When Jonathan Miller's production of "Le Nozze di Figaro" opened at the Metropolitan Opera last year, its success was virtually guaranteed. No company could have assembled a starrier cast: Bryn Terfel as Figaro, Cecilia Bartoli as Susanna and Rene Fleming as the Countess, for starters. The production itself had a simplicity and directness that were refreshing after the quirky Jean-Pierre Ponnelle staging that had been in the Met's repertory since 1985, although Mr. Miller adopted the easy symbolism of the ruined manor look that Ponnelle had taken to extremes.

Dwayne Coft and Hei Kyung Hong in "Le Nozze di Figaro." (Sara Krulwich/The New York Times)

Now the atmosphere is calmer in the environs of this "Figaro," which had its first performance of the season on Thursday evening. The cast, though not as packed with household names as last year's, represents the standard level of the Met's "Figaro" stagings, with Ferruccio Furlanetto in the title role, Hei-Kyung Hong as the Countess, Susan Graham as Cherubino and Dwayne Croft as the Count.

There were also a few notable house firsts, including Rebecca Evans's understated but moving Susanna and Delores Ziegler's jaunty, bright-hued portrayal of Marcellina. And Edo de Waart, conducting the work for the first time at the Met, moved the performance at a comfortable pace.

Comfortable, in fact, was the operative word here. As a group, the singers moved easily through the opera, none straining vocally or dramatically. That was a double-edged sword: the comic side of the work was allowed to speak for itself, without the too-cute mugging that can be a distraction when Susannas and Cherubinos overdo it; the work's more touching moments seemed natural consequences of the action rather than dramatic contrivances. Yet there were moments when this easygoing "Figaro" grew pale.

That said, there was some fine singing all around. Ms. Evans sounded dry at first, but her soprano quickly blossomed. By the time of "Deh vieni, non tardar," in the last act, one could hardly have wished for a lovelier sound. Ms. Hong's performance unfolded similarly, as it has in past appearances as the Countess: her opening "Porgi, amor" was emotionally blank, but the rest of her portrayal touched on all of the Countess's conflicting emotions and conveyed the regal bearing that makes her appearance at the end of the work such a transformative moment. And her "Dove sono" was a highlight.

Mr. Furlanetto's Figaro was also a joy, both for its deep, rounded timbre and its wry comic pacing. Ms. Graham conveyed Cherubino's adolescent ardor without overstatement, and she used her honeyed mezzo-soprano to superb effect.

Mr. Croft sang the Count with assurance and fluidity, and Ms. Ziegler, Paul Plishka (as Don Bartolo), Danielle de Niese (as Barbarina), Thomas Hammons (as an unusually inebriated Antonio) and Michel Senechal as Don Basilio) all contributed solidly.