Globally celebrated conductor Zubin Mehta was greeted with a standing ovation as he walked to the podium at Mumbai’s packed Jamshed Bhabha Theatre recently. His movements seem to have slowed down considerably with age but the familiar enthusiasm and aura were still intact. After greeting the audience, the 88-year-old maestro faced musicians of the Symphony Orchestra of India, and raised his baton to the overture of ‘Die Fiedermaus’, composed by Austrian legend Johann Strauss II.
It was the first of four shows conducted by Mumbai-born Zubin Mehta for the National Centre of Performing Arts (NCPA) Autumn Season – 2024. The first two nights showcased famous Viennese tunes composed by Strauss, with a good mix of waltzes, polkas and overtures. The last two shows (August 24 and 25), Zubin conducted music by German composer Richard Strauss, including the tone poems ‘Don Juan’ and ‘Ein Heldenleben’, and ‘Four Last Songs’ featuring American soprano Angel Blue, who came in…