# Poll without voting: Favorite half century in classical music



## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Inspired by the favorite decade thread I was wondering about half centuries of classical music that you appreciate most. But I haven't got a clue how to create a poll on this site so you can just answer the question without worrying about the statistics 

I'll start off by being funny saying that the next 50 years look very promising (except when Einaudi is setting the trend of course). 

You're free to choose where you would like to let your half century start.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

I'll give it ago 

1900-1950


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

^
Exactly what I thought!


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## David OByrne (Dec 1, 2016)

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> I'll give it ago
> 
> 1900-1950


Stravinsky and Varese are a very good prospect, well having Stravinsky as my entry into classical music. What are some more classical masters from this half-century?

I have heard some Shostakovich that I liked


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

Casebearer said:


> I'll start off by being funny saying that the next 50 years look very promising (except when Einaudi is setting the trend of course).


I agree, however, though Einaudi's music is uninteresting to me, the genre that he is supposed to belong to (but not represent) - minimalism - seems one of the most promising trends of contemporary music. So, my favorite 1/2 century is 1951-2000, which covers many interesting experimental musics (Cage's Music of Changes was composed in 1951) and most of the wonderful minimal works.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

I say 1850-1899.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

For me, 1779-1828. Next, 1926-1975. I won't miss those bloated late romantics and their tiresome preoccupation with their psychological issues. I have enough of my own.


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

Probably either 1901-1950 or 1951-200. Both have an incredibly wide variety of music.


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## Lenny (Jul 19, 2016)

KenOC said:


> For me, 1779-1828. Next, 1926-1975. I won't miss those bloated late romantics and their tiresome preoccupation with their psychological issues. I have enough of my own.


Noooo! I take 1850-1900.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

1865-1915 please.


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

KenOC said:


> For me, 1779-1828.


Me too - i.e. stronger than a "like".


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## Rhombic (Oct 28, 2013)

1900-1950 if only strict half-centuries are allowed (i.e. from xx00 to xx50 or from xx50 to xx00)

Otherwise, easily 1886-1936


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

In terms of what I'm most enthusiastic about now it would have to be the past 50 years, though if we're going strictly like Rhombic said, then on balance I might go for the first half of the 20th century.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

I'd go with something like *1874* to *1924* because that encompasses:


Berg (everything except the late works)
Brahms (roughly the 2nd half of his oeuvre, including all four symphonies)
Bruckner (from Symphony No. 4 onward)
Debussy
Faure
Ives
Mahler
Mussorgsky (late works, including _Pictures at an Exhibition_ and _Songs & Dances of Death_)
Nielsen (almost all)
Ravel (almost all)
Rimsky-Korsakov
Schoenberg (roughly the first half of his oeuvre)
Scriabin
Sibelius
R. Strauss (the majority of his works)
Stravinsky (many of his most important compositions)
Vaughan Williams (the first three symphonies)

And others that I'm sure that I'm forgetting.


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## Torkelburger (Jan 14, 2014)

JACE said:


> I'd go with something like *1874* to *1924* because that encompasses:
> 
> 
> Berg (everything except the late works)
> ...


Some good Rachmaninoff in there too!


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## manyene (Feb 7, 2015)

1890-1940 - a judicious blend of full/post romantic plus modern


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Really tough decision for me.

Until a few years ago, I would have easily said 1900-1950. But recently, post 1950 is looking really good to me.

I guess I will still lean toward 1900-1950 for now.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

David OByrne said:


> Stravinsky and Varese are a very good prospect, well having Stravinsky as my entry into classical music. What are some more classical masters from this half-century?
> 
> I have heard some Shostakovich that I liked


Bela Bartok
Eliot Carter
Samuel Barber
Alban Berg
Schoenberg

To name a few...


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

Torkelburger said:


> Some good Rachmaninoff in there too!


Ah! You're RIGHT! I knew I was forgetting someone!


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Quote Originally Posted by JACE 
"I'd go with something like 1874 to 1924 because that encompasses:

Berg (everything except the late works)
Brahms (roughly the 2nd half of his oeuvre, including all four symphonies)
Bruckner (from Symphony No. 4 onward)
Debussy
Faure
Ives
Mahler
Mussorgsky (late works, including Pictures at an Exhibition and Songs & Dances of Death)
Nielsen (almost all)
Ravel (almost all)
Rimsky-Korsakov
Schoenberg (roughly the first half of his oeuvre)
Scriabin
Sibelius
R. Strauss (the majority of his works)
Stravinsky (many of his most important compositions)
Vaughan Williams (the first three symphonies)


And others that I'm sure that I'm forgetting." 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll take that same half century(1874 to 1924). It includes a huge boatload of my favorite works too...as well as those from Dvorak, who was unintentionally left out, I'm sure.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

Haydn67 said:


> I'll take that same half century(1874 to 1924). It includes a huge boatload of my favorite works too...as well as those from *Dvorak*, who was unintentionally left out, I'm sure.


He was definitely another oversight!


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## Razumovskymas (Sep 20, 2016)

I choose the even years from 1700 to 1750 to get some of the best of Händel and the even years from 1800 to 1825 to get some Beethoven and some early romantics and then the years where Debussy wrote all his songs and then maybe also the even years between 1840 and 1850 to get some interesting Liszt and I think I might have some years left for Mozarts best chamber music.

That should make for some interesting 50 years!:lol:

or is that cheating?


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Can't do 50. I need about 130 years. 1870-2000


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## pcnog11 (Nov 14, 2016)

My favourite 50 years is the 50 years (if I live for that long) of listening to classical music!


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

1780-1830

*Mozart*
symphonies 35-41
string quartets 14-23
string quintets 3-6
all 4 horn concertos
piano concertos 14-27

*Haydn*
all the Paris and London symphonies
string quartets 29 onward, which includes his best ones

*Beethoven*
virtually all of his works

*Schubert*
virtually all of his works

*Berlioz*
symphonie fantastique


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## David OByrne (Dec 1, 2016)

Simon Moon said:


> Bela Bartok
> Eliot Carter
> Samuel Barber
> Alban Berg
> ...


Oh thanks, I'll have a listen


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

JACE said:


> Ah! You're RIGHT! I knew I was forgetting someone!


Maybe of Sergei, you've simply hadinoff.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

1800-1850.

This period includes almost all of Beethoven's works. It also includes the complete works of Schubert, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and nearly everything by Schumann.

It's too bad that I've just missed Liszt's Sonata in B Minor (published in 1854), but I guess I can't have everything! Oh well, at least I get most of Liszt's opera transcriptions/fantasies, including Réminiscences de Don Juan and Réminiscences de Norma.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Razumovskymas said:


> I choose the even years from 1700 to 1750 to get some of the best of Händel and the even years from 1800 to 1825 to get some Beethoven and some early romantics and then the years where Debussy wrote all his songs and then maybe also the even years between 1840 and 1850 to get some interesting Liszt and I think I might have some years left for Mozarts best chamber music.
> 
> That should make for some interesting 50 years!:lol:
> 
> or is that cheating?


Of course that's cheating! But as it is very creative as well you won't be whipped :devil:


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

starthrower said:


> Can't do 50. I need about 130 years. 1870-2000


On the other hand, you, Mr. Starthrower, should be seriously whipped! If you can have it all there's no choice involved. I'm in serious doubt myself between 1910 - 1960 or 1950 - 2000.....


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

To make it even clearer than in the opening topic: you can let your fifty years start in any year you like. 
So if anyone wants to make changes please do. I'm thinking of making a timeline of preferred periods if this continues with the same energy.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Casebearer said:


> To make it even clearer than in the opening topic: you can let your fifty years start in any year you like.
> So if anyone wants to make changes please do. I'm thinking of making a timeline of preferred periods if this continues with the same energy.


OK, then in that case I'll slightly amend my answer. Instead of 1800-1850, I'll go with 1804-1854. That allows me to include Liszt's Sonata in B Minor, one of my favorite works of all time.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bettina said:


> OK, then in that case I'll slightly amend my answer. Instead of 1800-1850, I'll go with 1804-1854. That allows me to include Liszt's Sonata in B Minor, one of my favorite works of all time.


Has the half-century committee approved the switch?

They have a long Liszt of do's and don'ts.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

KenOC said:


> For me, 1779-1828. Next, 1926-1975. I won't miss those bloated late romantics and their tiresome preoccupation with their psychological issues. I have enough of my own.


My decision was either 1779-1828 or 1781-1830 (i.e Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante or Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique). In the end, of course, it's Mozart so I agree with 1779-1828. That period includes most of my favorite 2 composers as well as 3 out of my top 5. And we throw in much Haydn as well. I just can't argue with that.

My runner up would probably be 1967-2016. That period includes the majority of my current listening.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

pcnog11 said:


> My favourite 50 years is the 50 years (if I live for that long) of listening to classical music!


Looking at it that way, I'm only six years in to intense classical listening, so I doubt I'll be around for another 44. I'll be 98! One year younger than Zsa Zsa Gabor. "C'mon dahling, you can do it."


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## Razumovskymas (Sep 20, 2016)

Bettina said:


> OK, then in that case I'll slightly amend my answer. Instead of 1800-1850, I'll go with 1804-1854. That allows me to include Liszt's Sonata in B Minor, one of my favorite works of all time.


That's not a bad idea, counting down from the Sonata in B-minor. Totally one of my favorite pieces too, hard to find anything like it.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I'd go for 1904-1954. Too bad I'd miss out on Mahler's symphonies 1-5 (and maybe the 6th) and some of his songs but at least Britten's _Turn of the Screw_ would just about make the cut at the other end of the timescale. Late Romanticism would still be well-represented by (later) Saint-Saëns, Rachmaninov, Reger, Korngold, R. Strauss, Delius, V.W., Elgar, Magnard etc and I'd also get all of Kurt Weill, nearly all of the Second Viennese School, Prokofiev, Hindemith and Varèse, the best of Bartok, Antheil, Janáček, Zemlinsky and Ravel, lots of Ives, Satie, Scriabin, Stravinsky, K.A. Hartmann, Khachaturian, Copland, Eisler, and Shostakovich plus much, much more besides - not bad at all, I'd say...


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

For the time being I'v decided on 1943 - 1992 myself. Impossible choice but nevertheless. This way I get all of Messiaen, a lot of Schnittke, Ligeti, Berio, Reich, Glass, Henze, Xenakis, Kagel, Boulez, Stockhausen and even a little bit of Bartók. 

The alternative would be 1925 -1975 so I'd get much more from Bartók, Berg, etc but less of Schnittke, Ligeti, Reich etc.


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## PoorSadDrunk (Nov 6, 2016)

I agree with several of the other users. 1900-1950. Though its really a toss up between that and the latter half of the 20th century! So much fantastic music.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

1875-1925
Maybe 2/3 of my favorite music is from that period. An explosion of great music. Late romantic and early modern.
I mean this includes both Bruckner 8 and Sibelius 7. Both titanic masterpieces, but there's an endless wealth of music from this period.


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## Retrograde Inversion (Nov 27, 2016)

Tricky, in fact, probably impossible. 1865 - 1915 encompasses _Tristan_ (or at any rate the premiere, since it was written between 1857-64) through _Parsifal_, most of Brahms and Bruckner, all of Mahler, almost all of Debussy, and many of the key moments of early modernism. 
For a continuous fifty year period, that's probably my choice, given that the inter-war period is one I have much less interest in, neo-classicism especially. The post-war period picks up for me with _Le marteau sans maître_ (1953), and starts to move away from my major areas of interest at some point in the seventies. So although the 20th century is where my biggest musical focus lies, I can't really find a single fifty period to call favourite.


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## S P Summers (Dec 23, 2016)

1802 - 1852 is my final answer after several edits. Excellent poll.


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## S P Summers (Dec 23, 2016)

ARRRGGHH!!! This is excruciating... I'm completely torn between 1801-1851 and 1802-1852... It's a matter of excluding either Beethoven's 3rd piano concerto (1801) or Liszt's Transcendental Etudes (1852). What an impossible question. Can I choose my favorite 51 years in classical music?! =P


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

"I'm completely torn between 1801-1851 and 1802-1852."

Actually neither is a half-century. Both are 51 years.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Yeah, this was hard picking only half a century. Can we pick half a millennium instead?


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## S P Summers (Dec 23, 2016)

Alright, well then Ill go with 1803 - 1852... 1803 - Beethoven Symphony 3 and I can keep the Liszt etudes. I'm happy with that.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

S P Summers said:


> 1802 - 1852 is my final answer after several edits. Excellent poll.





S P Summers said:


> ARRRGGHH!!! This is excruciating... I'm completely torn between 1801-1851 and 1802-1852... It's a matter of excluding either Beethoven's 3rd piano concerto (1801) or Liszt Transcendental Etudes (1852). What an impossible question. Can I choose my favourite 51 years in classical music?! =P


You've seem to got there in the end, welcome to Talk Classical by the way.


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## S P Summers (Dec 23, 2016)

Thank you, it's nice to have some fellow enthusiasts to discuss my passion with. =)


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

S P Summers said:


> 1802 - 1852 is my final answer after several edits. Excellent poll.





S P Summers said:


> ARRRGGHH!!! This is excruciating... I'm completely torn between 1801-1851 and 1802-1852... It's a matter of excluding either Beethoven's 3rd piano concerto (1801) or Liszt's Transcendental Etudes (1852). What an impossible question. Can I choose my favorite 51 years in classical music?! =P





S P Summers said:


> Thank you, it's nice to have some fellow enthusiasts to discuss my passion with. =)


Some...... there are loads of us.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

1840-1890 -----------------


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> 1780-1830
> 
> *Schubert*
> virtually all of his works


Wait, what?

What did he compose outside of those years?


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I go with 1975-2025. That's since I first heard Mozart until the latest from Peter Maxwell Davies & Hans Abrahamsen. Hey, they even play old music these days  I'm sure some new masterpieces arrive very soon too.


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## jailhouse (Sep 2, 2016)

1875-1925? lol. This is too hard. That gives you a lot of the great late-romantic/early modernist music though


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Kjetil Heggelund said:


> I go with 1975-2025. That's since I first heard Mozart until the latest from Peter Maxwell Davies & Hans Abrahamsen. Hey, they even play old music these days  I'm sure some new masterpieces arrive very soon too.


I just love a creative mind


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Pugg said:


> Some...... there are loads of us.


Thanks for opening the door, Pugg, and welcoming mr. Summers. Now please shut the door behind you and go about your own business.


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

I was going to start a new thread entitled, "What's your favorite 50 year period?" There could be various styles within the period, therefore, it's not just about Baroque vs. Classical vs. Romantic, etc., although that may play a big role in one's decision. 

Good thing I discovered the Search function. 

Miine is 1778-1828. I suppose it's kind of a desert island question as well. I couldn't imagine being without Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn and Schubert.


(20 years ago I would have probably said 1870-1920, give or take a decade.)


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

It's *1810-1859* to me: I would have some middle Beethoven (including symphonies Nos. 7 & 8) and all his late works, all Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin and Schumann, a lot of Berlioz (including _Les Troyens_) and Liszt, some early Brahms, and all Wagner works up to _Tristan und Isolde_.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

1320-1370

Machaut and the Ars nova school


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## Ulfilas (Mar 5, 2020)

I guess *1859-1909*, from _Tristan_ to Mahler 9.

Alternatively *1779-1829*, from _Iphigenie en Tauride_ to _Winterreise_...


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

1. 1780-1829 (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, some early masterworks of Mendelssohn)
2. 1710-1760 (JS Bach, Corelli, Handel, Telemann, Vivaldi)


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## Fabulin (Jun 10, 2019)

1842-1892 From Mendelssohn's Scottish symphony to the Nutcracker.


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

I would go with the transition of late romantism into modernity, so that I would get some late Brahms, Dvořák, Puccini, Strauss and also some modernity such as Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Debussy etc. So I let us say 1885-1935


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

I only have a problem with a selection that leaves out beethoven or mahler, so ideally something like 1800-1850 gives me beethoven, a lot of berlioz and schumann, a tiny little bit of liszt (though not my favorite works by him), schubert. But this is definitely not enough for me, so i'd have to start thinking about something like 1865-1915, which gives me my favorite wagner and verdi operas, all of mahler and practically all of debussy, some bartók, some 2nd viennese school, brahms, bruckner, strauss, mussorgsky, janacek, dvorak, scriabin, fauré and early stravinsky and late liszt. Now I could imagine being satisfied by this, but leaving out boulez, ligeti, messiaen, berio, zimmermann, kagel, cage, poulenc, werner henze, feldman, the best of webern and berg... but then again there is no 50 year period that encompasses all of those composers together, let alone at their individual prime, but perhaps 1935-1985 would be a good idea. I guess 1935-1985 would be my first choice, then 1865-1915, then 1800-1850


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