Gioachino Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" returned to the Metropolitan Opera repertory on February 26, for three performances, under Maurizio Benini's baton, in Bartlett Sher's production, currently staged by Kathleen Smith Belcher, with several principals resuming their roles and several new to their assignments.

Lawrence Brownlee confirmed, from the start, the fine impression he had made, in his 2007 debut role of Count Almaviva, with an "Ecco, ridente in cielo" that was a model of bel canto, with the vocal line deliciously decorated, and continued to do so in the subsequent serenade, and the Act One, Scene One final duet, with Franco Vassallo as Figaro. No slouch at comedy, when impersonating a drunken soldier, the diminutive tenor tilted a potted orange tree down toward himself-of course-to reach a fruit that had been beyond his grasp and, claiming to be billeted at Dr. Bartolo's house, locked Maurizio Muraro, as the doctor, in an embrace that involved a leg up, as well as both arms, when greeting his unimpressed host, with collegial familiarity, as an alleged fellow medical professional. Brownlee also, somehow, briefly wound up on Bartolo's lap in the lesson scene, when doubly disguised as the poor student Lindoro/music teacher Don Alonso. Brownlee crowned his achievement with a brilliantly florid "Cessa di più resistere," his 11 o'clock tour-de-force.

Although announced as indisposed, our returning Rosina, Diana Damrau's cold was scarcely evident in entrance aria "Una voce poco fa," except perhaps for hints of not unattractive huskiness, which I don't remember hearing before, as cascades of crystalline coloratura poured forth clearly, whether she sang lying flat on her back, twirling, or scurrying about the stage. In the lesson scene's "Contro un cor," Damrau, as pupil, and Brownlee, as faux voice teacher, proved all but equal partners in the comedic high jinks and on the high notes.

Vassallo fared better, vocally, in Figaro's "Largo al factotum" than he had in Riccardo's similarly demanding entrance aria, in Vincenzo Bellini's "I Puritani," three seasons ago, but, through no fault of his own, was nearly upstaged, during part of his solo, by an attention-grabbing onstage burro with very definite ideas about what to do, and where to go, and when. Vassallo's Figaro made a fitting enough foil for Damrau's Rosina in their duet, "Dunque io son."

Recently Sulpice to Damrau's Marie, in Gaetano Donizetti's "La Fille du Régiment," Muraro, new as her tyrannical guardian and unwanted intended, Bartolo, had more solo opportunity to shine here than he did in the Donizetti comedy, and did so in the buffo bravura of "A un dottor della mia sorte." He permitted a bit of a sigh to escape before singing the name of his beloved Rosina, when defending his right to serenade her, rather than the indicated Giannina, in his amorous arietta antica.

Samuel Ramey, returning to the role of Don Basilio, demonstrated that he could still command the patter of "La calunnia" with authority. Entering during Rosina's lesson, and not yet realizing he had been displaced, Ramey began illustrating for her, with a cupped hand, placement perhaps for a desired covered vocal sound, possibly drawing on his own lessons with longtime teacher Armen Boyajian.

Replacing an ailing Claudia Waite as Berta, Jennifer Aylmer made the most of her aria di sorbetto, "Il vecchiotto cerca moglie," delicately embellishing it. John Moore as Fiorello and Mark Schowalter as an officer completed the high-level cast with distinction.

The first act finale, "Fredda ed immobile ... Mi par d'esser con la testa," stood as a sparkling example of the company's ensemble work, and was capped by a huge absurdist, Monty Python-esque anvil descending to smash a wagonload of pumpkins, reflecting the communal state of confusion, and unnoticed, until too late, by all but Rob Besserer, as the hapless servant, Ambrogio. The third act trios, for Figaro, Rosina and Almaviva, made their mark as well.

Mention must be made of the still startling, and tickling, explosion in and fire from Bartolo's pantry, and the singed flung chicken and poor bunch of carrots that are its trappings, when, to distract his attention from Rosina and 'Don Alonso's' tryst, Figaro deliberately disobeys the doctor's order, "Non toccar nulla" (Don't touch anything).

The remaining performances take place on March 1 and 4 at 8 p.m. For tickets, priced from $15 to 375, telephone 212/362-6000, visit www.metopera.org, or go the Met box office at Lincoln Center. Rush tickets, for $20, are available at the box office, on the day of performance.