//------------------------------// // Chapter 59: The Farewell Concert in B b minor. // Story: Beethoven's Tenth // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// Even before the concert started, the tickets have already long sold out. The theater in which Beethoven premiered his first two symphonies and his string quartets were packed up to the rafters. Despite the idle complaints of how crowded it all was, (and more than a few protests from some fireponies) everypony waited for the big event near the second half of the program. After all, it was the main reason for coming there. Up in the balconies, all four Princesses plus a prince, a baby dragon, Ludwig’s neighbors and landlady, Rarity and her sister, the Apple family plus their cousins, and Countess Coloratura were all there for the same reason as the audience. That being, this will be the first time that they get to hear the giant perform, but it will also be his last public appearance in Equestria. After all that he’s done for nearly a year, it didn’t feel right to miss out on a concert from someone that had completely changed the way they listened to music. In the wings, Ludwig sat there waiting. At the moment, Horseshoepin was playing a movement from his concerto – the one that the old man had suggested months ago. He was still amazed how clearly he was able to hear everything as the violins began their Largo for a minute. The sound was pure and clear, the high notes didn’t fade and the soft moments weren’t muffled. It sounded like waves upon the shores of a lake, easily flowing in and out. Then, when Horseshoepin started to play, the only thing that came to mind was something like a lost love song. ‘At least this world is in good hands, or rather, hooves,’ Beethoven thought. ‘In hindsight, it is amusing to think that after spending about a year in this place that I have changed so much. Giving the works of the masters’ new life, the young are interested in my music, and there’s already a few out there that can contribute something good in this world like him and that little unicorn filly. Still, I wonder what will become of this world and my music after I return home. Where will music go after my departure?’ While he ponders this, he listens to the piano creating poetry with the orchestra. It would seem at times that the slow piano almost sounded like something like a cocky teenager trying to woo someone, by taking risky notes and dramatic acoustics. At the same time, it would seem to Beethoven that this pony knew what he was doing. During the performance, the descending keys perfectly intimidated falling snow; at other times, he would hear the laughter of the couple, walking closely in the cold. From the orchestra, every so often it would sigh lovingly, in which the love-struck strings would do so perfectly. Ludwig crossed his legs, ‘I’ll give him this,’ he thought, ‘At least he knows how to create the right atmosphere; with grace and the right amount of passion. It’s rather depressing to think that perhaps my world doesn’t have a pianist like him, or even if there was, I’m rather angry that I’ve never heard of him.’ The old man listened to the love scene that unfolded, as he did so, he thought, ‘It’s not bad, though my concerto is better.’ As the dreamlike ballad continued on with the imaginary couple slipping and joking in this tranquil picture, Beethoven let his thoughts run free. ‘I wonder what the other composers here in Equestria will do after I’m gone? Though I’m sure someone like Herr Horseshoepin would do just nicely here, what about everyone else? What sort of music will they have to come up with once they’ve performed the Tenth? Surely they can’t go back to how music was, because I’ve already perfected what Herr Bach and Mozart tried to do. What influence will I have on this world’s composers in ten, twenty, fifty years from now?’ While Beethoven pondered this, onstage, Octavia was also in deep thought. As her bow gracefully slid across the strings of her cello, she came to a realization. This is the last week that Mr. Beethoven will be in Equestria, and they still haven’t seen the score of his next symphony. Up until then, Ludwig had been present at their rehearsals to clarify some confusing passages, but what will they do when the giant is gone for good? ‘We’re all going to miss him in one way or another,’ she thought. ‘After all, he’s the only composer that Vinyl ever liked. Sure, he wasn’t exactly the best… person (I think that’s the right word) to be around. But there’s no denying the impact he’s made. At least we still have his music.’ Minutes later, Horseshoepin received a round of applause after he played the final, dreamlike notes on the piano. After taking a bow, he announces, “And now, Fillies and Gentlecolts, for our final piece for tonight, the next pianist may not need an introduction, but he is here by the most remarkable of circumstances. For tonight, it will be the first time in years that he has performed since the loss of his hearing, yet, here he is with his hearing temporary brought back, and he will be playing for you his Fifth Piano Concerto in E-Flat Major. So here he is, performing for the last time, Mr. Ludwig van Beethoven everypony!” There was a roar before Ludwig walked onto the stage and bowed. He headed towards the open piano and took a seat before he looked over to Sea Sharp to start the concerto. The unicorn mare gave a nod as she raised the baton, cueing the orchestra to raise their bows to ready themselves. From the strings, horns, and percussion, a brilliant cord like the first rays of the sun burst forth before Ludwig scaled up the keys with a grand beginning of his own. It is true that he hadn’t played this in years, yet he still remembered each and every note of it. Besides, Beethoven liked the sound of this grand entrance. It was young, strong, confident and energetic. And he’s grateful for the fact that no matter how hard he hit the keys, it showed no signs of breaking. In a way, with his hearing back, he felt young to be doing this again – almost as if he was transported back in time when he was best known as a brilliant, if not short tempered pianist. For once, he was in total control and harmony between himself and the instrument. Even with the orchestra replaying with their modern instruments, the range of brilliant colors flowed out in these jubilant sounds of a morning festival. Clarinets and strings played childish games in the royal dawn, as violins and violas proceeded with an elaborate ceremony of sunlight. In the audience, it reminded Celestia of the Summer Sun Festival in which she would show off to the world her ability to raise the sun above the horizon. This young, vibrant energy sure captured the pomp and enthusiasm of the event itself! A few minutes later, the real star of the show, the Imperial Piano returned with a crown of trills upon its head, a scarlet robe of ascending harmonics and the voice of fortissimo. Ludwig’s fingers remembered the elegance and power that it possessed to show the world. In this music, and with this piano, he the pianist was the Emperor which the whole world was at the ferocity and mercy of his skill. At one moment, he oversaw the army of brass that praised his name, then in the next, he daydreams of his romantic youth with the accompanying cello. But this doesn’t last long as the Philharmonic interrupted his moment of peace with shouts of honor, and he returned the same gesture with taste. Up in the box seats, Applebloom leaned over to her cousin, “It almost sounds like there’re two orchestras goin’, doesn’t it?” Braeburn nodded, “Yeah, it really does. Maybe that’s because he has those… claw thingies that’s makin’ it sound like that.” He looked over at the stage, “Ya know, it’ll be sad ta have him go.” “Will ya ever pick up yer fiddle again?” The cowpony shrugged, “Don’t know, but Ah’ve been thinkin’ about it though. Ah mean, ponies in Appaloosa have been askin’ about it, even a couple askin’ if Ah could teach them too. But it’s only a hobby though.” “But yer real good at it,” the young Apple told him. “Even if ya don’t wanna record again, at least start teachin’ ponies how ta play it. If Ah lived closer to ya, perhaps you can teach me ta see if Ah have a cutie mark in fiddle playin’.” Braeburn raised an eyebrow, “Didn’t you already try that?” Applejack shushed them before her younger sister could answer. Up in another box, Rarity looked over to her little sister as she caught her writing something down in a notebook, “What are you doing?” she whispered to her. Sweetie Belle held up her notebook that was scratched in with musical notes, “Putting down some ideas,” she simply replied. “I’m taking notes from this so it would give me some inspiration when I write music. There’s seemed to be plenty of it in the last few minutes.” She returned to her notebook, “Now shush, I’m trying to listen.” “You’re not trying to copy him, are you?” the tailor inquired. Her younger sister sighed, “No. I wanna do my own work, but I first want to hear how it’s done so that I could learn some of the tricks he uses. If I’m going to write songs, I might as well learn from the best.” Rarity thought for a moment, tapping a hoof to her chin, “What about that pianist that just played a few minutes ago? You know he wrote that lovely bit, so when Mr. Beethoven leaves, maybe I could find a way for you to learn composition from him.” “You would do that?” She nodded, “Why not? I think that it would be an excellent experience for you. Though I cannot promise that you’ll be able to write like Beethoven, I do think you’ll be able to write like a Sweetie Belle.” Her younger sister nuzzled her. “Thank you Rarity.” _*_ About twenty minutes later, the first movement came to an end with the piano racing towards the finale. After that, there was a moment of silence as the Philharmonic turned their pages to the Adagio. Sea Sharp took one last look around to see that everypony was ready before she started to conduct. From the violins and violas, a calmer, simple melody rose like a lazy summer afternoon. This slow piece was warm, bright, but not overly proud, almost like a certain Princess that was listening to it. Indeed, as Beethoven began his part on the piano with a slow descent from the higher keys, Celestia reflected a time she and her sister shared long ago. Back to when things were simple, before the crown, before the harsh winters, or even when the very idea of Equestria was only a distant dream. She could still remember a childhood in all its innocence. Of those times of playing tag in the mountain forests to the distant flights with their mother, the Sun Princess remembered that time fondly of wilderness untouched. For Luna, this music reminded her of those firesides with their mother under the stars as she told them all sorts of stories. From tales of playful spirits to knights being rescued by princesses, of dragons and gryphons, it filled their young imaginations of worlds and magic beyond their understanding. It reminded her of dreams among the stars that seemed too revolved around her. All Cadance could think about as the serene music poured down like a gentle waterfall as the time when she was dating Shining Armor. From the piano, she could easily see in her mind’s eye the picnic that she set up beside the tall, misty waterfall of the Smoky Mountains. She could still feel her stallion’s head resting on her neck, taking in the moment of the swirling pools of cool water, underneath the shade of an oak tree on that sunny August. But in reality, her husband was doing the same, nuzzling her as a quiet reminder of his love for her. In another box, Beethoven’s Landlady, Lyra, felt a peck on her cheek. She looked over to Bon Bon, “What was that for?” she whispered. “Oh, nothing,” the Candymare replied. “How do you feel that our neighbor is going back to where he comes from?” Lyra thought about it for a moment, “On the one hoof, it’s gonna be sad to have a real human going away. Yeah, even with all the complaints and, let’s face it, he wasn’t much of a neighbor with playing his pianos at three in the morning or sometimes letting water leak through the floor, or even write on the walls. I won’t lie, the cleanup was a pain. But then again… Just listen to that. He has given us what humans are capable of doing, and it’s amazing in the face of his disability. It’s rather inspiring for anypony. On the other hoof, at least it gives me enough material for that book I’ve been promising to write.” The cream earth pony raised an eyebrow, “About him?” “Yeah. A book detailing of what he was like when he moved in, plus, I think I’ve got the perfect title for it. ‘Beethoven Lives Upstairs.’ Besides, asides from Princess Twilight, we probably have some insight into the guy then anyone.” “Well, maybe before you start doing that, maybe you should interview other ponies that have known him. You know, like the Apples, Princess Twilight and her assistant, just ponies that knew him.” Lyra told her that she would think about it, “But for now, let’s enjoy the moment, together.” On stage, Beethoven’s mind drifted to the people he missed the most. Karl was one of them, in which he could still save him from dying at his own hand. His friend Schiller, he is in need of an apology after they performed the Ninth for all the things Ludwig had said to him. And yet, of all the people that’s been going through his mind, of past friends and family, of brothers he hadn’t seen and patrons he hadn’t talk to, one still haunted him. His Immortal Beloved. Maybe if he returns to Vienna with all the gold he’s made in Equestria, perhaps he could give her a gift that she would approve of. But he kept his attention on those black and white keys. With his ears, he listens and waits in anticipation for the bassoons to slow down time to surprise the audience for the next movement. After pressing a few gentle, atmospheric keys to the pizzicato of the strings, Ludwig smirked wickedly and impatiently went straight into the third movement with a tumbling roar. It certainly jolted a few ponies awake as the piano suddenly combusted into a carnival of sound. Beethoven’s hands went about the keyboard in Rhapsody, playing the opening of a circus of wonder and fun. It wasn’t long until the orchestra to falls into this festive spell, like an evening of playing carnival games with all the lights and bustling crowds. Horns and strings shouted upon the rhythmic rides that play with their expectations. Winds and percussion kept time with the sweetness of fairground food. Ludwig’s piano zips by like a rushing rollercoaster, but curiously enough, he slows down time itself to give the audience an overview of this bright and colorful land. Up in the boxes, next to Princess Twilight, this fun music sent Spike back to the times he been to those carnivals that would come into Canterlot. While the drake may be young, he still remembered the rides that he used to be terrified of, like the rickety roller coaster that went incredibly fast through several loops. But he also remembered the clouds of cotton candy, the deep fried chocolate bars, the funnel cakes, the merry-go-rounds, and the games that promised prizes if you tossed a ring or threw a ball. Both the piano and orchestra onstage made the dragon assistant nostalgic of those times when he was younger and he would go to these carnivals during the summer. Back to those times when Twilight was still a unicorn and Shining was still single, but they did have a ton of fun throughout the whole day. On stage, Ludwig was trying to suppress a laugh as his fingers were but a blur. In this lively music, he was in his element, even for a man that was over fifty years, he felt twenty as the notes scaled up and down with hands of fire. He glanced up at the audience once again; some of them were swaying to the rhythm while others were nodding to the beat. Even the older ponies were caught in a trance in this contagious music, why, they were smiling. The younger in the audience could barely keep still, and this was what he wanted as his hands beat on. However, even with all this jubilant music, the concerto had to come to an end. So Ludwig led on the Philharmonic to a spinning finale in which he made the instrument become softer and quieter until he fired upon the audience with fireworks that the orchestra closed with several, golden chords. At the end of the bang, the equine audience stood up and cheered. For the old man, it was the most satisfying sound in the world as he got up and bowed low. He turned around for the Philharmonic and the conductor to do the same, so they did. Once everything had died out and after several bows, Ludwig spoke, “Everyone, as my time here in Equestria is about to come to an end, I think it’s about time to give credit, where credit is due.” “Don’t leave us!” someone in the audience cried. But Ludwig held up his hand, “Wait! Before any of you speak, while I still have my hearing back until tomorrow morning, let me have my say.” The theater went still, “Firstly, I wish to give my thanks to the citizens of Ponyville for taking me in – especially for my landlady who is here tonight, and who has had to put up with my horrific style of living.” This got a laugh out of the audience, “Also, to Princess Twilight Sparkle, the enlightened princess, who without her, none of you may ever hear my music and to have it published for posterity in this world. Not to mention that she saved my next and final symphony from destruction.” After the applause died down, Beethoven continued, “Secondly, I wish to thank this orchestra, who in the past year has endured and surpassed every obstacle I could throw at them. They seemed to have managed to perform all of my works, even when I couldn’t hear half of it. But in this orchestra, I want to thank two particular mares that have made this all possible. Fräulein Octavia Melody and Fräulein Vinyl Scratch, without these two, I would never have my music performed, and to have the machines that had me hear what they were playing. “But if there’s anyone that I should be really be thanking, it is all of you. For giving my music a chance in this new world, to revive the old masters, and pave the way for the music that I know and love towards a brighter future. I will leave my music at your mercy, to inspire, to educate and to be a compass for future musicians. Although I will miss my time in Equestria, I will leave with the knowledge that it is in… good hooves. However, before we end, I want to give you all a farewell. A farewell to this world, and my hearing – I want to play for you, one last time.” There was a murmur as Beethoven approached the open piano. Once he sat down, he looked at the keyboard for a very long time. He, along with every single pony in that theater knew that whatever he played, will be the last time he would play in public. But what was he going to do? All sat at the edge of their seats as Ludwig lifted his hands and placed them gently upon the keys. Thus, through his fingertips and his imagination, the piano began to sing goodbye to everyone, and everything. A simple tune with haunting chords came like a gentle phantom. Ludwig hunched over the piano, his hears listened intensely to what might as well be the last sounds he’ll ever hear. He let his heart embrace and hold onto the improvised song as long as it could. What nopony expected, especially from Applejack, was what happened as this song developed. Without so much as making out a sound, Ludwig was crying. The orange mare remembered back in that hospital room months ago how he said that composers apparently don’t cry, yet, the lights of the stage made it undeniable, there were tears flowing. The keys that he played were perfect; from the trills, to the decrescendo on the piano as Beethoven played his heart out. It was hard for those watching and listening not to tear up themselves at the heartbreaking yet heartwarming scene that was being played out to them. Beethoven, for those ponies, would leave them, but the memory of that night as he played the piano for the last time would never be forgotten.