"Aida" has long epitomized opera at its most extravagant -- think sweeping sets, luxurious costumes and even real-live horses, an experience intended to transfix the audience with grandeur. A beloved version of that scale helmed the Met for more than three decades -- so staging a new production of "Aida," a tale of love, war and loyalty set in ancient Egypt, was a tall order. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES