The Hindu : National : Zubin Mehta, Rostropovich to perform in Mumbai

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 09, 2005

National

National

Zubin Mehta, Rostropovich to perform in Mumbai

By Kalpana Sharma

LIVING LEGENDS: Maestro Zubin Mehta with legendary cellist, Mstislav Rostropovich at a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday. — Photo: Vivek Bendre

MUMBAI, APRIL 8. He says his nationality is unspecified and his home is in an airplane. But Russian-born world-renowned cellist, Mstislav Rostropovich, is excited to be back in India after 20 years to play with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra conducted by the celebrated Indian-born conductor, Zubin Mehta. (The inaugural concert got under way today.)

Greatest cellist

The 78-year-old maestro, considered to be the greatest living cellist, will play in the first two of three concerts in Mumbai organised by the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation, dedicated to the memory of Zubin Mehta's late father, who was also a conductor.

The idea of this set of concerts, Mr. Mehta said, came from Mr. Rostropovich when they met in Munich a year back . "Mstislav said to me that once in my life I want to go to your country and play two concerts to raise funds to start a music school in memory of your father," he said . That began the process that resulted in the orchestra — based in Florence, Italy — agreeing to perform at a much lower fee.

The concerts are supported by the Italian Government and the Tata Group.

The proceeds from the third concert will go towards tsunami relief efforts.

Mr. Mehta's association with Mr. Rostropovich goes back to 1964 in Los Angeles when he conducted an orchestra in which the cellist played. In Mumbai, he said, Mr. Rostropovich would play the same piece that he had taught Mr. Mehta many years ago.

"We will start rehearsing tomorrow morning as if we have never played it before", he said.

For Zubin Mehta, Mumbai is always home. It is the city in which he was raised and went to school.

"Each time I come here, it is like the first time," he said. There was a great deal of talent in the Indian community around the world, he said, but without a school of music, it was not possible to turn out musicians who could excel in Western music.

The Mehli Mehta Music Foundation tries to foster awareness and interest in music in children.

On Saturday, Zubin Mehta and some of the members of the orchestra will spend time playing different pieces of music exclusively for children.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National