Chapter 28: The Piano in Appaloosa in B Major.
Weeks went by in the month of November, and Beethoven had been hard at work for the musical duel that was about to take place. Daily he went up to Canterlot by train to rehearse with the Philharmonic in which there were many shouting matches between him and the orchestra. Since the musicians either traded in their instruments for antiques or have their strings replaced with traditional gut strings, the Philharmonic was forced to adapt to playing the demanding score without breaking them.
However, despite the tough rehearsals, the ponies managed to refine the music before they all packed up and took a train towards Applewood, through the southern desert – taking the equipment for Ludwig to hear, as well as the composer himself along with them.
“Unglaublich,” Beethoven whispered as he looked out the passing land outside the passenger window.
Twilight tilted her head, “Did you say something?” she asked, but Ludwig didn’t notice her question. After getting his attention from the use of her magic, she repeated her question slowly to him.
“I say something?” he inquired and the mare nodded. “Yes. I’ve never seen the desert before.”
After a wave, Ludwig took out the magic scroll in which Twilight asked, “Really? Are there no deserts where you come from?”
“No. Europe is full of green meadows, farms, cities, forests, and mountains. But this,” he gestured towards the window, “is really unbelievable. I’ve never seen a land so empty and vast like this before.” He turned back to the Princess, “Not to mention so warm.”
“That’s the desert for you,” she said. “Where we’ll be spending the night, is one of the few places in this region that has a water source. Appaloosa is an oasis in the middle of nowhere that, the only other residents living there besides the settlers is the nomadic Buffalo Tribe that knows how to live off the land.”
Beethoven looked at the scroll puzzled, “What is this word here? I don’t understand it.”
“Huh?” Twilight went over and peeked over the scroll, but by the time she did the words had already a faded away. “What word?”
“You said something tribe.”
“Buffalo?”
“There’s that word again.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow, “You don’t know what the word ‘Buffalo’ means?”
Ludwig shook his head, “It’s a word that I don’t recognize.”
“There’s an older term… Bison I think.”
Again, Beethoven shook his head. “I don’t know what you are saying.”
“Nevermind,” the Princess of Friendship sighed. “When we get to the town tonight, chances are you might see a few of them walking around. As I was saying, we’ll be spending the night there tonight before heading on for Applewood in the morning.” She glanced out the window once more before adding, “Oh, and before I forget: by the time we do get to Appaloosa, there’s a greeter there that can get rather… a touch intrusive. He’s not bad by any means, just easily excitable in meeting new po- I mean, anyone new. He’s a cousin of my friend Applejack, just to let you know beforehoof.”
_*_
Hours of trudging through the dry desert air over red and orange earth, the train slowed to a halt at the small settler’s town in which had a few green saplings growing around its borders. With a blow of the whistle, the doors were opened in which the members of the Philharmonic stepped out onto the wooden platform. By now, the sun was on its way westward but there was still enough time for them to find something to eat.
Looking up and shielding his eyes from the sun a bit, Ludwig thought, ‘Perhaps we ought to rehearse once more after dinner. Just to be sure everything is perfect before-’ he never got the chance to finish his thought as something yellow suddenly jumped up to his face. Beethoven tumbled backward in shock, tripping over an instrument case.
The yellow pony, with an ear to ear grin, said something before rearing up on his hind legs. Ludwig saw that the stallion was talking to him but there were too many words to decipher. Before Beethoven could take out the scroll from his pocket to find out what in the world he is talking about, other members of the orchestra had raised their hooves and they too were speaking.
By the time he unrolled the scroll, the stallion had a look of surprise, “That’s Beethoven?” the yellow pony seemed to ask.
“Yes!” Octavia told him, “The same giant that is deaf.”
The pony that startled Ludwig had his ears folded back, “Oh…” he looked at him with guilty eyes, “Uh… can ya understand me?”
“I can now,” Beethoven muttered, trying to get up. “What did you scare me like that for?”
“Ah didn’t mean none sir, really. Jus’ tryin’ ta say hello, only ya didn’t look down. Sorry about that, perhaps Ah should start over, name’s Braeburn. We’re glad to have somepon- eh, someone by the likes of you to be here in…” Ludwig looked up when there was a pause in the scroll to find the stallion was rearing on his hind hooves again, “Appaloosa! So what brings Y'all here for?”
It was then that Princess Twilight stepped out onto the platform, “Hey Braeburn.”
He craned his neck around the giant, “Princess Twilight,” he quickly bowed. “Long time no see! What brings you here?”
“We’re traveling to Applewood but we’re stopping here for the night.” She said as she adjusted her saddlebags, “I’m with the orchestra to hear the premiere of a new symphony of his.”
“Really!” Braeburn went up to her, “You mean this whole team is goin’ to play his music?” he pointed at Beethoven.
“Yep,” she said before had a thought. “In fact, if I remember right, the orchestra probably needs to do one more rehearsal tonight before the big day tomorrow.”
“That’s great news!” the cowpony smiled, “Everypony in Appaloosa has already heard his Heroic Symphony, if only on the piano, but we’ve never got enough musicians fer a whole orchestra. Do ya think it would be possible if Y'all had an open rehearsal in which the town might get the chance to hear it?”
“Do you have any place that has electricity?” the princess inquired, “We’re carrying a machine in order for Mr. Beethoven to hear his music.”
“Well… We’ve already set up a telegram office, which runs on electricity. I think this might work.”
Twilight turned to the rest of the orchestra, “What do the rest of you think?”
Octavia shrugged, “As long as everypony else doesn’t interfere too much, we should be fine as long as we get some time to go through the music once more.” The others, including Ludwig, agreed. The cellist added, “Perhaps we ought to do it after we have some dinner.”
“Well shoot!” Braeburn interjected, “Ah know jus’ the place!”
_*_
“The Salt Lick?” Princess Twilight deadpanned as the Philharmonic reached the saloon.
“What?” Braeburn asked, “They have other things then salt licks and cider. This here saloon has other things too like sandwiches, fries, and the fourth best apple pie this side of Equestria.”
“Fourth?” Octavia raised an eyebrow.
“Mine’s better.” One collective eye roll later, the members pass through the swinging doors of the saloon. The place wasn’t crowded except for the few stallions here and there that either drank or gambled in peace. There was only one bartender who was cleaning the glass mugs before he looked up at who was entering.
Beethoven had to crane his neck downward, nearly crawling his way through, and when he was in, there was only enough space for him to hunch over. By now, everyone in the saloon was looking up at him. However, Ludwig scanned around the space and spotted in a corner, a lone stand-up piano that exposed its strings and hammers for all to see.
While the orchestra was taking their seats, the old man went over to the piano. It had only one little chair and a layer of dust on every part except the keyboard.
Braeburn looked over as Beethoven touched one of the keys, “What’s yer friend doin’?”
Twilight looked over also, “Not sure, could you go get somepony to get everyone fed? I’m going to go see what he’s up to.” She trotted over and took out the scroll from his pocket, “Ludwig, what are you doing?”
“Why is there a piano in a place like this?” he inquired, “Especially in this state?”
“Uh, excuse me,” Twilight looked over to see the bartender going up to him. “Hey, don’t touch that, it’s for our pianist only.”
“He can’t hear you,” she told the uniformed stallion. “He’s deaf.”
“Well still, he’s not supposed to touch that, it’s only been tuned yesterday.”
It was then that Twilight got an idea, “Actually, why not you let him play?”
The bartender looked at her as if she lost her mind, “You can’t be serious? You just said that the… whatever he is, can’t hear.”
“But suppose he can play-”
“He can’t.”
Sighing, the Princess of Friendship said, “Then why not I make a bet with you? If you allow him to play something on that piano and if he plays it well, whatever meal he orders, will be on the house.”
Thinking it over, the bartender agreed, under one condition, “Alright, but he can’t play, then you have to pay double for all of these ponies here, deal?”
Smirking, Twilight shook his hoof, “Deal.” She then went over to Ludwig, holding up the scroll, “Mr. Beethoven, can you play something for us?”
Ludwig raised an eyebrow, “Why?”
“Because, the bartender over there said that if you could play something good on that, then whatever meal you want will be for free.”
There was a pause between the two before Beethoven looked up; “Free?” she nodded. Looking at the open piano, he said, “Get me a spoon.”
Off from the counter-top of the bar, Twilight borrowed a metal spoon and gave it to the giant. Sitting down, Ludwig adjusted the seat and putting the silverware between his teeth, let the other end touch part of the piano. For a moment, Ludwig closed his eyes before deciding what exactly to play. Perhaps he should give these settlers something… complicated
His long fingers on the keys, Beethoven began to play softly at first. Letting long, misty, notes that almost went unnoticed in the bar. While it wasn’t unpleasant for the first three minutes of it with its cloud-like sounds, it wasn’t anything clever. Just nice background music as far as anypony cared to observe. Light high and soft low notes complimented one another like a water painting.
Striding over to the bar, Twilight smirked, “Well?”
The bartender frowned, “It’s… okay, but not exactly worth a free meal as of yet.”
“Just you wait.”
So he did, as he returned to cleaning the glass mugs, he kept his ears perked at the piano, trying to hear so much of a wrong note. But oddly, there wasn’t even one in this atmospheric music. It was as if it was missing something.
Then, about three minutes in, the keys became stronger in volume before suddenly the mood changed to only a solo voice in which notes wiz up and down the black and white keys. Then another voice stepped in which a complicated, layered, and spinning fugue erupted in which it got much of the attention of the saloon.
But what made the bartender’s jaw drop was that even when the giant was using up every single square inch of the keyboard, using every trick in the book, every theatrical move that any musician could think of, there was not a single sour note to be heard. And it went on for another ten minutes!
The sounds of the fugue didn’t go noticed to outsiders, ponies outside and inside were peeking through at the deaf pianist that was at this point showing off. Even the very few buffalo that were in town were curious as to where this heavily textured music was coming from. For some, they were trying to make out the blur of fingers that were playing on the keys.
By the time that Beethoven played the final cords, he couldn’t hear the applause both outside and inside as he took the spoon out of his mouth. He looked up at the slack-jawed bartender, “Do you have anything to drink?” he asked.
For Octavia, there was only one word that came to mind by the time the deaf composer finished, “Show off.”
_*_
Vinyl looked again at the cable that was linking between the machine and telegraph office before she connected it with her speakers. After that was done, she was pleased to find that she had power. By now, the sun had already gone down and the orchestra had gathered just outside of town in which several lanterns were lit for them and the impromptu audience. Some of the townsfolk were chatting about how lucky there were here for such a special event in their own town while the orchestra was tuning up on their “antique” instruments.
Of course, they were waiting for the one that was going to conduct them, in which, a few minutes later, Beethoven was whipping his mouth with a napkin. He walked through the mob up to Vinyl, “Ah citizen,” he said to the white unicorn, squeezing her shoulder blades. “You’re just in time for the revolution.”
With a confused look, she handed him the headphones in which he put them around his skull. With the cord dragging behind, he went up to the Philharmonic, “So far, you’ve done much better than the first orchestra that rehearsed this. But before we begin, I want to say that while your playing is good, I can sense that some of you are holding back. Don’t be! This symphony is the very embodiment of revolution. For too long, the music you’ve often played has been ignored, but no longer! Tomorrow night is your chance to raise yourselves up, and the music that I know up from the dull, aristocratic pop music. The first eight notes in the very beginning is a call to action! Just remember, do not hold back on the crescendos, and let us practice for the revolution that is to come.”
He raised his right arm while keeping the other on his headphones, and what the ponies and buffalo of Appaloosa got that night, was fate knocking on the door.
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*applause*
Fucking good, now js time for the fifth, we still got way to go til we reach he nineth, my favortie one.
7570200 Mine too.
I fucking love this. I just no-lifed this fic, and I have to say it's beautiful. Beethoven, my personal idol, smack-talking Blueblood? Awesome. Beethoven, my personal idol, single-handedly remolding another world's music industry? Double awesome. Beethoven, my personal idol, getting praised by the pinkish youth for being an abrasive asshole? TRIPLE AWESOME!
You are my new best friend.
I Can't hold My Excitement, we must Embrace the Power Pure Roar OF MUSIC!!!
The Fifth Symphony Has Begin can wait for next chapter.
What's an Anther Note?
bybio.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/asiatic-lily-anthers.jpg
I freakin' love this this fic! I'm finding very few spelling mistakes, only grammatical, but they don't really throw me off the story itself at all. I don't think I've seen anything like this before on FIMFiction (as well done) and I look forward to reading the next chapter.
Since I'm a bit of a language nerd I also like when you have Beethoven saying things in German like "Unglaublich" or "Wunderbar" and although I cannot speak nor am I learning German in school, a little bit of Google Translate always helps.
Does anyone know what Svengallop's mailing adress is? I have some ice here...
7572418
Bruh same