Only An Octave Apart, Anthony Roth Costanzo and Justin Vivian Bond
While researching opera for my next novel, I was introduced to the marvelously uncanny voice of Anthony Roth Costanzo, a countertenor who made a splash starring in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Philip Glass’s Akhenaten. Browsing Costanzo’s recordings, I came across his collaboration with cabaret star Justin Vivian Bond, who I’d already been a fan of, thanks to the drag duo Kiki and Herb. Only An Octave Apart has been a source of joy for me these last few months. When the awful news is too hard to take, “Me and My Shadow” and “Under Pressure” offer a special mood lift, but for feeling all the feelings, listen to the mash up of Dido’s “White Flag” and Purcell’s “Dido’s Lament.” I’m rarely obsessed with particular albums or songs, but the unexpected mix of voices, styles, humor, and emotion is a delicious recipe for obsession.
— Anca L. Szilágyi is the author of Daughters of the Air, which Shelf Awareness called “a striking debut” and Dreams Under Glass, which Buzzfeed Books called “a novel for our modern times.” She is working on a collection of lyric food essays. ancawrites.com.
You can find Anca L. Szilágyi's story in Issue 301 Autumn 2024. Order the issue now:
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