Beethoven Lives Upstairs

Christoph, a ten-year-old boy, learns that his father has died, leaving him to cope with the loss. His Uncle Kurt, a student at the Vienna Conservatory, arranges for Ludwig van Beethoven to rent the attic room of their home. The sudden arrival of a world-famous composer unsettles Christoph and upends the family routine.

Beethoven moves into the attic and begins to settle in. Christoph doesn't like having a stranger under his roof and is wary of the composer's eccentricities. Neighbors tease Christoph for hosting a famous musician.

Beethoven's intense and odd behavior clashes with Christoph's orderly world. Christoph feels alienated, and the neighborhood children comment on the strange living arrangement.

When Christoph's mother enters Beethoven's room, he is scribbling music on shutters in place of paper. She plays Für Elise, revealing a softer, playful side to him that begins to soften Christoph's view of the stranger.

Beethoven works on the Ninth Symphony with other musicians in the room but has destroyed all their pens in fits. They frantically send Christoph out to buy more, but the others leave before he returns.

Beethoven takes Christoph out for a walk, and the two begin to bond. Christoph starts to see things from Beethoven's perspective and sense the pain of his deafness.

Overhearing Beethoven's misery about being deaf, Christoph offers him an ear trumpet designed by his father. This small gesture marks a turning point in their relationship as trust grows.

Beethoven promises tickets to the premiere for Christoph and his mother. The promise signals hope for a shared future through the concert.

As the date nears, Beethoven's temper flares in a quarrel with Sophie, the maid. Christoph accidentally spills sheet music, earning Beethoven's wrath and heightening the tension.

Kurt reassures Christoph that Beethoven's tempers are temporary and that someone who can write music this profoundly must have a great heart. His words help Christoph endure the pressure and understand the artist behind the habit.

Beethoven apologizes to Sophie for his earlier behavior. He then hands the tickets to Christoph and his mother, completing the arrangement for the premiere.

The concert becomes a triumph; Beethoven is effectively conducting but cannot hear the orchestra. Kurt conducts discreetly from the side while the players guide Beethoven to the moment of applause, turning him to face the audience.

After Beethoven's death, Christoph reflects on his experiences and the power of music. He says that although Beethoven is gone, his music will never die and that Beethoven believed in changing the world bit by bit through art.