Richard Wagner's "Der Fliegende Holländer" (1843), his earliest opera in the more or less regular repertory, returned to the Metropolitan Opera on April 23, for seven performances, after a 10-year absence, in August Everding's updated production, new in 1989, with designs by Hans Schavernoch (sets), Lore Haas (costumes), and Gil Wechsler (lighting), staged this season by Stephen Pickover, but this "Flying Dutchman," alas, failed to soar.

Undertaking his first Met Vanderdecken, the Dutchman, Finnish bass-baritone Juha Uusitalo, descending from his ship to Daland's via steep stairway for entrance aria "Die Frist ist um," could sound solid or threadbare, emitting explosive or bottled-up tone. Sometimes it seemed as if a tenor timbre were trying to emerge. In her entrance ballad about the Flying Dutchman, "Traft ihr das Schiff in Meere an," Deborah Voigt, new here as Senta, gave us glimpses of the Voigt we've known and loved, but often seemed ill at ease, and her pitch was erratic. She fared better in the subsequent duet with fiancé Erik, "Mein Herz, voll Treue bis zum Sterben," but less well in "Wie aus der Ferne längst vergang'ner Zeiten," the duet with the Dutchman. Two blazing high Bs at the climax of the opera were, if somewhat edgy, her finest high notes of the evening.

Hans-Peter König, the new Daland, disclosed a warm, full bass at his entrance; in aria "Mögst du, mein Kind," when he would barter daughter Senta for the Dutchman's treasure; and elsewhere. Stephen Gould (debut), a burly man with a burly voice, lists Siegfried, Tristan and Otello among his roles, but the lyrical, Italianate bel canto of Erik gives a heldentenor, a dramatic or heroic tenor, few opportunities to shine. Perhaps the heavier repertoire will show him to greater advantage. The Steersman, with nary a wheel in sight here, is not the opera's leading tenor, but he does have a rousing sea song, "Mit Gewitter und Sturm," to which Russell Thomas lent bright tone. Wendy White, as a wheelchair-bound Frau Mary in this production, ruled her Industrial Revolution-era factory, with sewing machines in lieu of spinning wheels, with an iron hand.

Kazushi Ono presided over the orchestra, which thundered, roared, and then soared in the long, stormy overture, but, here and elsewhere, there were some blats from the brass. The opera found the chorus in fine form.

Like the four-scene "Das Rheingold," the three-act "Fliegende Holländer" is truly durchcompaniert, through-composed, and is, appropriately, played without intermission now.

At the start of the work, Daland's ship faces no more than an icy Norwegian fjord-the striking coup of the production remains the Dutchman's hulking ship's quite sudden arrival.

Remaining performances of "Der Fliegende Holländer" take place on April 26 and 30 and May 3, 6, 10 and 14 at 8 p.m. On the final night, Philip Webb assumes the role of Erik. 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, from Monday through Thursday.