For the practice the orchestra folks have come very casually dressed. T-shirts, shorts, sling bags. Some of them are barefoot, having abandoned their flip flops as they concentrated on their violins and flutes. Some wander in and out to bong a drum and then depart.
Seventy-two-year-old, silver-haired Mehta looks very trim and energetic in a dark maroon T-shirt and brown slacks as he hops around on his pedestal, alternately conducting standing or sitting on a high chair.
The atmosphere wildly switches between a happy classroom vibe, with Mehta as the benevolent but stern teacher... And an enchanting scene. Actually watching a conductor like Mehta create the perfect, dreamy sound of a symphony from a bunch of musicians playing a whole range of instruments, ranging from unwieldy harps to tall cellos is really like witnessing a bit of magic. As he conducts, demanding a higher note from the violins or a more mellow sound from the trombone, it is as if he is finetuning a well-oiled machine and we are not talking about a roomful of people.
Also read: 'India is in his marrow'
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