Italian baritone Vittorio Prato (right) plays the role of Don Giovanni in the international cast. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Commenting on the music, Lyu says: "This opera written in Italian really is the pinnacle of Mozart's opera works. It is a perfect combination of music, drama, stage and dialogue, and portrays every character in a vivid way. Many of today's opera works cannot meet this standard.

"I believe the challenge really lies in how to present the characters' psyche and manage the entire stage."

Kokkos concurs, saying that Don Giovanni was an avantgarde work at its time. And he intends to balance the elements of comedy and tragedy, and maximize the dramatic effect of the opera, via his modest yet richly illustrative stage design.

"We want to present the opera like a fantasy by constructing a modern and complex view of the space, with many metaphoric and spiritual ideas," Kokkos says.

Contact the writer at chengyuezhu@chinadaily.com.cn

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