Music Composer Ludwig van Beethoven's final words were "Friends applaud, the comedy is over." Some reports say Beethoven, who was deaf by the end of life, said: "I will hear in heaven" while others suggest he said: "Plaudite, amici, comedia finita est" (Applaud, friends, the comedy is finished). But still others say that after a publisher brought the composer 12 bottles of wine, his final words were: "Pity, pity, too late!"
Beethoven was bedridden for most of his remaining months, and many friends came to visit. He died on 26 March 1827 at the age of 56 during a thunderstorm. His friend Anselm Hüttenbrenner, who was present at the time, said that there was a peal of thunder at the moment of death. An autopsy revealed significant liver damage, which may have been due to heavy alcohol consumption. It also revealed considerable dilation of the auditory and other related nerves.