lures and men, even if it did so with no style or cadence. After an initial series of doblones, during which the bull seemed reticent to charge, Moral opted for toreo en redondo with the left hand managing a couple of good series of long and low naturales. The bull was tougher on the right side, with Moral only managing the odd isolated pass. Back on the left hand managed another three emotive series of naturales, peppered with the odd trincherazo to show some creativity. Moral had showed the valour to stay still, the knowledge to position himself correctly and the ability to take the bull long through the pass with impeccable timing. It was the type of faena that makes me wonder whether I am too indulgent with toreros; the bull was tough and seemingly impossible, yet Moral managed to extract a very good faena where many other would have floundered and been entirely excused because of the bull’s condition. Although he managed a full estocada, Moral also necessitated some descabellos thereby losing the ear his performance would have thoroughly deserved.

The fifth animal reached the muleta with a delicate charge that lacked the nerve and motor to make it emotive. Moral was able to torear cleanly with either hand, although the performance missed the emotion that could have been provided by a stronger, more repetitive animal. Nevertheless, Pepe showed his very good current form, teasing the bull through the faena, and culminating with a couple of pleasing series with either hand. Another solid showing from a torero who has caused an excellent impression throughout the early part of this season. Moral has given us good faenas on each appearance, even though the bulls he has drawn have generally been poor and tough. If the mundillo was organised as it should be, his impressive performances would be rewarded with a string of contracts in the provinces.  

Juan Del Álamo’s first bull gave a similar performance in the first three tercios to its two predecessors; but its difficulties allowed Domingo Siro to shine with a dominant performance in banderillas.  The bull had a demanding and nervy charge, with Juan starting the toreo fundamental in the centre of the ring without tester passes. The first three series were well linked and although they lacked reposed, they were rendered emotive by the bull’s charge and Del Álamo’s ability to link his toreo. The bull became rajado during the second series of naturales, but Juan managed to bring the faena back together on the right hand; the extra size of the lure allowing him to keep the bull focussed. The torero realised that he was on the verge of the ear, and thus concluded with manoletinas – a risky choice because the bull did not seem apt for such a finish, but, to his credit, Del Álamo managed to link a number of tight passes bringing his performance to a close on an emotive high. Another example of how structure is key to a faena. The full estocada gave way to an ear that was petitioned by a majority and disputed by a minority… 

The corrida’s closing bull was a dull animal. Del Álamo could only display his technical wherewithal and desire to please. It cost him a spectacular voltereta (including a trip to the infirmary after the corrida) and Juan was once again stranded on one ear. Like Moral, Del Álamo has been another of this spring’s starlets. He did not appear in Sevilla, but had previously triumphed in Arles with a string of Baltasar Ibán bulls. Juan deserves more contracts. It is not a case of needing the experience to develop his toreo, but that he is a capable torero who can give a good afternoon.

SEVILLA 26/04/2015 – Undécima Corrida

The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.

Miura Bulls for Eduardo Dávila Miura, Manuel Escribano & Iván Fandiño.

The classic Miura corrida to close la Feria de Abril. The Miuras are celebrating the seventy-fifth straight year lidiando in la feria, would the bulls be on message and join the celebration? For starters, he ganaderos nephew, Dávila Miura, was appearing to help commemorate the anniversayry – I have no issue with this type of one-off appearances for special occasions, as long as the torero is in the correct physical and emotional state to give a dignified performance. Dávila seems in decent shape, let us see how he faces up to the family bulls. Escribano would be looking to build on his triumph with the Victorinos and continue to carve his niche among the corridas duras. Fandiño has suffered a tough start to 2015 and seems to still be suffering psychologically from his risky play in Madrid, it will be tough to overcome the challenge posed by the Miuras with low morale. I laud Fandiño’s early season bet to face a variety of less popular encastes, he needed to take a different route towards figura status, but the time has come to triumph with these bulls.

Dávila’s opening bull displayed a steady gallop during the opening tercios, a seemingly manageable bull, for Miura at least. During the muleta third its gallop turned into a short charge and the bull developed the typical Miura difficulties: it was always hooking away from the lure and it charged in jumps. Dávila was dignified and measured, although he did suffer the odd scare. Most of the faena was built around the right hand, the bull’s left horn was too tough, and carried the interest that a lidia to a Miura should always have.

The fourth bull of the afternoon charged well into Eduardo’s capote allowing him a series of well linked and low veronicas, it must have been tough to face the powerful and repetitive opening charges of the Miura, but Dávila did so admirably. The bull continued its emotive charge throughout the opening tercios and went long and low into Javer Ambel’s capote during the brega at banderillas, credit also to Joselito Rus and Alberto Zayas who performed a clean tercio. Dávila opened his faena with a series of well linked doblones, capped with an excellent chest pass that was greeted by a strong ole from the crowd. The bull continued with its noble and repetitive charge throughout the faena de muleta and it allowed Dávila to perform a long and clean faena de muleta, which, while technically solid, perhaps lacked the emotive peaks that a bull like this deserved. Nevertheless, he killed well and cut an ear that was as much an award to the good estocada, his career as a whole and dignified display today than to the strict taurine merits of this faena. Many toreros have appeared for a day with easier bulls and given worse performances, Dávila was well prepared for today and gave a good afternoon with the family bulls.  

Escribano (who had left his calling card with a clean quite by saltilleras to Dávila’s bull) greeted the second bull with a tight larga cambiada in the tercio followed by a nicely linked series of veronicas. Manuel’s tercio de banderillas was well executed and jovial, his typical set list of a couple of pairs de poder a poder with the closer being a quiebro calling the bull while sat on the boards. Escribano channelled his inner Fandi after placing this final pair and ran in front of the bull until it stopped chasing him. He began the faena with some passes cambiados in the centre of the ring and the initial series with the right had were controlled and clean. However, the bull soon started showing the ranches usual behaviour and Escribano suffocated the bull with his approach leading to an untidy end to the performance.  

The fifth bull met Escribano in the puerta de chiqueros for a larga cambiada a porta gayola, it was cleanly executed, but I am getting the feeling that these openings are such commonplace now that they are losing their emotive element of surprise. Manuel displayed his athelticims during the tercio de banderillas, the bull charged hard and Escribano placed his two opening pairs de poder a poder emphatically and powerfully, he ended the tercio with his typical quiebro al violin and once again had the crowd on their feet. He peppered his work with recortes and sprints to ready the bull for each par de banderillas. Manuel ran into some trouble early in the faena when he tried to torear the bull as if it was not a Miura (with some estatuarios), when he treated the bull as he should, he was able to torear correctly. The bull was noble and, once he had worked out the suitable technical solution, Escribano was able to construct a pleasing faena founded on toreo fundamental with either hand. He readjusted his footing between each pass, kept the lure close to the bull’s nose and timed his passes excellently. His emotive estocada was a fitting conclusion and gave way to a thoroughly deserved ear. Manuel Escribano has given us a very solid feria that should serve him to collect a healthy amount of contracts throughout the summer. He has his technical and aesthetic limitations, but toreros with his jovial and emotive concept of toreo are necessary in la fiesta.

Iván Fandiño’s first opponent was a tricky customer. It had an uncomfortable gazapeo throughout the faena and behind each charge was the intention to seek the torero rather than the lure. Iván acquitted himself well, overcoming the bull’s problems and even extracting some worthwhile passes from it. However, given the bull’s condition a complete and brilliant performance was impossible.

Iván opened his lidia to the sixth bull with a larga cambiada de rodillas – a decisive opening that indicated his desire not to be left behind after his colleagues’ triumphs. He seemed at ease with the bull during the early tercios and placed the bull some distance from the horse which led to a couple of notable pics. However, the bull was tough for the muleta and therefore prevented Fandiño from constructing a faena. We will need to wait to see him before better bulls before casting judgement on his current form.

A word on the Miura bulls to conclude this review. These bulls can join the Victorino, Cuvillo and Fuente Ymbro as the best strings of the feria. Each of the bulls was interesting, from Dávila and Escribanos lots, which both allowed for good toreo, to Fandiño’s poor bulls that, notwithstanding had the excitement conveyed by their ever present problems. Notably, all six bulls were grey; it is probably just a coincidence, but it is the type of coincidence that leads to speculation about possible Saltillo infusions into the Cabrera blood.

 

SEVILLA 25/04/2015 – Decima Corrida

The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.

 

Jandilla Bulls for Juan José Padilla, Miguel Abellán and El Fandi.

 

Juan José Padilla rolled back the years and headed to the chiqueros to open the afternoon with a larga cambiada a porta gayola, followed by a couple more in the tercio. Once on his feet Padilla suffered a dramatic tossing while giving a delantal, he was caught by the groin, but miraculously not gored. Abellán intervened with a closely worked and controlled series of chicuelinas, capped with a neat larga. Padilla, undeterred after his brush with tragedy, took the banderillas and performed an acceptable tercio with three pairs a poder a poder, changing terrains for variety, and concluded with the crowd pleasing pair al violín.

The faena began promisingly with a series of well linked doblones. The bull was better on the right side, tending to chop inwards on the left. Padilla therefore opted to base his tore fundamental on eh derechazos. The bull was repetitive, but lacked class, nevertheless Padilla timed him well and linked a couple of series that excited the crowd and got the band playing.  Despite the difficulty on the left, Padilla was able to build a series on the basis of a heavy toque outwards. Back on the right, the bull had run out of gas and all that was left was an untidy arrimón. The estocada was spectacular, with Padilla going in straight and getting a horn to the chest for his trouble, but the sword was tendido and necessitated a few descabellos to finish. This might have cost him an ear, but this was Padilla back to his blood and thunder best – it is not the prettiest toreo but I cannot help but think how difficult this type of performance must be for the forty year old Padilla.

Padilla’s capote greeting to his fourth bull was altogether more subdued, a series of clean veronicas that starkly contrasted the spectacular opening to the corrida. The tercio de banderillas, two pairs poder a poder and a coda al violin, was acceptable, but below the level of his previous effort. The fireworks began with the muelta, an opening series on his knees that excited the crowd but left the aficionado unmoved. The bull had an acceptable charge, it lacked verve but was noble. Padilla has the wherewithal to make up for the bull’s deficiencies constructing a clean faena on either hand, the highlight of which were a couple of slow and profound naturales. It was not moving toreo, but a technically proficient and entertaining outing; for better or for worse we saw Padilla be Padilla. He concluded with a full and effective estocada and earned an ear that his afternoon deserved.

Abellán also opened his afternoon a porta gayola. It was shaping up to be that type of corrida. Good. Toreo is about of emotion and all types of emotions, from yesterday’s classy and artistic toreo with Cuvillos, through the tough power of Thursday’s Victorinos and everything in between, including of course, today’s initial excitement. El Fandi left his calling card with a discreet and controlled quite by tafalleras. The bull was nervy with a profound charge if it was dominated low. However, it was also intermittent, it would readily accept the first couple of passes in a series, but became tardy thereafter. It took Abellán a couple of series to get the measure of him, once he did, however, the result was an emotive series of profound derechazos. This was the bull’s only series, once it felt dominated, the bull gave up the ghost with its previously nervy charge becoming slow and bland. He concluded with a wonderful volapié that in other circumstances might have been worth an ear.

The fifth bull of the afternoon was a big and burly fella whose construction did not augur a good charge. It was well picced by Jabato – it is good to remind ourselves that the suerte de varas can convey emotion and is an integral part of the lidia. By the muleta third, the animal displayed mansedumbre and was looking to escape the muleta and head for the boards. Abellán faced up to these diffifulties and managed a few series of well linked derechazos – for a moment it seemed as if the faena would take flight, but it was not to be. All in all a professional display by Abellán who continues to show a level of maturity that makes him a welcome addition to any cartel.

El Fandi was the jovial antidote to Padilla and Abellán’s epic concept. His variety with the capote is always welcome. On this occasion he opted for a galleo by chicuelinas to take the bull to the horse, capped with a creative recorte, and a quite by zapopinas. El Fandi placed banderillas with his customary ease, playfully displaying his atheleticism through the long cuarteos. El Fandi performed a sober and dominant tercio which was purer and more orthodox than his usual outings, without appealing to the public any less. The bull was noble and repetitive and El Fandi began the faena with no tester passes and clean derechazos. He gave the bull distance for the next couple of series of derechazos and although the toreo was clean and linked, they lacked emotion. A professional display by El Fandi which was above the level that we would usually expect from his muleta, but falling short of the level required by the bull. The couple of series of naturales intermingled into the faena were untidy. El Fandi finished with a well-placed an effective media, the type of estocada which is becoming undervalued, that gave way to an insufficient petition. 

The greeting to the sixth bull was, uniquely, a series of zapopinas. An imaginative novelty. Once again, El Fandi was involved and varied with the capote – a welcome facet of his tauromaquia given the paucity of capote wok in today’s toreo. The tercio de banderillas was classic Fandi. David may lack purity, but one cannot doubt his supreme athleticism and astounding consistency to cleanly place banderillas on each bull and in every terrain. He even gave us some variety with this two in one (two pairs linked, the first al violin and the second de poder a poder). The bull did not offer much in the muleta and El Fandi’s weakness is precisely the muleta – there is nothing, therefore, to report from this tercio.

This corrida lived up to its billing. It was never going to be an afternoon of profound artistic toreo. However, the Jandilla bulls offered enough raw material to allow each torero to showcase his communicative toreo. The crowd lapped it all up and enjoyed themselves, which is, ultimately, the point of an afternoon at the bulls.

SEVILLA 24/04/2015 – Novena Corrida

The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.

 

Nuñez del Cuvillo Bulls for Rivera Ordoñez, José María Manzanares and David Galván.

 

A glamorous corrida for the Friday of the feria. Rivera was an underwhelming choice to open proceedings, he was not an intriguing torero when he retired a few years ago, and he is certainly holds no interest on his return. Given his off the sand fame he will be chosen by figuras as their opening act of choice during the season, much to the detriment of the afición. José Mari, still suffering some of the after effects caused by his bout of gastroenteritis, had his last chance to leave his mark on the feria. Moreover, in the scheme of Manzanares’ temporada, a triumph in Sevilla, his favourite plaza, would set down a marker to the other figuras.  David Galván is a young torero from San Fernando who, despite his promising path as a novillero, had not managed to establish himself in the senior escalafón. He has given us some heartening performances in Algeciras and Los Barrios last year, but Galván needs a strong performance in big feria before these opportunities dry up.

The Cuvillo bulls offered an excellent spectacle. Yesterday we had a tough and emotive string of Victorino bulls; today’s animals provided excellent fodder for good faenas de muleta. They were noble and obedient, but charged with enough verve to create emotion. Moreover, despite their compliant condition, they would not forgive a mistake and gave each of Manzanares and Galván serious looking tosses. Unfortunately, the bulls did not receive the treatment that one might have hoped and the only real memorable moments of the corrida came from Manzanares’ muleta.

Rivera, as we feared, was poor. I was about to say disappointing, but that might imply certain expectation. His bull’s offered him noble charges but his toreo to both bulls was entirely cold. Fran was clean and professional, because, after all, we are talking about a torero with twenty odd years’ experience. However, despite a couple of neatly timed series to his second bull, the only conclusion is that both bulls had been wasted.

Manzanares’ afternoon was complex. Had he killed swiftly we would undoubtedly be writing about a well-deserved four ear triumph, but there is the inescapable niggle that he was below the level of both bulls. Manzanares has become a polarising torero. His supporters are drawn to his emphatic elegance and uterly effective sword, while his detractors argue that his toreo tends to expel the bull during the pass and his series are too short. As always, the truth lies in the middle, as we breakdown his performance this afternoon we can unpack the essence, and short comings of his toreo.

His first bull, Encumbrado by name, was superb. It would follow the lure long and true, obey each toque of the muleta and wiling repeat charges. It was brave, but without being suffocating. A supremely classy bull that no doubt approaches the ideal the Cuvillo seeks. Given the plaza, and the torero, it is impossible not to think of Arrojado, the excellent Cuvillo bull pardoned in La Maestranza in 2011 – Encumbrado perhaps lacked the verve of Arrojado, but he was still an excellent specimen.

With him Manzanares was able to showcase all the positives of his tauromaquia. Given the ease with which the bull could be toreado, Manzanares was able to focus all his energy on producing his classy and elegant toreo. The series en redondo flowed smoothly during the long faena, principally with the right hand and underscored by Manzanares’ classic aesthetic; each successive series was more emotive than the previous one as he constructed a faena worthy of two orejas. José Mari’s accessorial toreo was equally beautiful, especially the authoritative trincherazos and eternal cambios de mano. It had been a very good faena, but there was something missing. Despite the aesthetic value of the faena, the series were too short, three derechazos and the remate, and he kept the bull too far from his body at each juncture. Therefore, although the faena was worth a strong triumph, it was not entirely fulfilling.

Manzanares improved with his second bull. It lacked the insulting quality of his first, but was still an excellent animal. His series en redondo continued to be overreliant on the right hand and too short - I feel that Manzanares seeks to give a minimum amount of passes en redondo and cuts them short just as the series should reach its emotive peak, yet he saves himself with his wonderful remates. However, he injected greater emotion to his work with this bull and performed close toreo. Moreover, he misjudged a desplante and suffered a serious tossing which added an epic element to this faena. He opted for an estocada recibiendo and would surely have secured two ears had he not pinchado. Despite his shortcomings, I still value Manzanares’ contribution to the escalafón. Although we can poke holes in his toreo, his elegant manner is to be enjoyed.  

Galván, for his part, also had an inconsistent performance. He was markedly below the level required to his first bull. Cuvillo had given us another noble and classy bull, which would compliantly obey the lures. However, David never managed to get the right distance or positioning to help it repeat its charges. He was therefore unable to link toreo en redondo and the bull’s worth was lost in a sea of single and unfulfilling passes.

It seemed that the plot was following the same arc with the sixth bull. The animal was not as good as its five brothers, but still offered quality charges. The faena, and he afternoon, was seemingly dissipating until Galván suffered a spectacular toss. It initially seemed that he was injured, but David dusted himself off and produced an emotive arrimón that helped justify his afternoon’s work. However, worryingly for Galván’s career prospects, despite the excitement created by his arrimón, his toreo had not produced the triumph that he needed to develop.

SEVILLA 23/04/2015 - Octava de Feria

The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.

Victorino Martín Bulls for Antonio Ferrera, El Cid and Manuel Escribano.

The Victorino bulls were enough of a draw today to bring attract an almost full plaza – another reminder early this season that, programmed in the correct way, intriguing bulls bring in the crowds (and, perhaps, an indication that, contrary to my observations earlier this week, the absence of the G4 figuras may not have been as detrimental to this feria as to the 2014 edition). Of course, the toreros billed with the Victorinos were a logical trio. Antonio Ferrera, triumphed with these bulls in La Maestranza last year, cutting an ear with the best faena of the feria. El Cid has been the Victorino specialist of his generation but is undoubtedly on the wane – this corrida presented itself as a warm up for his encerrona with Victorinos in San Isidro. I fancy that the encerrona may be a bridge to far for the veteran Cid, today would give us a better idea of his current form. Manuel Escribano has been able to salvage his career on the back of a stand out performance with Miuras in Sevilla a couple of years ago. He has since carved a niche for himself combining his jovial concept of toreo with tough corridas, a career path that held Juan José Padilla in good stead for over ten years.

Ferrera’s opening bull had a dozy charge that was reminiscent of the Mexican Saltillo. Ferrera was assured throughout, but the bull’s charge lacked the vitality to be moulded into emotive toreo. The banderillas, shared with Manuel Escribano, were correctly placed. Muleta in hand, Ferrera was able to carefully time the charge with either hand, the series were cleanly executed, but did not ignite the crowd given the bull’s characteristics.

The fourth bull gave a strong performance in pics (an unfortunately rare occurrence) pushing the horse some distance on occasions, withstanding a strong punishment and charging from several metres out for the second pic. The bull continued to charge powerfully in banderillas with Ferrera completing a solid tercio. After dedicating the bull to the crowd, Ferrera began his performance with tester passs that confirmed the Victorino’s vibrancy, although it displayed the worrying tenedency of leaving the torero’s jurisdiction too readily. When it did charge, though, placed its head low and followed the lures with desire. Ferrera channelled this supremely profound charge into a couple of emotive series of derechazos that got the music playing. Ferrera’s toreo al natural was slightly more untidy to begin, the bull retained the threat that it would become rajado while Ferrera was unsure whether to stay still or readjust his footing between each pass – nevertheless, Ferrera was able to extract some silky naturales. Back on the right hand, in the centre of the ring, Ferrera took the faena to a higher level by keeping the lure right in the bull’s face and seamlessly linking five slow and long naturales. Another excellent series of derechazos followed by a series of passes naturales and cambiados taking the bull from the centre of the ring to the tercio served to close this truly supreme faena. There was still time for some doblones after he had taken the real sword and the inevitable murmur of “indulto” – had we been in the provinces the call may have spread, but the petition was quickly silenced (the bull was instead rightly awarded a posthumous vuelta). Unfortunately Ferrera needed various entries with the sword and therefore lost a certain two ears.

I would have liked to have seen El Cid from 2005, rather than his 2015 version, with this afternoon’s bulls. In 2005, Manuel Jesus might have cut a couple of ears from this lot, perhaps more. In 2015 he floundered. El Cid’s bull was a technically challenging animal that required conviction in order to be able to unlock its charge. Manuel Jesus was unable to do so and was therefore only able to extract isolated good passes; the faena teetered on the brink of emotion, but El Cid lacked the wherewithal to link a whole series so his work dissipated into nothing.

The fifth bull of the afternoon was a fierce customer. El Cid needed to be assured and dominant in order to face the challenge posed by the animal. Once again he came short. Where a low hand, good timing and firmness were needed, all El Cid displayed were doubts. It was disheartening to see El Cid overcome by his inability to hold his nerve. Here was torero that had understood the saltillo bull so well and repeatedly showed the valour to extract worthy faenas from dangerous Victorinos but now seemed to be reaching the end of his road. While I wish him all the best for his encerrona, I cannot help but think that a solid performance is beyond him. 

Escribano returned the favour to Ferrera and invited him to place banderillas to the third bull. The highlight of the tercio was Escribano’s pair combining a quiebro and the violin up against the boards – a risky effort that connected with the crowd. The bull’s charge was noble and delicate; Escribano was able to rise to the occasion and torear with the slowness the bull required. The highlight was the third series, al natural, characterised by long, well timed passes. However, the bull was, after all, a Victorino and it suddenly got the measure of Escribano – it guessed that there was a man behind the lure and its focus change towards chopping its way through passes in an attempt to catch Escribano. Manuel was able to withstand the bull’s stops and starts and once again managed to unlock its long charges in a very emotive and risky series of .beautifully crafted naturales. He killed with a tightly executed full sword thrust that gave Escribano the first ear of the afternoon.   

The sixth bull was disconcerting. Escribano placed he banderillas on his own on this ocaacion and gave us a spectacular tercio capped with a par al quiebro calling the bull while sat on the boards – the banderillas were cleanly placed and their tight execution brough the crowd to its feet. The bull reached the muleta full of vigour and Escribano struggled to control it early on. However, just as it seemed as if the bull was imposing its will on Escribano, it stopped charging. We are left with the question of whether, with better control in the early part of the faena, the bull would have lasted longer. This would probably have been, but, ultimately, I am not sure that the bull would have given us a memorable faena in any event. 

SEVILLA 22/04/2015 – Séptima Corrida

The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.

 

Parladé bulls for Enrique Ponce, Sebastián Castella and José Garrido (who took the alternativa).

Another figura cartel and another full plaza. Yesteryear La Maestranza would be full from the pre-feria Thursday until the closing corrida. It was understandable, there was generally a full complement of figuras and the world’s aficón would flock to the city (the empresa would always try to wangle a conflict with a top torero, to reduce costs, presumably, but a single absence could be absorbed by the feria). However, in the last couple of years the panorama has changed, the empresa has ostracised most of the principal figuras – who are not entirely blameless, it takes two to tango – and the afición has stayed away. So far this feria the only full plazas have been on the days that wither Ponce or Manzanares has appeared, the other days the plaza has been half full. It will be interesting to see the pull of the Miuras and the Victorino bulls in the final stretch of the feria.

Ponce was making his second and final appearance of the feria. He undoubtedly has one last Sevilla triumph in him before he retires, all Enrique needs is a minimally compliant lot of bulls. Would today be the day? I was looking forward to watching Castella, he has always been a supremely brave torero that struggled with toreo en redondo. However, over the past year there has been a reposed element to his work and promisingly Sebastián has started the season in similar style in Valencia. José Garrido was the stand out novillero of 2014 (and indeed of many a season, such was the standard of his campaign), but it is a damning indictment of the way that the fiesta is organised that rather than giving him an early alternativa and prominent early corridas, he has been left to start cold in late April.

The opening bull of the afternoon was sent back to the pen for being lame. Its replacement began nicely, charging with emotion to Garrido’s capote allowing for a stirring series of veronicas capped with a media on his knees. The pleasing capote work continued during a tight quite by chicuelinas, which nearly finished with a tossing as Garrido slightly mistimed the concluding larga cordobesa. The bull’s charge in the muleta third declined, it was mobile but inconsistent and Garrido was only able to perform a couple of good series with the right hand. From the middle of the faena onwards the bull was visibly hobbling and the performance therefore ended on an untidy note.

For a brief moment at the start of the faena de muleta it seemed as if Ponce’s first bull would offer enough quality for a good faena. However, this was just a mirage. Enrique was able to give a couple of controlled mid-height derechazos, but at the third one he lowered the hand and the bull fell. The faena subsequently descended into nothing with the bull becoming ever more reticent to charge. Another poor bull for Ponce in Sevilla. The highlight of his performance was his well-executed and efficient estocada.

Castella’s opener charged beautifully and long to José Chacon’s capote during the early lidia. Previously it had given Garrido the chance to perform a tight and pleasing quite by gaoneras. The stage was therefore set nicely for Castella’s faena de muleta. The bull charged emotively and powerfully to Castella’s opening doblones, it appeared that the animal would require a well-timed and dominant muleta to control its charge. Castella’s first and series of derechazos was excellent. Well timed and long, each pass showed the progress of the Frenchman’s toreo en redondo. The band should have started playing, but the conductor inexplicably opted to remain silent. The bull was slightly more reticent on the left side, but Castella was able to extract enough for a couple of long and profound naturales. Returning to the right side, the faena increased in intensity with longer and slower muletazos – the music now started playing. Unfortunately it was too late. Castella stopped the musicians, he knew that the bull was finished and all that was left was the arrimón. A tight, closely worked and controlled arrimón, it neatly juxtaposed the silky smooth toreo en redondo. If only he had been able to secure a good estocada, rather than the ugly succession of pinchazos, he would have surely cut a thoroughly deserved ear.

Ponce’s second bull was an El Pilar substitute, entirely empty of casta, with whom Ponce tried in vain to perform a faena worthy of the name. However, just as it looked like all was left was to head for the sword, Ponce relied on his superlative timing to tease a number of mid height series en redondo from the bull. A triumph was impossible, but Enrique showed once again his ability of extracting good toreo from a vacuous bull. Thus ended Ponce’s disappointing feria, none of the four bulls faced gave him the slightest chance at a triumph – we will have to wait until next year.

The fifth bull developed a positive charge during the course of the lidia, as it should be. It came out bland and reticent to charge and by banderillas it was galloping towards its targets. José Garrido, active in quite throughout the afternoon, gave an attractive series of chicuelinas capped with a delicate media. However, the bull’s early improvement was deceptive and it only lasted a couple of series with the muleta. Castella started his faena with passes cambiados in the centre of the ring; an exciting opening. Disappointingly, he could only manage a couple of series of toreo fundamental before the bull gave up the ghost and headed for the boards.

Garrido finished the corrida with a nervy and mobile Juan Pedro Domecq bull that displayed the qualities we had expected from its Parladé brothers. The animal’s pressing desire to chase the lure made him a tough proposition for young Garrido who gave us an inconsistent faena. On the occasions that he was able to lower the hand and time the charge, the series en redondo were dominant and emotive. However, this is easier said than done and what we saw was a young matador who faced up to the challenge posed by a tough bull and was not always to impose his will on proceedings. I will not hold this against him, the credit that Garrido has built as a novillero will not be spent with this performance. Besides, there are few toreros that would have fared much better with such an demanding opponent, and a few of them have not been minded to appear in La Maestranza this season.

SEVILLA 21/04/2015 – Sexta Corrida

SEVILLA 21/04/2015 – Sexta Corrida

 

The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I have watched on TV.

 

El Pilar Bulls for Finito de Córdoba, José María Manzanares and Daniel Luque.

Five corridas down and the feria is still waiting for its first important triumph and for the faena that would live in the memory and define the feria. The highlight thus far had been a very good Fuente Ymbro corrida, regrettably wasted by an inexperienced trio. Manzanares had cut a couple of ears on his previous appearance but these owed more to his excellent estocadas rather than his toreo. He has a couple of corridas left in this feria and needs to make a statement. Finito was the chosen opening act, his classy toreo means that I always look forward to seeing him, his inconsistency means I never expect much. Daniel Luque closed the trio, he faced a putrid Montalvo string on his first afternoon; today was his last chance to lay down a sold marker for the season. As always, we wonder, will this be the season that Daniel breaks as a figura?

The El Pilar bulls offered a mixed spectacle. The first three bulls classy to the extreme, verging on sickly sweet, while the last three were disappointing animals that did not allow for good toreo.

Finito’s opener was brave and classy, the ideal bull for his particular brand of elegant toreo. We got a typical Finito performance, wherein the shining toreo was undermined by a certain lack of ambition. The toreo we did see was absolutely wonderful, his toreo al natural with the right hand was long and smooth. He was eve better with the left hand, giving us more long and low passes with an extra profoundness. All of which was underscored by his natural class. In case we needed something more, the accessorial toreo was brilliant, innovative and emphatic. The highlight was a cambio the mano that started like a trincherazo and concluded like a recorte, truly enchanting, magical toreo. Nevertheless, the performance was undermined by the feeling that the bull had enough bravery to allow for a greater more emphatic faena. Finito’s work with the muleta was memorable and would have certainly led to an ear had he killed effectively. The bull, however, called for a truly complete work of art.   

Manzanares first bull was a classy and compliant animal that, nevertheless, lacked the edge of piquancy of the first bull. It had the stamina for a long faena that was built on Manzanares aesthetically pleasing toreo en redondo, principally on its right hand side. However, notwithstanding the length of the faena, once again, I had the impression that something was lacking. If I was presenting the case for the torero, I would point to the bull’s overly classy condition. It would follow the lures obediently and was noble, but ultimately its charge was too sweet to be emotive. However, now fighting from the ganadero’s corner, the torero is required to supplant any element that may be missing from the bull’s behaviour in order to create a worthy piece of art. Therefore, with such a long faena, Manzanares ought to have complimented his superficially beautiful toreo with greater emotion, because, despite the length and of his smooth faena, Manzanares left me disconcertingly cold. That said, there were enough positives that, had he been able to secure an effective estocada, he would have deservedly cut an ear.

The story repeated itself with the third bull. Luque faced a noble animal, but he lacked the repose during the faena to bring the best out of it. There were some notable moments, especially with the cape – a handful of opening veronicas were wonderfully cadenced. However, the toreo fundamental with the muleta underwhelmed. The bull did not have the quality of the two openers, but still allowed Luque to perform another faena that might have been better served with a calmer structure. The standout moment of Luque’s performance was his long series of neat and smoothly linked luquesinas – the crowd initially met them with resistance but after a couple of linked passes it fully submitted to this toreo. I find it striking that Luque, a torero who performs so smoothly with the cape, needs to rely on arrimones and encimismo with the muleta. If he is to take the next step in his career Daniel’s toreo en redondo needs to improve towards the level of his cape work and accessorial close toreo.

The first half of this corrida had been a series of what ifs. What if the toreros had found the technical wherewithal to extract the maximum potential from the bulls? What if the bulls had that extra spice to their charges?  Ultimately, the only certainty was that we had been left with a series of “nearly” faenas.

Sadly, that was all we would have for the afternoon. The remaining three bulls were empty and did not allow for any performances of note. To make matters worse, Manzanares had been taken to the infirmary at the death of the second bull (José Mari would return for the sixth); he needed a drip to treat his dehydration, caused by a bout of gastroenteritis. No sniggering at the back please…