India 's Zubin Mehta who has conducted orchestras all over the world visited Mumbai (Bombay) last week with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Western classical music comes to Mumbai this week (updated to last week) as the city marks the birth centenary of one of its most famous sons with a star-studded series of concerts.
Zubin Mehta will take to the stage to honour his late father, Mehli Mehta, conducting the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and soloists including Spanish tenor Placido Domingo, soprano Barbara Frittoli and pianist Daniel Barenboim.
Profits from ticket sales at the event, which runs from Tuesday to Sunday, will go towards the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation and the creation of a school to nurture the best of India's new young musical talent, organisers said.
"I wish my father was here personally today," Zubin Mehta told a news conference Monday, his voice cracking with emotion. "The programme we have chosen was completely his favourite music... It's music he himself performed."
He added: "This is a mini-festival of classical music which has never been staged in India."
Mehli Mehta was an Indian conductor, violinist and teacher who did much to put Western classical music on the map in India in the 1930s and 1940s, founding the Bombay Symphony Orchestra and the Bombay String Quartet.
He later became leader at Britain's renowned Halle Orchestra and set up the American Youth Symphony after moving to Los Angeles and becoming active in the university music scene. Mehta died in 2002 aged 94.
Zubin Mehta, 72, is also a renowned conductor, while Mehli Mehta's other son, Zarin, 70, is executive director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
Most of the performers have never played before in India and Zubin Mehta told reporters he hoped the experience would act as a spur to young people to become interested in Western classical music.
Domingo and Frittoli will headline an open-air concert Saturday at the Brabourne Stadium cricket ground, singing extracts from operas like "Carmen", "Aida", "Tosca" and "La Traviata".
Mehta added that there was no direct competition with Indian classical music, which exponents say is currently suffering from a dearth of younger players and singers.
Saturday, 18 October 2008
India 's Zubin
Posted by Amrita at Saturday, October 18, 2008
Labels: Video
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10 Fertilize my soul:
Amrita, your blog is delightful! Thanks so much for providing a place where we come and are informed and challenged and warmed and -- entertained! I will direct my 14-year-old violinist here today!
:)
Good music puts a smile on the face! Thanks for the smiles today!
Beautiful music...I sent this link to my MIL..she visited..she knew Zubin's father..my hubby also loved this..he loves clessical music..thank you..I hope you are enjoying the conference you wanted to go ths weekend..
Love, Sita
Thank you Sita and Carol-Ann,
Both of you are great musicians.
Carol-Ann you are a composer too . You should burn your own CD.
I love classical music and ZubinMehta is one of my favourite conductors.
I saw his interview on TV when he was here.
Wow Sita , your Mom I remember from your testimony, was from a Parsi background, that' s how she must have known Zubin 's father. The Parsees are a close knit community
I love the violin too.
Wow, that is a once in a lifetime event that one must never miss. Good for the people of Mumbai since they will be treated with world class classical music and opera. Yes, I agree with Zubin Mehta that western classical music will not class with classical Indian music. They can even complement each other. Placido Domingo is one of my favorite opera singers. Thanks for the "classical" post. God bless you always my friend.
No, Amrita..I was referring to my mother-in-law. Their neighbour and dear friend in Bombay was a violinist and Parsi--he was the one who introduced them to Mehta's dad long ago. My in-laws are Anglo-Indian from Mumbai...
...were you able to attend the conference?..
Blessings, sweet sister..
Hi Mel,
I am glad you like Indian classical music. I 've been trained in it (sitar)
That 's great Sita, I remember now.
My conference is from the 26-29 of Oct.Still a week to go.
Pray that i may find someone to 'babysit ' my mother. She feels insecure and lonely when i am away, even for a short time.
Dear Carol-Ann, do a video of Kinza playing the violin and put it up for us.We 'd like a command performance from her, and you can accompany her on the piano.
Hi Amrita, I love classical music,but know very little of the history,are it's performers. Thanks so much for sharing your wealth of information. Thank you for visiting me,and for your sweet comment...
Have a blessed Lord's day,Shelley
Dear Amrita,
wow, I did not know Mehta was Indian. I've seen him conduct on TV may a time. His musicians seem to love him, so do I.
Good that he took the music home.
From Felisol
PS. Isn't that awkward, we know the musicians and the composers, but not their nationality.
Just like you did not know Grieg, our national hero.
His Peer Gynt music is some of the most Norwegian one can possibly imagine.
(Peer Gynt, a play, written by Henry Ibsen, also a national treasure)
From Felisol
I think I have Peer Gynt on a tape somewhere Felisol and I know about Henry Isben, from my English Literature classes at university.
Splendid stuff.I just did not know they were Norwegians.
Hi Amrita!
Thanks for your comments! If and when we do a little video we shall let you know. Right now I am not an active blogger -- apart from the wieght loss blog I share with my sis but that is more of a practical project than a personal blog! :)
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