In late September, soprano Anna Netrebko sang the lead role of “Aida” for the first time at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. And thanks to The Met: Live in HD, audiences in Newport can watch her scintillating performance on the big screen this Saturday, Oct. 13. This grandest of grand operas features an epic backdrop for what is in essence an intimate love story. Set in ancient Egypt and packed with magnificent choruses, complex ensembles and elaborate ballets, “Aida” never loses sight of its three protagonists.

Netrebko, playing the titular Ethiopian princess, goes toe-to-toe with mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili as Amneris, daughter of the King of Egypt, while tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko portrays Radamès, captain of the guard. Written by Giuseppe Verdi in 1871, “Aida” is renowned for its exploration of the conflict of private emotion and public duty. Perhaps no other opera has remained to the present day so unanimously appreciated by audiences and critics alike.