Stars he considers as much of a problem as an asset. “At the Komische Oper, I’m lucky to work with a regular ensemble, but elsewhere you’re at the mercy of packed diaries. Big names like Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Netrebko are wonderful creatures, and they aren’t anti-director by any means, but they just won’t commit to the rehearsal periods that allow you to go further. Opera in general needs a more rigorous working environment.”

Indeed, for all his passion, Kosky is no starry-eyed evangelist. He knows the limitations but is anxious to preserve the primacy of the theatrical experience. “I have nothing against HD relays to cinemas per se – I understand why people enjoy and need them, even though they don’t float my boat. But they are no substitute for live, unamplified performance and I worry about the statistics suggesting that HD is eroding audiences outside capital cities fast.”

Kosky wistfully admits that his life is currently “90 per cent consumed by opera”. He wishes he had time to return to his roots in theatre, but he is excited by plans (still under wraps) to make his first feature film. The other 10 per cent is taken up with sleeping, and mourning Blomfeld, his cocker spaniel, and his heart’s companion for the last 14 years, who recently died in his arms after a heart attack – on the steps of the Komische Oper.