Maestro returns with fiery baton

At the age of 89, Zubin Mehta has achieved more than most musicians could dream of in a lifetime. Yet the legendary conductor shows no sign of slowing down. His baton still moves with commanding grace, his eyes flash with that familiar intensity, and his presence remains magnetic as he leads the Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino on a highly anticipated concert tour across China.

From last Saturday to next Thursday, the tour is visiting six Chinese cities, including Beijing, Wuhan in Hubei province, Changsha in Hunan province, and Shanghai, with eight concerts, featuring two distinct programs.

Last summer, Mehta and the Florence-based orchestra performed at Beijing's National Centre for the Performing Arts. At the time, the maestro promised he would return in 2025 — and last Saturday, he fulfilled that promise. Returning to the NCPA — the first stop of the tour — he took the podium once again with his signature elegance and boundless energy.

The concert program, rich and emotionally varied, reflects Mehta's deep reverence for the classical canon and his passion for musical storytelling.

The first half opened with three powerful excerpts from Verdi's operas, capturing the sweeping drama and emotional intensity of Verdi's characters who often wrestle with destiny.

A highlight for Mehta was Ballet Music from Act II from Aida. Having conducted this opera countless times throughout his career — including his iconic 1965 production at the Metropolitan Opera in New York — Mehta once described the 2015 NCPA staging of Aida as "the best Aida" he "ever did".The ballet sequence, with its layered rhythms and contrasting sonorities, conveyed fleeting moments of joy amid the harsh realities of war.

In the second half, the orchestra turned inward with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 5 in E Minor. While Verdi explores fate as an external force, Tchaikovsky's vision is introspective — an internal dialogue between the self and the forces that shape human destiny.

Last Sunday, the second NCPA concert featured quite a different program. Mehta led the orchestra in Beethoven's Leonore Overture No 3, Op 72b, one of several overtures written for Fidelio — Beethoven's only opera.

The concert also featured Chinese pianist An Tianxu, who performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 3 in C Minor, Op 37 with power and finesse.

"As a pianist, you always dream of performing with legends. Working with maestro Mehta for the first time has been an extraordinary honor. This concerto is one of Beethoven's most dramatic and introspective works, and performing it under maestro Mehta's baton brought out layers of dialogue and intensity I hadn't experienced before," says An, 26.

The evening concluded with Brahms' Symphony No 1 in C Minor, Op 68, a cornerstone of the Romantic repertoire. This symphony, which Brahms labored over for more than a decade, was met with critical acclaim upon its premiere in 1876 — and remains a monumental work in symphonic literature.

"I love the Chinese audience, and we have a bond. They are very enthusiastic and passionate about music," Mehta told China Daily in an interview on July 18.

He added, "I love returning to China. This time, what excites me most is that we'll perform in Chongqing — I've never been there before, and I'm looking forward to it."

Mehta's connection with China goes far beyond the concert hall. He fondly remembers conducting a New Year's concert in 2008 with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He also recalls, with great pride, the spectacular 1998 production of Puccini's Turandot at the Forbidden City, directed by famed filmmaker Zhang Yimou.

"That was an unforgettable experience," Mehta says. "Zhang Yimou was there, busy with the production, and everyone was excited. The long standing ovations from the audience — it stays with me." In 1998's Turandot, Mehta led the Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino for nine consecutive evenings of sold-out performances before audiences of over 4,000.

His bond with China also has personal roots. One of his father's elder brothers worked at a cotton factory in Shanghai in the 1930s. Mehta's grandmother visited him there and shared stories of the city back in India.

"Years later, when my cousin — that uncle's son — visited us in Mumbai, he spoke only the Shanghai dialect," Mehta recalls with a laugh.

Born into a musical family, Mehta's father was a distinguished violinist and the founder of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra. At 18, Mehta left India to study in Vienna, paving the way for an illustrious international career. Over the decades, he has led many of the world's top orchestras — including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the 1960s and '70s, and the New York Philharmonic in the 1980s. He was also named music director for life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

"I've known him since 1987," says Wray Armstrong, the founder and chairman of Armstrong International Music and Arts Enterprises Ltd, which co-organized the current China tour. "Back then, we worked together on a concert with the Israel Philharmonic in Toronto. Now, we're honored to bring him back with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino — an orchestra from Florence, the cradle of opera.

"This tour is not just about music. It's a meaningful cultural exchange between China and Italy, celebrating the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries."