And it is startling to see the power he invokes in Beethoven transform itself into a kind of flexible energy that gives the Johann Strauss Jr. arrangement its charm.

NPR: Rudolf Buchbinder's Robust Beethoven

Quality varies according to price, but most of these performances offer a decent night out, featuring a mixed programme that often includes the works of Johann Strauss and Mozart, and features an orchestra, soprano, baritone and a ballet couple.

BBC: Finding your rhythm in Vienna

Once home to composers including Beethoven, Mozart, and Johann Strauss, and to artists Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele, as well as the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, Vienna has been at the forefront of major cultural movements for centuries.

CNN: Luxuriating in 'Old World' Vienna