“Perfection is deeply boring.” - Anthony Roth Costanzo 

That's one of the best comments on anyone I've ever read. So many tend to think musicians are all a little crazy ;-)

I agree! Secure, mature, articulate, "real", joy-filled, thoughtful. The polar opposite of a "primadonna."

He is a wonderful person, just as you describe! (We were in an opera together at grad school) :)

Yes because we're all living fake lives here.

Stefania I agree.

Me too!!

@EileenPollock if there's anything I dream of, it is having an opportunity to watch the trilogy of Glass' "Portrait-operas" live: "Einstein on the beach", "Satyagraha" and "Akhnaten"... I had the chance to see Mr. Glass playing with violinist Tim Fain here in Brazil in 2012 (and it was breathtaking!) but I won't rest until I watch his operas live

Me too just today

Also just discovered him through the Met Saturday broadcast of Philip Glass' "Akhnaten" (5/28/22). Never knew a "counter baritone" voice existed.

Thanks for watching and sharing, Robert N!

Absolutely right. But I suspect that the school systems in the USA put just as little emphasis on music as in Germany. Is that correct? Vollkommen richtig. Ich habe aber den Verdacht, dass die Schulsysteme in den USA genauso wenig Musik in den Vordergrund stellen wie in Deutschland. Ist das richtig?

One of my favorites!

So war er, der olle Beethoven.

Doesn't mean 'pErFeCTiOn iS bORiNg'.

@@HAYAOLEONE well perfection is quite boring, if one were to play perfect all the time there is no struggle. The struggle makes the battle, do you understand ?

@@print-helloworld-8977 lol I think _you_ would need to understand a few things before doing what you do, child.. _ 🤡🤡🤡 'pErFeCTiON iS bORiNg HURR DURR' 🤡🤡🤡

Saw Ahknaten at a theatre yesterday. So glad to get a chance to be introduced to Anthony’s talent.

@@LivingtheClassicalLife Aujourd'hui, il fait -9C à Montréal. J'ai marché 3 kilomètres sur la rue Mont-Royal, d'un bon pas et en évitant tous les obstacles ... avec en boucle dans les écouteurs, l'album ARC (Anthony Roth Constanzo accompagné par Les Violons du Roy - Glass & Handel). Le BONHEUR !!!

Listen !!!! I live!! I involuntarily exclaimed *PERIOD* at the end of his response. I was shook. It really connected with such potency it's unreal!!

Thanks for watching, Edward Ruane!

What a heterophobic bigot you are. Countertenors suck. Phoney baloney voice.

Bwah ha ha!! Now you know how it feels, prick!

Never heard a countertenor that didn't sound like a blowsy mezzo that should have retired several seasons back. BTW: I'm gay and a life-long opera buff.

@@hrh4961 I believe that the standards for countertenors are not as high as in the overall repertoire, as it is a "recently re-discovered" voice. However, I would suggest anyone to listen to Philippe Jaroussky if they haven't yet, for example ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Gj7LZW0vp1c.html. His melodic line, dynamic nuances and colors give such a stunning feeling to the aria!

that's a fair comment

It's the imperfections that inevitably arise on the path to perfection that make the journey beautiful. Perfection is ultimately subjective anyway, as is art.

Yes, you need to strive to do your absolute best technically, but then you have to let it go. Striving for technical perfection over the soul of the music is where it takes away the life.

@@robinorene What's often called "technical perfection" is just the ignorance of what's going on musically. You need to know all the little details in harmony, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, sound etc.. Some lucky people seem to have this knowledge just by intuition, others don't. That's why the "letting go" approach doesn't work for everyone. Most of us will have to consciously consider how to play each note, phrase, passage.

@@kpunkt.klaviermusik I agree - and I am a singer and pianist, however, as a singer especially, if I continue to focus on perfection while I’m performing, and never letting go into the passion of the music, I am my own stumbling block. But I agree with Eugene Peterson’s quote - years of discipline for an instant of freedom. This freedom is not easy to achieve, takes many years of discipline and is not continual,. I’m at the point while striving to work my hardest/smartest and be the most proficient I can in so much work leading up to a performance,, if I ultimately can’t let go and experience the music with my whole being, it is losing something. I agree with all the work, all you said of course. I’m saying it’s wonderful and totally life-giving when you can get to the point of trusting all that and giving your being to the music.

OMG I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE!!! yaaaassssssss exactly

You need to listen fully to what he says. We sometimes far too quickly react to what we're hearing and unconsciously are thinking through an argument or point -- too busy to hear what was said. Re: "what he said" -- in full -- not just the phrase as it is titled, I totally agree.

They strived for perfection, but imperfection is always inevitable. That's what makes one human, and opera is a delve into humanity.

But at one point, you have to let the focus on technical perfection go. You have to just sing, trusting that all the work you have put in will be there.