The man conducting the New York Philharmonic this week is very familiar from recordings,but less familiar from live appearances – at least in this city. He is Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, the veteran Spaniard with the partly German last name. In a 50-year career, he has held many posts, but now works primarily in Dresden and Turin (or “Torino,”as we’re increasingly forced to call it). (Oddly, we still say “Florence,” and not “Firenze.” And we don’t yet refer to “the Shroud of Torino.”)

With the Philharmonic, Mr. Fruhbeck de Burgos is conducting a program of extremely familiar music – making it all the more important to perform well. And he has with him an extremely familiar soloist: the virtuoso pianist Andre Watts.

On Wednesday night, Mr. Fruhbeck de Burgos satisfied (virtually) all requirements. For the most part, the music did not seem tired or lame, but fresh – and famous for a reason.

The program began with Wagner – three excerpts from “Die Meistersinger,” stitched together by a tailor unknown. First of the excerpts was the Prelude to Act III; then came the Dance of the Apprentices (Act III, Scene 5); and finally, the Prelude to Act I. A clever order, for that grand curtainopener makes a grand finale.

Mr. Fruhbeck de Burgos conducted with notable dignity and care. He had the orchestra playing very precisely, too – more precisely than they customarily play under a guest conductor. Mr. Fruhbeck de Burgos knew exactly what he wanted, in rhythm, phrasing – everything. The New York forces were happy to oblige. The tempo of the Dance was slow – objectively slow – but it didn’t seem slow. Rather, it seemed right. And when it came time for the Prelude to Act I, it emerged like the sun.

Amazing, the power that piece still has, after 1,000 hearings.

Throughout the “Meistersinger” set, the cello section sang beautifully, and the French horns were on their best behavior. Indeed, they played splendidly. The next night, who knows? Such are the vagaries of that section (and of that instrument, to be sure).

Done with the pocket “Meistersinger,” Mr. Fruhbeck de Burgos served up some more Wagner: the Prelude and “Liebestod” from “Tristan und Isolde” (transcribed – no soprano). At the beginning, Mr. Fruhbeck de Burgos arranged for some exceptionally long pauses; you could have eaten dinner during those pauses. And this account was not as moving or as sensitive as it might have been. It was missing some of Wagner’s panting sensuality. But Mr. Fruhbeck de Burgos is a wise, effective Wagnerian, no doubt.

As for Mr. Watts, his concerto was Saint-Saens’s No. 2 in G minor, a piece dismissed as Romantic trash by those who don’t know better. It is a showy concerto, yes – but what a good and musical showy concerto!

Mr.Watts played the opening a little stiffly, but he soon settled down to some fine, freewheeling pianism. Of course, he has the fingers to handle the swarms of notes. But Mr. Watts was far from sin-free.

He played some odd – oddly severe – accents. He raced ahead of the orchestra, forcing Mr. Fruhbeck de Burgos to scramble. And, at certain dramatic moments, he stamped his left foot, very loudly, on the floor. This was incredibly vulgar – outside the bounds of acceptable showmanship. Saint-Saens did not write the piece for Two Hands and Left Foot. Last, Mr. Watts held the final chord – the final chord of the first movement – a tad longer than the orchestra.This seemed deliberate, unnecessary, and wrong.

(Opera singers do the same thing – hold their final notes a tad long, for theatrical purposes, and purposes of ego. But what do you expect from opera singers?)

The scherzo in this concerto is a total delight – and Mr. Watts played it with decent crispness. So did the orchestra. Where Saint-Saens invites the pianist to swing a little, Mr. Watts swung. This movement was a gratifying success.

The final movement – Presto,and furious – was duly fast and loud, but it could have been more exciting. More (musical) character would have meant more excitement. Nevertheless, Andre Watts, after all these years, still has his virtuosic, swashbuckling magic,and the audience showered him with applause.

To end the evening, Mr. Fruhbeck de Burgos gave us something Spanish: not one, but two suites from Falla’s ballet “The Three-Cornered Hat.” As you would have wagered, Mr. Fruhbeck de Burgos was supremely idiomatic here, but he was also relatively straightforward: He did nothing cutesy with the music. This was a genuine Spanish approach, devoid of Epcot Center kitsch. Mr. Fruhbeck de Burgos let the music unfold,having its own say. This performance would probably have been better with more rehearsal, but it did the job.

In my view, however, nothing on this program was so good as that little “Meistersinger” set. Those who think the opera is too long – and I’m not one of them, incidentally – would especially have relished it.

The Philharmonic will repeat this program on December 10 at Avery Fisher Hall (Lincoln Center, 212-875-5656).