Thalea and the Greatest Fugue - A Groupmuse Massivemuse

It’s with equal parts excitement and enthusiasm that we’re here to announce our next SF Massivemuse —

It’ll be at the atrium of the Z-space - a bleeding-edge performance space in San Francisco that specializes in new theatrical productions. It'll feature local Groupmuse heroes The Thalea String Quartet - undoubtedly among the very best young ensembles in the Bay Area. And they'll be playing Beethoven's 13th String Quartet, op. 130 + The Große Fuge.

Now. If you’ll allow me for a second: Beethoven’s Große Fuge holds a singular and legendary place in the life of Groupmuse. 9 years ago, Groupmuse CEO Sam, when Groupmuse wasn’t yet a twinkle in his eye, happened to hear this piece of music in the basement of a neighbor. It was the first piece of classical music he’d ever seriously listened to, and it’s gnarled, fevered enormity so obliterated all of the preconceptions he’d brought to classical music - preconceptions largely born of luxury car commercials and films about European royalty - that he had no choice but to start Groupmuse some four years later. I mean, some stuff happened in the meanwhile - like he listened to the Große Fuge easily over five hundred times - but that’s the gist of it.

And so it’s with enormous pride and humility that we present, for the first time ever, the entire op. 130 string quartet + the Große Fuge (just like Beethoven originally intended*) at a Massivemuse that you simply have to be there for. In its totality, this piece is truly one of the most astonishing aesthetic achievements the Western World can lay claim to.

It’ll be unforgettable and we hope you'll join us.

*When he originally wrote his op. 130 string quartet at the end of his life and deaf as a stone, Beethoven included this fabled fugue as the finale movement. But it was so thorny, so celestial, so ahead of its time, that his fans, supporters, and friends pressured him to remove and replace it. Somewhat uncharacteristically, Beethoven acquiesced, writing another, perfectly brilliant finale in its place and released the fugue as a stand-
alone opus - op. 133. The fugue is now hailed as a singular masterpiece, arguably the greatest and most visionary piece of all time.

What's the music?

Thalea String Quartet

Attendees

Remington W.

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Marcia S.

Kshitij G.

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Chloe W.

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Andrew S.

Alexander K.

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Patricia G.

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Stephanie B.

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Samuel I.

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Kevin D.

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Chauncey D.

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Abby C.

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Michael Alan H.

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Leslie Ann C.

Kristine Y.

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Abraham R.

Bryan L.

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Anirudh R.

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Joe D.

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Christine M.

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Slava P.

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Shir Y.

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Kat H.

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Michael K.

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Noam N.

Daniel W.

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Stephen M.

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Mark L.

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Karina E.

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Lauren M.

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Jacob R.

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Allison B.

Amirhossein K.

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Matthew S.

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Michael C.

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Brian S.

Ivana M.

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John V.

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Phil W.

David K.

Andrew W.

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Adrien S.

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Olof M.

Aman A.

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Ben R.

Carl S.

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Mirabelle K.

Matthew L.

Christina S.

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Nasser A.

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John D.

Jakob U.

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Lauryn P.

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Tom H.

Will A.

Samiron R.

Evan D.

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Will H.

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Lisa S.

Colleen M.

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Aaron C.

Martin L.

Jake G.

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Rick D.

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Leigh Ann S.

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Robin A.

Ayse E.

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Libby L.

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Carolyn L.

Josselyn I.

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Daniel Y.

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Frog G.

Dan C.

Whitman P.

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Diane B.

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You-Cyuan J.

Peiyin S.

Leslie H.

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Bonnie F.

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Mona M.

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