This fall, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director, takes the podium to lead an exhilarating artistic one-two punch: the company premiere of Mason Bates’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (September 21–October 11), followed by a star-studded revival of Mozart’s Don Giovanni (September 24–October 25). The dynamic maestro recently discussed the exciting month ahead.

What makes The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay the right opera for opening night?
Yannick Nézet-Séguin: Even though this opera takes place during World War II, it speaks powerfully to our society today. It’s set during an era when the United States was leading the way in welcoming people and fighting against oppression. I’m convinced this is still very much what it means to be American, and hopefully this opera will touch people and reawaken their commitment to those values. It also reminds us how art can be an outlet for people to overcome their traumas, fight for what is right, and make their lives better. 

What kind of music should audiences expect from Kavalier & Clay?
Mason has a unique style that comes from his eclectic upbringing in music. He draws upon traditional classical music while also incorporating electronics in a way that emphasizes and enhances the acoustic instruments. In this score, I think his use of electronic instruments has reached an entirely new level of storytelling, particularly in how he depicts the comic-book world, which has this thrilling, almost futuristic feel. 

You’re also conducting Don Giovanni. It’s hard to believe that it will be the first time you lead a Mozart opera at the Met.
I can’t believe it—especially considering I’ve lived with Mozart’s music and conducted and recorded his operas over the course of my entire career. Don Giovanni might be my favorite Mozart opera. The score is so elegant, as Mozart always is, but in places it’s almost like Beethoven in its rage and its darkness. We have a wonderful cast, led by Ryan Speedo Green in the title role, and I’m particularly excited to work with the orchestra on Mozart. Of course, they are experts at playing his operas, but I am looking forward to sharing my own vision with them. 

How has your relationship with the orchestra and chorus deepened over your time as Music Director?
Every season I return to the Met, my admiration for my colleagues in the orchestra and chorus grows. They are some of the most talented, versatile, flexible musicians performing anywhere in the world. They are able to adapt their style to whatever composer they are performing—not just Mozart and Bellini or Verdi, Wagner, and Strauss, but also Bates, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Kaija Saariaho. I just love making music with them and am inspired by them more and more. And I hope together we continue to inspire our audiences.