The Metropolitan Opera welcomed in 2025 with the company’s first new staging of Verdi’s Aida in nearly 40 years. Originally scheduled to open the 2020-21 season, the premiere was postponed due to the pandemic. This new version, directed by Michael Mayer, is very nearly as grand and gaudy as Sonja Frisell’s 1988 production, with its gargantuan temples and palace halls, but frames the story in a slightly different way. The bulk of Christine Jones’ set design takes the audience inside the tombs and pyramids of Ancient Egypt to present the story as imagined by a team of early 20th-century archeologists, played by actors in fedoras and pith helmets.
They explore a long abandoned tomb – an elaborate network of soaring chambers, statuary and columns, all decorated with intricate carvings and painted in shades of gold and lapis lazuli – accompanied by vivid digital projections and dynamic animations. Susan Hilferty’s lavish costumes – influenced by the sketches of French archeologist Auguste Mariette, who supervised the scenery and costumes for the opera’s 1871 premiere in Cairo – add more yet glitz to the spectacle, along with Kevin Adams’ lighting designs which reflected the gilt-laden fabrics.
Following in the footsteps of the celebrated Aidas at the Met – including the legendary Leontyne Price who sang the title role 42 times between 1961 and 1985 – Angel Blue, in a company role debut, offered a highly moving portrayal of the enslaved Ethiopian princess torn between her love for an Egyptian army captain and loyalty to her homeland. With her extraordinary technical prowess and breath control, the soprano effortlessly navigated Verdi’s long and technically intricate passages, while successfully conveying the character’s intense emotional turmoil. Her arresting rendition of “Ritorna vincitor”, Aida's great Act 1 aria, was thrilling, her powerful voice soaring above the orchestra as she laid bare her inner conflict. Her heartbreaking “O patria mia” was distinguished by moments of great beauty, voiced with exquisite delicacy.
In another Met role debut, Piotr Beczała cut a dashing figure but was a less than vocally luminous Radamès. Recovering from a bad cold, he offered some elegant phrasing in “Celeste Aida”, his difficult opening aria, especially in its closing lines where he observed Verdi’s morendo marking on the final high B flat, but was far from his best throughout the rest of the act. General Manager Peter Gelb came on stage at intermission to announce that the tenor was ill but had decided to sing the remainder of the performance. However valiant the effort, it was painful to hear this normally splendid singer, his vocal cords completely fatigued, struggle through Acts 3 and 4.
As Amneris, the ruthless Egyptian princess in love with Radamès but who realizes he is in love with Aida, Judit Kutasi was appropriately imperious, but her mostly menacing mezzo, especially fierce in its upper register, frequently sounded wobbly. As Ramfis, the High Priest who blesses Radamès before he heads off to lead the Egyptian army, Dmitry Belosselskiy’s ordinarily full-bodied bass sounded muffled.
Baritone Quinn Kelsey delivered some of the best singing of the night as Amonasro, Ethiopian king, especially in his powerful Act 3 duet with his daughter, Aida, a dramatic highlight of the evening. Displaying rich, robust sound and seamless legato, Kelsey most effectively conveyed the conflicted emotions of his character, torn between his duty to his people and his fatherly affection for Aida. Rounding out the principal cast, Morris Robinson, with his imposing stage presence and deeply resonant bass, made a solid impression as the King, who offers his daughter Amneris in marriage to the warrior.
The ever-versatile Met Chorus was superb throughout – impressively forceful in the triumphant scenes, completely mesmerizing in the quieter moments. In his Met debut, choreographer Oleg Glushkov created a series of highly imaginative dance sequences – graceful for Amneris’ slave girls in Act 2, athletic and undulating for the male dancers in the Triumphal March.
In this premiere performance, which marked the 15th anniversary of his company debut, conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin elicited a rich and vibrant sound that intensified the emotional impact of Verdi’s magnificent score.
