Porgy Amor

A cynical member of Generation X, Louisville native Todd Koenig rejected a society that told its youth the answers could be found in the MTV video games. His exploration of 20th-century popular music led to a study of piano and a love of jazz. In his twenties, he began to listen to classical music – first symphonic works, chamber music, and keyboard literature, then song cycles, masses and oratorios. Five years into that period, he ventured into one of the few remaining uncharted territories: opera. He has familiarized himself with the standard repertory and much outside of it, and has advocated the art form to friends his age or younger who love music and theater. Since September 2015, as "Porgy Amor," he has written reviews, history and think pieces (sometimes all at the same time) for parterre box. The opera he loves above all others is Verdi's Falstaff, which he has described as the work of a very old man, with which a listener can grow old.


Golden ‘Girls’ season finale Golden ‘Girls’ season finale

The conclusion of our Fanciulla del West video overview in three parts looks at a trio of performances from the 2010s.

on October 03, 2018 at 11:15 AM
Minnie happy returns Minnie happy returns

Puccini’s Girl closes out the 20th century and gallops into the 21st.

on October 02, 2018 at 9:00 AM
All about the ‘Girl’ who came to stay All about the ‘Girl’ who came to stay

On Thursday, Puccini’s seventh opera, the California Gold Rush romance La fanciulla del West, returns to its birthplace for its first Met performances since 2011.

on October 01, 2018 at 9:00 AM
Safe passage Safe passage

A Met HD cinema broadcast of Puccini’s Tosca on Saturday, 27 January, concluded the first run of a production marked by upheaval in the ten months between its announcement and its New Year’s Eve premiere.

on January 28, 2018 at 8:53 AM
The party of Lincoln The party of Lincoln

Recorded on 7 May 2017, 50 Years at Lincoln Center: A Gala Celebration features three dozen Met singers of the present decade, from A(ngela) to Z(eljko).

on January 15, 2018 at 12:42 PM
Digging in the dirt Digging in the dirt

Even those of us who consider Guillaume Tell Rossini’s greatest opera understand why it has not been his most frequently staged.

on December 18, 2017 at 10:12 AM
What women want What women want

Psychology is encoded in the composer’s vocal lines more than his librettist’s words.

on November 30, 2017 at 10:00 AM
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new Dane It’s a new dawn, it’s a new Dane

C-major has made available the first DVD/Blu-ray of Franco Faccio’s Amleto.

on November 16, 2017 at 9:00 AM
Double Doge dare Double Doge dare

The second DVD/Blu-ray with Plácido Domingo as Verdi’s other beleaguered Doge, Francesco in I due Foscari.

on November 06, 2017 at 2:07 PM
C’est une chanson qui nous ressemble C’est une chanson qui nous ressemble

In September, Finnish National Opera gave the world premiere of Höstsonaten (Autumn Sonata), based on Mr. Bergman’s 1978 study of a troubled mother/daughter relationship.

on October 26, 2017 at 11:30 AM
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles

The tendency to rank—to create subjective lists of best or greatest, or to organize things in ascending or descending order—is a human compulsion.

on October 23, 2017 at 9:10 AM
Star and garters Star and garters

No amount of scholarly diligence has kept Les contes d’Hoffmann from being the messiest of all standard-repertory messes.

on September 25, 2017 at 11:53 AM
The frailty of everything earthly The frailty of everything earthly

If everything you see is great, you are either new to opera or chronically easy to please.

on May 14, 2017 at 3:14 PM
Mitigated Gaul Mitigated Gaul

Kevin Newbury‘s familiar production of Bellini’s Norma with its most frequent leading lady, the American Sondra Radvanovsky.

on April 25, 2017 at 9:41 AM
‘Ja, ja’ land ‘Ja, ja’ land

We leave behind the Vienna of the 1740s, the time of breeches, fans and white wigs.

on April 12, 2017 at 9:00 AM
And in the ‘how’ And in the ‘how’

Our selected Rosenkavalier video overview closes out the 20th-century selections, crosses the millennial mark, and includes the first of our performances to depart from the opera’s prescribed 18th-century setting.

on April 11, 2017 at 9:00 AM
Today or tomorrow or the day after that Today or tomorrow or the day after that

“Time is a strange thing,” the lady observes, to a young man who cannot begin to understand what she is talking about.

on April 10, 2017 at 9:00 AM
Life is like a train Life is like a train

“In my music, there’s not repetition. Something is always going on.”

on March 07, 2017 at 8:00 AM
Water, logged Water, logged

So, how excited are you to read another piece about the Mary Zimmerman Rusalka?

on February 26, 2017 at 7:00 AM
Devil may not care Devil may not care

The subject of timidity has been in my thoughts in these waning days of February 2017. One would almost think there had been some big announcement recently, preceded by a series of smaller ones, to turn a U.S.-based opera fan’s thoughts in this direction. 

on February 22, 2017 at 8:00 AM
The leggy movie The leggy movie

This Met’s second production of Berg’s 1935 opera was the hot topic of November 2015.

on February 14, 2017 at 9:00 AM
The sprite in you The sprite in you

Today’s Rusalka video overview covers filmed performances of Dvorák’s opera since 2010.

on February 01, 2017 at 12:15 PM
White blossoms scorched by the sun White blossoms scorched by the sun

While some once-popular Met operas have fallen into neglect in the past quarter century, Rusalka has returned regularly since its 1993 premiere.

on January 31, 2017 at 9:01 AM
Does whatever a spider can Does whatever a spider can

The beautiful singing here is less in the sound than in the way the voice moves.

on January 27, 2017 at 11:57 AM
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