Salzburg, Austria — The Vienna Philharmonic is king of the Salzburg Festival — the king orchestra — but other bands are let in, for a few moments in the sun. This year, the Cleveland Orchestra, Ohio’s own, has more than a few: They are enjoying a full-scale residence.

Of course, their music director, Franz Welser-Möst, is Austrian — a Linz boy. And in 2010, he will assume the biggest Austrian job of all (musical division): general music director of the Vienna State Opera. But he will remain with the Clevelanders, with whom he has a long-term contract.

Mr. Welser-Möst and the orchestra showed their stuff in the Great Festival Hall earlier this week. They played  Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony, Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and Berg’s Three Pieces for Orchestra, in that order — which was an unusual order. (Others would have ended the evening with the symphony.)

Incidentally, why were they using their Salzburg time to play so familiar a work as the “New World”? Must have to do with the American aspect of this symphony.

When Mr. Welser-Möst and the orchestra began the work, you noticed two things, immediately: The entrance was shaky; and the orchestra’s sound was different from what we had been used to hearing. For days or weeks, Salzburg audiences had been bathed in the Vienna Philharmonic sound. By comparison — certainly in the opening movement of the Dvořák — the Cleveland’s sound was cramped, dim, and dry.

Comparisons are odorous (or odious), someone once said, but sometimes they’re hard to avoid.

Our performers continued with a competent but undistinguished account of the “New World.” In the first movement, tempos were brisk, which was fine — but the music was a little unsavored, merely dispatched. The slow movement (which has the “Goin’ Home” theme) could have been more soulful and moving. The scherzo was pleasant, well-balanced — and uninvigorating.

And the finale was similarly okay. There were some very unfortunate flubs in the horns — and the final exit was faulty, matching the entrance of the symphony. The Clevelanders can do much, much better. And did, after intermission. (By the way, the “New World” Symphony may be “hackneyed” — but what a great work, no matter how many times it’s played, or slighted.)

Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3, you may recall, is the composer’s “Mozart concerto,” or “Neo-Classical concerto.” It is also the last work he completed — or nearly completed. He missed orchestrating the last 17 measures.

The soloist with Mr. Welser-Möst and the Cleveland was Mitsuko Uchida, the Japanese-born pianist. She handled the concerto intelligently. In the first movement, she was often percussive, or at least detached, as opposed to legato. She was also rather bold. That is one way to play this music, among others. And Mr. Welser-Möst showed an easy grasp on Bartók’s intricacies.

The slow movement — Adagio religioso — is one of the most beautiful things in all of Bartók, and frankly, all of music. It comes out of a couple of Beethoven pieces. And Ms. Uchida and Mr. Welser-Möst were sensitive here. They also avoided all milking, which was admirable. Ms. Uchida could have displayed a more singing tone — “cantabile” does not seem to be her forte. But, to the middle section of the movement, she imparted a nice impishness.

Similarly, she imparted a pleasing “scherzando” quality to the final movement.

Salzburg’s audience was appreciative, and I might mention that Ms. Uchida must be the deepest bower in the performing arts. This veteran pianist has the flexibility of a girl gymnast.

Berg’s Three Pieces for Orchestra were wonderful and startling in their strangeness — we were breathing the air of different planets (as someone once said). From the Cleveland Orchestra came a variety of colors, and exemplary precision. Mr. Welser-Möst did not try to “do” anything to these pieces. He more presented them as they were written. The third piece, a march, had a creepy snap — just right.

To single out some individuals, the Cleveland’s percussionists were very skillful. And the low-brass players were terrifying and uniform. And the concertmaster, William Preucil, was both slick and otherworldly.

Maestro Welser-Möst is nearing 50, and is gaining in mastery all the while. Last week, I conducted a public interview with him, in which he said many interesting things. He “failed” — his word — in an earlier job in London. A conductor must have time to learn his craft, he said, preferably in out-of-the-way places.

I mentioned that many critics — especially in New York — pine for youth on the podium, rather than gray or white hair. Youth is considered, oddly enough, a credential. Mr. Welser-Möst called this “a sickness of our time” — and so it is. He is a keen analyst, as well as a keen conductor.