Excerpt – … the combination of opera seria and buffa, that aspect is very important to me. From a conductor’s point of view (as well as the orchestra’s) the more light and funny you make certain moments, the more dramatic, dark and powerful it makes the others – especially when the Commendatore returns. I think that’s the key in this opera, but I think it is in Mozart generally. This is why he was a genius. That is the risk – to do this subject as an opera seria but having these buffa elements (without actually taking you away from the story) requires mastery.