Zubin Mehta in Mumbai: My life conducting orchestra is like a molten lava, it never stops

Maestro Zubin Mehta will be conducting the Symphony Orchestra of India in Mumbai this August. Photo Courtesy: NCPA

Even at the age of 88, Mumbai-born maestro Zubin Mehta has a child-like enthusiasm when talking about music and conducting the orchestra in a career that has spanned over 60 years with some of the best. So, what inspires him to continue doing what he does, we ask? He quickly expresses, "My life conducting orchestra is like a molten lava, it is never stops. It just goes on and on. In fact, I have just had two weeks of vacation and now I go on till Christmas and then again."

Mehta has returned to Mumbai to conduct NCPA's Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI)'s Autumn 2024 Season concerts after his first time in 2023, presented in association with the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation. The performances, which will happen on August 17-18 and August 24-25, will see him conduct the orchestra featuring the compositions of Johann Strauss II and Richard Strauss respectively.

The first two concerts will feature light Viennese music by the great Johann Strauss II, including ‘Overture to Die Fledermaus' and ‘Emperor Waltz'. For the performance, the SOI will be joined by soprano soloist Chen Reiss, known to be one of the most perfect Strauss voices. The following two concerts that will take place next weekend will see the music of German composer Richard Strauss, best known for his tone poems and operas. The concerts include Don Juan, the India premiere of Ein Heldenleben, and Four Last Songs, which will be sung by soprano Krassimira Stoyanova.

Reminiscing about Mumbai
Undoubtedly, all of this is even more special because he is in Mumbai, his birthplace. Moving to Vienna at the age of 18 to learn music at the Vienna State Academy, Mehta has come to Mumbai many times over the years. In fact, he reminisces his early days of studying at Campion School in Fort and later St Mary's School in Mazgaon with Khushroo N Suntook, chairman of the NCPA, before going St Xavier's College, noting how they know each other from the time they have been children, and their bonhomie is visibly infectious.

Coming back as an accomplished conductor almost two decades after that. he distinctly remembers his performance here. He narrates, "The first time I came here was in 1967 to Shanmukhananda Hall and it took us three hours to get there. Our first concert was on Diwali night, and I hadn't warned the musicians that they would be hearing firecrackers, and they thought they were being bombarded at the time." It was not only the performance that brings back fond memories of the city's love for iconic performance spaces and festivals but also others that are probably buried in the soul of South Mumbai. He adds, "I remember the workers at the Taj Mahal Hotel were on strike and the musicians refused to enter the hotel because they were good American union members. We had to house them at private houses for those few days."

Since then, Mehta, whose father Mehli Mehta started the Bombay Philharmonic Orchestra, says he has come here with so many different orchestras and all have loved it. "All have come with reduced fees including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Last year, I have come and was so impressed with the Symphony Orchestra of India, where I did the Mahler First Symphony, and they were prepared before I came, and I really had a very good time. I would not have come back if I did not have an incentive or the appreciation for the music," he adds.

Celebrating Western Classical music over the years, he has definitely seen it evolve in more than one way and rightfully so as he has travelled over the world. He explains, "Over the years, there are some audiences you have to inspire with programming and get popular soloists or conductors to draw them to the public. In Central Europe there is no problem; In east and west coast of America, and some cities in the central like Chicago, there is no problem with getting the public."

Beyond attracting the audience, he says there is a vibrant culture of encouraging more people to listen to Western Classical music. "All orchestras have children's concerts where they start educating the younger generation who would want to come to these concerts. During these children's concerts, listening to classical music is being made a sort of fun experience for them so that they want to come again. So, these specialist conductors think of different methods on how to cajole and inspire children to come to their concerts and hopefully they will grow up and buy subscription tickets to the whole season," he concludes

I asked Lang Lang, you come from a small town in Manchuria, how come you play piano, he said everybody plays piano in my city. Today, most Chinese who play piano have Lang Lang and Hue Jhao Wang as their idols. They all want to become such great soloists and they are.