Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge was an almost-crazy experiment in dissonance and disruption, penned by the completely-deaf composer near the end of his creative life. Called “repellent” and “incomprehensible” by his peers, Stravinsky consided it “an absolutely contemporary piece of music that will be contemporary forever."

Benjamin Simon leads members of the award-winning youth orchestra Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra in a performance of the fugue, preceeded by an introduction on Beethoven and his musical development.

Stephen Malinowski’s brilliant Music Animation Machine graphics will be shown during the performance, adding a visual layer to your listening experience which will let you actually see the musical patterns of this complex work as they unfold in real time.

Classical at the Freight brings in some of the Bay Area’s best classical musicians for an hour of outstanding chamber music in an informal, friendly atmosphere. San Francisco Chamber Orchestra music director Ben Simon hosts. There’s no stuffiness, no mystification, just an invigorating evening with gifted musicians sharing the beauty and joy of this timeless art with new audiences of all ages.

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