On the day of the Premier, the Canterlot Philharmonic was a little more confident, if not slightly nervous to be playing the new symphony. Through Ludwig van Beethoven’s critique during rehearsals, the orchestra was now more prepared then it was a week ago. And thanks to a certain DJ that was present during those rehearsals, the members agreed that the opening needed one more instrument to make absolutely sure that it’ll get their listener’s attention.
Now it was Equestria’s Memorial Day, while many don’t see the relevance of this day that was a week before schools open their doors again, to the guards – both Solar and Lunar – this day was a big deal. This is because not only does it honor those who are in service to Crown and Country, not only is it a day to remember those that have fought in past conflicts, but it was also a kind of an appreciation day for all from the highest ranking officers to the recent recruits. To the guards serving alongside the Royal family in Canterlot, the palace hosted a kind of party for all the guards and their families as a day of relaxation.
What an appropriate than, would the third Symphony be performed for the first time in its massive ballroom?
“Okay, is everypony ready?” Sea Sharp asked.
“I’ve already checked,” Octavia said, “Everypony’s here.”
“Including the thunderclouds for percussion?”
“They’ve just got here,” one of the horn players said as he looked out the window. Indeed, with special permission, two dark clouds were gently pushed into place that was just a ways from the window and anypony in the way. The two pegasi who placed the clouds gave a salute, signaling that everything was ready on their end.
The conductor turned around, there between the dozen of folded up seats were three thrones that were nearby her stand. All empty and expecting of their audience once the doors open up. Yet looking at one of the clocks on the wall, it read that it was almost three.
Sighing, she said to herself, “I really do hope they’re ready for what they’re in for.”
_*_
Though the palace gates, up the marble staircase and down a hallway, Twilight lead Beethoven through the maze of corridors until they came to the great dining hall where they found the party of guards and their families were at. Everywhere there were foals running around; teenager sulking; brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers in uniform tried to catch up with their families that they’ve been away from. Lunch has already been long over and everypony in the room was given the time to socialize.
“Twilie!” A familiar voice called out. The lilac alicorn not only quickly located where the sound was coming from, but who it was.
“Shining!” Twilight went up to the new Prince of the Crystal Empire, almost talking him as she wrapped him in a hug. “It’s so good to see you!”
“Long time no see little sis,” the white stallion patted her on the back as he (along with many in the room) took notice of the giant walking in. “Uh, Twilight? Who’s that?”
To this, the Princess of Friendship pulled away with a puzzled look, “You mean you don’t know? That’s Ludwig van Beethoven, he’s been in several newspapers already. How can you miss hearing about him?”
“Twilight, I live in the Crystal Empire,” Shining deadpanned, “it’s the last place in Equestria to know what’s going on.”
“Who’s this?” Ludwig asked, “Do you know him?” He pulled out his conversation book to Twilight in which she wrote to him, explaining who it is. “Your brother? And he’s a prince? Oh, you poor miserable soul.”
This took the white stallion completely by surprise, “Hey, what does tha-”
“Shining, it’s no use,” Twilight interrupted, “He’s deaf.”
“But what is he, and why is he here?”
She sighed, “Long story short, he’s the one who wrote the symphony we’re going to hear soon.”
The Prince raised an eyebrow, and before he could question her little sister further, a voice rang out into the great hall.
“Presenting Princess Celestia!” Almost on instinct, everypony in the room bowed as soon as the alabaster alicorn walked in. All except for the siblings, and Beethoven, much to the other ponies shock. For Ludwig, however, he didn’t even hear the announcement since the door was back to him.
It was Twilight that wrote him a quick note telling him that the Sun Princess was right behind him. But even when he turned around, he still did not bow to her. As shocking and near treasonous offense as it was in a room full of palace guards, Celestia raises a hoof before anypony could move.
“I’m very much aware of Mr. Beethoven’s condition and the reason for not bowing. I’m here to let you all know that it’s almost time for the concert, so let’s head over to the ballroom now.”
As the ponies started getting up, Celestia took out a scroll from under her wing and unrolled it to the old man. While she spoke, words of what she was saying appear on the scroll. “Hello Mr. Beethoven, my name is Princess Celestia, and I’ve heard much about you.”
Ludwig took hold of the scroll as the words faded away. “What is this thing?”
“It’s a gift from me to you,” she said simultaneously as the words were being spelled out as if by an invisible pen. “My former student Twilight has told me that you’re deaf and often times ask my ponies to write down what they’re saying so you can communicate with them. This scroll you’re reading has a spell that will allow you to read off what anypony nearby is saying in real time. Hopefully, this should make things a little easier for you.”
“What a useful invention,” Beethoven flipped the scroll over just as the words were vanishing. “It would give me more room for my composition books at least.”
Celestia smiled, “That’s good to hear. Now shall we make our way to the ballroom to hear this symphony of yours?”
As the four of them started to make their way towards the other large room, Shining said. “So this symphony, does it have a theme?”
Ludwig looked up from the scroll, “Who said that?” the unicorn waved. “Ah, heroism, but it used to be about something else when I first wrote it.”
“What do you mean?”
“A long time ago, it used to be about someone that I admired politically. That I once viewed as the champion of the poor, the enlightenment, and the key to freeing us against tyranny. But one day I had to change the name because he did something unforgivable.”
“Who was it?” Twilight asked.
Ludwig grumbled, “Consider the symphony as a memorial of what Bonaparte used to be.”
All three gave some very confused looks.
“Bonaparte?” Twilight thought for a moment, “Why does that name sound… wait a minute! Is it me, or does the name sound very similar to-”
“Neighpoleon Boneighparte?” Shining Armor finished her sister’s sentence, “As in the general and Emperor of Prance?”
Beethoven rolled up the scroll tightly, “And that’s why I scratched his cursed name out! Yet coming from you, I can't believe that I live in a world where there's a pony version of that tyrant." He then suddenly stopped for a moment, "Wait," he unrolled the scroll and turned to Twilight, "I thought you said there was no Europe. How can there be this world's equivalent of a country like France be real here when you said Europe doesn't exist?"
"Because Prance isn't a country in this world," Twilight explained, "Well, it tired to be two hundred years ago, but it's a famous province that nearly took over the world. But Celestia and her generals put a stop to him before he went too far with his military conquests."
Ludwig sighed, "At least he had his Waterloo," he said before rolling up the scroll again, and marched towards the Ball Room.
The three of them looked at one another, “Well,” Celestia commented, “This will ought to be interesting.”
_*_
When Ludwig walked into the ballroom that was filled with the Royal Guard and their families, the composer got curious and unrolled the scroll to see what those he passing by was saying.
Dad! Do we have to? It’s going to be so borin-
Ponyfeathers, I knew I should bring my pillow an-
Welp, need the nap anyway.
First Countess Coloratura, now this? What was Cel-
But Ludwig had read enough. Apparently, it seemed that nopony in this room was having very low expectations about what they’re about to hear. To this, Beethoven chuckled to himself, for they’re clearly not going to expect the surprise he had in store for them.
Ludwig took his seat that wasn’t facing the orchestra but to the audience. His seat was a padded bench that was behind Celestia’s throne, looking out to them. The giant was satisfied, it was just as he requested.
After he took his seats and the three royals walked up to theirs, Shining wave his hoof for him to unroll the scroll.
“So this piece we’re going to be hearing,” the prince asked, “is it original?”
“It is original from beginning to end.”
By the corner of his eye, it would seem that Shining was buying it. “But that’s impossible. How can classical music be original all the way through?”
Ludwig didn’t respond. So the prince went around taking his seat while Beethoven leaned over to peek at the orchestra and the thunderclouds near the open windows. The old man sat back, his attention was to his audience. He could see that the room that ponies were talking among themselves, the young ones sat in their seats, their expression suggested unamusement like the adults.
So reaching his fist to the back of the throne where it had no padding, Beethoven knocked on the back of it a few times and waited. In the back of his mind, he could see the Philharmonic had readied themselves while the conductor raised her baton overhead. Yet, Ludwig waited to see the flashes of lightning.
Suddenly, in a room of low expectations, whatever anypony was saying was silence by two, loud thunderclaps. The giant couldn’t help but nearly broken out into laughter as even the armored guards had jumped in their seats from the sudden noise before the strings began to lead the battle. Music was filling his mind of the morning assault of the whole orchestrated army assembled. Wind and brass lined up in formation as the heroic theme heads to the front, like a general, giving a few battle cries to the audience before it charged forward at them.
From the audience, the adults and teens turned to one another, not knowing what to make at what was going on. Sure there was plenty of noise to keep their attention, but they’ve noticed that there was neither a clear rhythm nor structure. The foals, while they confused listened on, intrigued at what was going on. Clearly, nopony in the room had never heard such an explosion of sound before with Cavalry rushing in through the mountainous terrain in full gallop from the strings.
The winds gave moments of pause as they review and execute their clever plans before sending the strings in. Cellos and violas snuck in along with the stealth-like before firing a wind of arrows down. Once a path was cleared, magical blasts from all forces punched their way through the booby-trapped field towards the other side.
Behind Ludwig, Shining looked on wide-eyed as he leans over towards her sister and whispered during the “quiet” bits.
“It’s like an epic, isn’t it?”
Twilight nodded, “I know, I can practically see the whole battle from this. He certainly knows how to paint a picture with nothing more than notes.”
Celestia shushed her.
For the next several minutes, the battle waged on, and the orchestra was already getting tired. Strings struggled for rest as their scores demanded faster and louder. Even Octavia from time to time spied on the clock to see if they were anywhere near the end of the movement. Thankfully, every so often she would find quarter notes, or half notes, and even pizzicato that gave her a mini break. But even so, the mood quickly changes as it goes from calm and calculated to violent extremes that pushes her and the other member’s instruments to their limits.
‘Look on the bright side,’ Octavia thought to herself. ‘At least nopony’s left the room or fallen asleep yet.’
_*_
About twenty minutes later, the first movement, at last, came to a climactic end. As soon as Ludwig saw the applause, he unrolled the scroll to see what any of them were saying.
Is it over?
No, Mr. Beethoven told me that there were four movements.
Really Twilight? Was that really all one movement? Sheesh, it was long but at least it was different.
I rather like it Shining. That was quite bold if I do say so myself.
Even though it was about twenty minutes long Celestia? And it looks like they’re not done.
Quiet now, they’re about to start
.
It didn’t take long for Ludwig to figure out that conversation was coming from behind him. At this point, he stood up and walked over to one of the walls to the columns to lean on. As he did so, he checked to see the pegasi outside the open windows were now making those suspended clouds rain before the orchestra regains their strength for the second movement.
As Sea Sharp began to lead the procession of the funeral march, Beethoven noticed that this got an immediate reaction from his equine audience. Although he cannot hear the soft progression of the Philharmonic, the quiet and humble music for the moment had a profound effect. The adults seemed rather surprised that after twenty minutes of loud, thunderous music, suddenly they were given something more solemn.
Yet, he also noticed he didn’t see that many mouths moving. In fact, he wasn’t sure if anyone was breathing as everyone except the younger members of the audience remained motionless. The intrigue from the first was now swept aside to something more somber. Almost like the mourners in his music that are watching the black funerary carts go by. As if these ponies already knew who was in the lines of imaginary coffins going down the street.
Minutes into the march, one by one, ponies from the adults and teens bowed their heads in a compilation. Curious, Ludwig quietly went around the enormous room to take a closer look. In the groups where families sat, he noticed that the guards in uniform were either placing a comforting hoof on the other or vice versa. Some of them, young or old, glanced at each other as if remembering something – or someone together. It was the same in several rows, parent and child, brothers, sisters, even among the other guards were whispering silently, one trying to comfort the other as the march progressed on. Ludwig even saw a few wiping away tears.
For the three royals sitting at the very front, three different thoughts were going through their heads.
In Twilight’s mind, her mind went back to the day of the Changeling invasion of Canterlot. It went back to the moment when they were overpowered, outnumbered and saw the Queen grinning in triumph as her fellow ponies were either running for their lives or getting captured. While there was a victory, in the end, thanks to her brother and her sister in law, there were some that went missing on that day. Yet, with the music being presented, it poses a question to her: how many more ponies could she have saved that day?
Shining’s mind wandered back to the Crystal Empire, back to the time when they first set hoof inside its long lost borders. Back to when he and his wife had entered the lower depths of the crystal palace of the torture chamber, to find the victims of Sombra still trapped there. After freeing them, and heard about what the dark king had done in that room alone, his imagination ran with the music of all the souls that had perished. As if his mind was showing the procession of the victims of the group of ponies he’s now responsible for.
For Celestia, however, the march, despite being just as long as the first, gave her time to ponder of all the years of warfare and attacks her and her subjects had endured. It was this very music that reminded her why she has done all she could to avoid it as much as she could. The music leads to memories of countless funerals of those who had died to keep the kingdom safe. To the guards that, be it by accident or from attacks that now rests in coffins. She could hear the sniffs and sobs of families and friends of those that their fathers, mother, sisters or brothers had given themselves the last measure of devotion in her name.
_*_
By the time the second movement had finished, no one applauded as far as Beethoven saw. However, when he looked over to where the three Royals were, he saw Twilight waving a hoof over to him.
Taking out the scroll, he looked up for a moment to whoever was speaking first before reading.
“That was quite a moving piece,” Celestia said. “It’s probably the most emotional thing that I’ve heard in a very long time.”
“You’ve certainly gone above anypony’s expectations,” Shining Armor said as he looked over his seat. “By the looks of it, even the kids are listening; which is impressive in and of itself.”
“I thought what we’ve heard was patriotic,” Twilight added. “That first piece was fun to listen to.”
“All artists are patriots of some kind, just like I was at the time,” Ludwig told them. “So I take it that you all liked it.”
“It’s not bad,” Shining said, “Normally I don’t really listen to this kind of music, but hearing this… it’s like a breath of fresh air.”
“I agree with Shining Armor on that point,” Celestia nodded. “Mr. Beethoven, even though we’re halfway, I must say that despite how long it is, you’ve indeed made every moment worthwhile.”
“Don’t thank me yet Princess Sunny,” Beethoven said, “The symphony isn’t over yet. All these ponies need to hear now are the horns in the dance to bring their moods back to life.”
“Let the orchestra rest for a moment before we proceed.”
"You know Mr. Beethoven," Twilight spoke up. "Concerning what this symphony really is about, I have to ask you something. In your world, how did you know about your Neighpoleon?"
Ludwig frowned, "From the Revolution that happened in France. Before I wrote this symphony, I heard about the revolt and what the people over there were standing up for. Of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, the same ideals that the people in my country were struggling for. I still remembered how that they're a terror in the land where many were killed, but from the chaos, rose a man from the island of Corsica. Who like myself was a genius at what he did best. For a time, I admired him in what he stood... what he used to stand for. After he took over as Emperor, his armies conquered its neighbors, including my city for him to have absolute power. We never once met, and neither did the French stayed for long. Still, I kept the symphony stand for everything that Napoleon had betrayed."
A few minutes later, the unicorn conductor raised her baton once more before advancing onto the third movement. The strings started with quick notes on the scherzo-like, before the clarinet and flute sang a forgotten dance of the pegasi. Violins, violas, and cellos perpetuate the movement on like the melody was tumbling in a wind, each raising and falling in quick succession. Then out from the depressing tone of the second movement, which seemed to be only talking about nothing more than death and loss, came an explosion of uplifting light as the orchestra celebrated in a crescendo.
Ludwig looked over to his audience once more and noticed something rather curious, the younger members, the ponies’ children rather, seemed to be bouncing, tapping or swaying to the rhythmic beating of the strings. These foals who only about forty minutes before had whined that they were going to hear something boring, were now fully enveloped to the music. Ludwig was pleased.
The ballroom was flooded in a heartbeat paced dance like ancient festival music that seemed to be timeless as it painted the equine listener’s imaginations in a wide range of bright colors. Almost as if each note from each instrument was animated with an ecstasy of delight and adrenaline racing trills like a Nightmare Night party on a sugar high.
After the music came to another crescendo that sang something playful yet witty tune, the orchestra made way for three ancient yet brightly lit mountain horns that seemed to banish the heartache of death. These elder horns were not dusty sounding, but like the rest of the orchestra were filled with life. For a few minutes, the horns and the orchestra talked and joked with one another, lightening the mood up for the last round of the wild dance.
Before anypony knew it, the third movement was over and to their surprised expectations; the whole thing had lasted about five minutes! However, the movement was given applause, most enthusiastic by the kids there.
The orchestra was now moved onto the finale of this trek of a symphonic journey which started as the strings galloped right into a nosedive, crashing in a fanfare. It didn’t last long until the strings went straight into a pizzicato that tiptoed its way around the horns that seemed to be looking for them. The winds joined the strings and welcomed to the festival-like atmosphere like an old friend.
Indeed, along with the playful nature of the last movement, there was a sense of familiarity in it as if someone they thought was long gone had returned. Like somepony that they once thought had died was now joining in the celebration. The adults in the room looked on with a kind of sense of nostalgia that jumped and waltzed in the air. It took a while to realize what it was; it was the feeling of returning home.
As Ludwig noted among those in uniform, he saw something that he wanted to accomplish today, giving these ponies the kind of hope that one sees in their eyes. The hope that after their training and service, that they’ll not only return home safely but with honor and hailed as heroes.
_*_
Minutes later, the Philharmonic was racing its way to the final variation. For Octavia, that final moment seemed as if the whole score on the paper had seemed to gallop at full speed towards the end, jumping over obstacles to reach its destination. And then, with the feeling as if her cello would break at any moment, she along with the orchestra thundered out the last two chords.
There was an immediate roar in the ballroom as ponies, including the three royals, stood as one in an ovation. While the cellist felt that she would rather collapse, she along with the entire Philharmonic, including the two pegasi that were nearby the windows with the thunderclouds, got up from their seats and bowed.
Celestia waved Beethoven over, in which he unrolled a scroll before he got near her. “I believe,” she said at last, “that this, is the best symphony, yet written. Ludwig van Beethoven, you do us with much honor to not only for me and our country but also to our guards as well.”
There was an agreement in the ballroom.
For Ludwig, he went around the Sun Princess to face the crowd and bowed to them.
“Phew,” Octavia said, “how are our instruments still intact?”
“No idea,” Alto the violist said as she leaned over. “At least they’ve liked it. But on the downside, we have to do this again at midnight for the Lunar portion for Princess Luna, and do this again for the following week at the theater.”
To this, Octavia narrowed her eyes towards the bowing composer, “Oh I really hate that giant.”