Many see Aida as the grandest of all grand operas. Set by Verdi in the kingdom of ancient Egypt around 2,500 BC, the setting is changed by Carsen into an unspecified military dictatorship in ...

You know you’re in trouble when a grand new production of Verdi’s “Aida” only catches fire midway through the second act, after the “Triumphal March”—when Amonasro shows up.

The first indicator was the audience Tuesday night at the Metropolitan Opera, which welcomed the new year with the premiere of Michael Mayer’s new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida ...