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Lorenzo Viotti leads the orchestra through a Zemlinsky Seejungfrau of fantastical proportions that is nothing short of magical, a stunning testament to a composer whose genius we are only just beginning to fully appreciate.

In Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto, Yulianna Avdeeva commands attention through sheer innate charisma, anchored in intense engagement.

Less a symphony, more a force of nature, Sir Simon Rattle conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in a turbulent, yet spacious reading of Mahler's Ninth Symphony in the Musikverein. 

Zubin Mehta, Pinchas Zukerman and the Vienna Philharmonic meet in repertoire they know intimately, illuminating it through mutual understanding. 

Leif Ove Andsnes joins the Vienna Symphony in the Musikverein's Golden Hall for a glowing account of Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto before a terrific Tod und Verklärung. 

Under the baton of Domingo Hindoyan, the Tonkünstler brings Latin America and Dvořák's New World Symphony to the Musikverein. 

Maurice Ravel the orchestrator takes centre stage at the Musikverein in an evening of descriptive aural painting. 

Muti's Mozart with the Vienna Philharmonic is unfashionably well-upholstered, but their Dvořák New World Symphony is full of satisfying detail. 

A “baptism by fire”... but not for Klaus Mäkelä, making his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein in Mahler's Sixth Symphony. 

Karina Canellakis brings her Netherlands Radio Philharmonic to the Musikverein, joined by Emanuel Ax in Beethoven's Second Piano Concerto. 

Even if Igor Levit is not quite in his wheelhouse with Brahms, the Vienna Philharmonic plays a home game in the second half with his D major symphony. 

In the sacred golden temple that is the Musikverein, Martha Argerich plays Ravel's saucy Piano Concerto in G major, before the Philharmoniker and Zubin Mehta play Bruckner's Seventh Symphony. 

Some conductors get better with age, ripening like fine wines, but age wearies others. Daniel Barenboim’s decline is difficult to bear.

The French pianist steps in to join the American diva in the Musikverein for a program of French and German art song. 

They may seem like an odd pairing, but Wang and Kavakos defy the naysayers yet again, warming into a fascinating recital in Vienna.

In the Brahms Saal, Marc-André Hamelin juxtaposes three Russian composers with Schubert’s long misunderstood final piano sonata.

A more thoughtful and intentional artist is hard to come by today, and one who graces the Musikverein donning fabulous silver shoes on top of her pianistic gifts must be heaven-sent. 

The tenor and pianist pair Britten and Schubert in their Lieder recital on the stage of the Großer Saal. 

If in heaven there are indeed harps, then it would be hard to imagine a better angel to recruit than Anneleen Lenaerts, who performed Glière's concerto with her Philharmonic brothers and sisters in arms in the Musikverein. 

Swiss composer Othmar Schoeck’s Notturno is the rarity in an imaginative chamber recital dedicated to nocturnal music and transfiguration.   

All the light, tuneful melodies and tuttis of the Ninth Symphony are still somehow Shostakovich, but a Shostakovich during a rare period where he seems to be taking antidepressants.

Bychkov and his sterling Czech forces are joined by Renaud Capuçon for a contrasting all-Tchaikovsky programme on their second day at the Vienna Musikverein.

The distinctive sound of the orchestra that seems to encapsulate centuries of Central-European tradition – glowing violins, characterful winds and some of the most pregnant brass you can hear – bloomed in the marvellous acoustics of the Musikverein.

The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra triumphs under inspiring conducting in Vienna.

Excellent chamber orchestras are a true pleasure to behold. The Wiener Virtuosen were in their element in an evening of Mozart, Mahler and Dvořák. 

Whether one prefers more raw emotion and large-scale architecture or is thrilled by perfectly sculpted individual masterpieces, this was undeniably chamber music of the highest order.

The soul of the composer seems very much alive in her touch, particularly in his most retrospective moments.

Unlike the conucopia of duets Verdi wrote for soprano and baritone, his music for soprano and bass is much more limited and what exists is not exactly the acme of his output.

If Beethoven referred to his own compositional approach as “redend” (speaking), then Levit speaks him clearly, beautifully and fluently.

An unusual programme at the Musikverein, drawing together works by Mendelssohn, Brahms and a piano concerto by Britten. 

Capuçon warmed up through the melancholy second movement, exhibiting seamless legato and the ability to feather his phrases with finesse and subtlety

In the first and last sections dance themes and virtuosic solo work bustle about, playing with percussive elements and darting  from thought to thought like a child whirling elatedly through a festival

The less than illustrious city of Linz in Upper-Austria is memorable for two significant musical legacies – local lad Anton Bruckner and Mozart’s 36th Symphony. 

Jurowski is a wonderful conductor to watch. He carves shapes through his bearing and gesture cleanly, and his indications are crisp and defined - yet he retains poetic fluidity through his hands at all times.

In a romantic, colourful jaunt which led from The Isle of the Dead to The Great Gate of Kiev, Gustavo Dudamel and the Vienna Philharmonic presented an easy to love programme focussed on late-romantic masters who found musical inspiration in artistic masterpieces.

At the age of 88, pianist Paul Badura-Skoda continues to explore the central Viennese repertoire at Vienna's Musikverein through a distinctive and idiosyncratic approach. 

Fingers and bows fluttered through dance-like figures and virtuosic passages packed with trills with astonishing clarity and brilliance.

This was a rapturous celebration of creative instrumentation, virtuosity and brilliance that completely engaged and energized.

If ever there were a voice that required the big hall of the Musikverein, it would be that of Nina Stemme. 

Both Mahler and Schoenberg found musical inspiration through poetry, and the fruit of their efforts yielded two of the most fascinating pieces of music in the canon.

The former music director of Vienna State Opera led a brilliant concert focused on Northern European composers at the Musikverein.

Simon Rattle devised an “Imaginary Symphony” with wit; the Vienna Philharmonic obliged.

The Singverein and Akademieorchester were joined by Swedish soprano Malin Hartelius and Florian Boesch for Brahms' German Requiem.

Technical proficiency and brilliant clarity prevailed in the Stratos Quartett's recital, without ever feeling staid or over-cautious. 

The night got off to a very classical, Viennese start when Vladimir Fedoseyev took the stage of the golden hall on Saturday night at the Musikverein.

It is an extraordinary feat to take on Schubert’s Winterreise, Die Schöne Müllerin and Schwanengesang in three concerts over only five days, and performing them in Vienna’s Musikverein certainly does nothing to relieve the pressure.

Jean Sibelius is purported to have written part of his Symphony no. 5 after having witnessed a large flock of swans take flight from his home in rural Finland. Whether this story is apocryphal or not, the “swan theme” has become part of the Western musical subconscious, with quotations showing up in jazz and pop music for much of the last century.

It isn’t often that the Musikverein programmes Webern, the most underperformed of Vienna’s major musical sons, alongside a Liebestod from Bayreuth’s reigning Isolde, but then this was no ordinary Musikverein concert.

Arnold Schoenberg rarely forms the backbone of orchestral concerts in either of his two homelands, and in an ideal world there would be more concerts like this, particularly in Vienna.

If Vienna is the holy temple of classical music (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Strauss, Bruckner and Mahler all spent large tracts of their careers here), then the Musikverein is its holy of holies. Just soaking in all that history makes a visit here into a special occasion, and the heavily gilt halls are as opulent and redolent of empire as you might imagine.