The world is celebrating the 250th birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Austrian composer whose legacy of more than 630 works is considered virtually without parallel.
Concerts featuring his music began Friday in Sydney, Australia and moved westward with the sun around the world. But nowhere were the celebrations more intense or elaborate than in his birthplace, Salzburg, which is decked out with posters and is echoing with Mozart's music - both live and recorded.
Tourists have flocked into Salzburg, only to be advised to watch their calories. The city turned out a chocolate birthday cake weighing a reported 150 kilos.
All scheduled Mozart events in Salzburg were come to a halt at 8:00 p.m. - the hour of his birth on 27 January 1756. That is when the bells of three churches where his music was played during his lifetime will ring out in concert.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.