The rehearsal is taking place in the NCPA's Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, one of the city's auditoriums with the finest acoustics. The back of the auditorium is packed with NCPA members and some of Mumbai's most serious Western music fans who have tiptoed in with special passes for the rehearsal to witness the craft of apro Zubin.
The audience is as quiet as mice, fanatically stifling coughs and sneezes and not even daring to shuffle their feet or adjust their position out of sheer reverence for the maestro. The tiny electronic ping of my camera going on attracts 360 degree swivels and angry stares. Many of them have tickets to the Saturday performance as well but have still taken out time to view the rehearsal, some of them bringing kids and ancient, decrepit grannies in tow. The Parsi representation is of course high, elegant in shawls and silver grey hair dos.
Click on the play button to hear a very rare clip of music -- of Zubin Mehta conducting the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Also read: Zubin Mehta gets Kennedy Center honours
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