# Whom would it be?????



## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

You have just been given a wish by the genie of the lamp: You may visit 3 different composers and have dinner with them. You and the composer only for one night with a piano or instrument of choice at the ready.

Which composers would you pick?

These would be my choices....

1--Gustav Mahler and his piano. Dinner would be fish probably or whatever GM wanted. Time period would be around 1904.

2-Haydn- With his piano and dinner possibly Italian food! I think he would be a blast to have dinner with! Time period around 1801

3-Tough with only three choices!! but I would select Chopin and his piano as well. Dinner I have a feeling would be rather bland. LOL But who cares!! I would be listening to Chopin!!
Time period around 1845.


Jim


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## Elgarian (Jul 30, 2008)

What a brilliant game! 

1. Elgar. He would play piano, and I'd rub the lamp once more to get WH (Billy) Read on violin. And once more, to get Beatrice Harrison on cello.

And as I was about to make my second choice, the genie would stop me then and there, and say, 'Sorry, you've used up your three wishes already.'
But I'd be happy to settle for that, provided Billy and Beatrice could join us for dinner too. My goodness, would we have an evening ....


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## Mark Harwood (Mar 5, 2007)

Great idea for a thread, Jim.

1. Fernando Sor and a guitar. Great composer for, and player of the guitar.
2. Mauro Giuliani and a guitar. Same reasons.
3. Heitor Villa-Lobos and a guitar. I'd expect some excellent music, of course, and some invigorating opinions.

If any of the above were unavailable, I'd request the honour of the company of Paganini, with his guitar of course.


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## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

1. Beethoven (with his hearing back possibly? ) 

I'd have no idea about what to talk to him about. Music of course, but there's so much! Dinner would be the basic: meat, potatoes and vegetables, doesn't really matter, as long as he is there! Instrument would of course be the piano.

2. Mahler

If I could, I'd just like to sit in a chair behind him, watching him compose, no dinner, no talking, just watching.

3. Rachmaninoff

I'd talk to him about Russia, his nostalgic feelings, his depression, how he comes up with all of those beautiful melodies, and why he loved the piano so much. To eat: something Russian, I'll let him decide.  The instrument would be the same as with Beethoven, a piano!


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

1- Paganini and his fantastic Guarnieri. I'll take a dozen pictures of him and his hands, and ask for his signature. To eat, pasta,of course, or maybe a good rissotto and a Chianti
2- Wieniawski and his violin. We'll talk about his works and I 'll ask him why he didn't write a sonata. To eat, some fish with vodka.
3- Liszt. I'll say how much I admire him and tell him that every pianist since his death want to have technique enough to play his works. To eat, goulash with champagne.
Hope that so much food and drink don't made sick.


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

I'm getting hungry reading these LOL

Jim


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## Guest (Mar 23, 2009)

Well, for composers who are still alive, you can have dinner with them whenever. And you don't have to stop at three!! (I've had several dinners with more than three composers at once. It's easy!!)

Just sayin'....


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

some guy said:


> Well, for composers who are still alive, you can have dinner with them whenever. And you don't have to stop at three!! (I've had several dinners with more than three composers at once. It's easy!!)
> 
> Just sayin'....


 True enough. But supposing he/she was not......

Jim


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## Elgarian (Jul 30, 2008)

some guy said:


> Well, for composers who are still alive, you can have dinner with them whenever. And you don't have to stop at three!! (I've had several dinners with more than three composers at once. It's easy!!)


"New lamps for old!"

Sounds to me like you have three rubs of the lamp that you can give away to the less fortunate ... (I could use two of 'em myself.)


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## Guest (Mar 23, 2009)

Well, I would like to have had a chance to hang out with Luc Ferrari* and Harry Partch and Horatio Radulescu.

Oh, what the hay, here's my lamp, Elgarian!

*My oldest son went up to him in the lobby before a concert in Santa Cruz and said "Hey, you're Luc Ferrari!" (Made Luc grin.)


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

For me it would be *Beethoven*. He wouldn't have to hear - I couldn't speak _Deutsch _anyway or whatever dialect he spoke, but I might just manage to understand a little. He'd probaby throw his meal at me though.

All the rest might be anticlimactic after that. Probably *Leonard Bernstein *next. He could make just about anything interesting.

Then *Ralph Vaughan-Williams*.

Piano is the versatile instrument I would understand the most for all three


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## nickgray (Sep 28, 2008)

Mussorgsky, Shostakovich - gonna buy some vodka and get drunk with them, talking about the time they lived in and music in general. Third one's probably will be Tchaikovsky, but I can't imagine what I would say to him.


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## hdk132 (Mar 18, 2009)

One has to wonder what Bach would have though to techno music . Seriously, his reaction would be worth a slot. The instrument would be a MIDI imput of course.

Sibelius and...umm--I can't imagine Sibelius without a full symphony so perhaps just a score and baton, the voice can do the rest of the expression.

Elgar or Mahler...Elgar or Mahler...
If I was good enough to play Elgar's cello concerto I'd pick him.

Weston's Bernstein choice does have some big potential though.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Well, everyone has come up with some good ones. I've thought of three not yet mentioned, but there are so many to choose from.

*Kodaly *- I'm interested in European history in the period which he was active (1900's to 1960's), particularly how he lived through two world wars and the Hungarian uprising of 1956. His somewhat uneasy relationship with the postwar Communist government is also interesting (eg. he was a committed Christian, & they also asked him to re-write the Hungarian anthem, which he refused)

*Janacek* - his music suggests he was a very passionate and rather unconventional, out-there. I'd get him to play his _Piano Sonata 1905 'In the Street' _probably my favourite work in the genre.

*Stravinsky* - again, an interesting life spanning many decades and styles. I don't think we'd run out of things to discuss, musically, historically, politically.

That's three, but I also think, that Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Beethoven and Bernstein as mentioned above would also be good choices. Composers, and artists in general, seem to be interesting people judging from their biographies and artistic output.


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## nefigah (Aug 23, 2008)

Good point about languages -- hopefully the genie would be kind enough to translate, as well.

1. Bach and a period organ. Be still, my beating heart!
2. Beethoven and a piano. Perhaps the genie could make him not mad at me. I'd play an Andras Schiff lecture for him. I wonder what he'd think!
3. Wagner. I don't think one instrument would really do him justice, so I'd just listen to him. I'm sure he'd have a lot of interesting stuff to say!

It is possible, though, that after the first evening, I'd succumb to temptation and make Bach come back a couple more times.


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## Edmond-Dantes (Mar 20, 2009)

Brilliant idea for a thread. Unfortunately, Handlebar took EVERYBODY I would choose. That's right:

Gustav Mahler
Haydn
Chopin

The only difference is that Chopin is a given for me. ^_^; I would rather do without Mahler than Chopin...


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## Elgarian (Jul 30, 2008)

some guy said:


> Oh, what the hay, here's my lamp, Elgarian!


Aha! Thank you. I can now complete my trio according to the rules:

2. Parry. This may seem an odd choice when so many illustrious alternatives are available, but by all accounts he was a particularly likeable chap, and I'd very much like to hear conversation between him and Elgar, and find out more about those little Elgarian bits that keep turning up in Parry's music.

And really, now I come to it, whoever else I might choose would stick out like a sore thumb in this company, so I think I'll settle for that rather cosy foursome, and ask Massenet to come on a different evening.


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

My sincere apologies!!

Chopin with his piano would be an amazing evening i agree.

Jim



Edmond-Dantes said:


> Brilliant idea for a thread. Unfortunately, Handlebar took EVERYBODY I would choose. That's right:
> 
> Gustav Mahler
> Haydn
> ...


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## R-F (Feb 12, 2008)

I would probably choose:

Liszt, with a piano, too hear him play.

Stravinsky, to hear him talk about music. (Assuming he spoke good English)

Schubert, to tell him people love his music. That would feel great!


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

My three:

Mozart - I'd watch him improvise for hours. (I can't believe nobody has mentioned him, he would be my first choice)

Bach - I would test to see just how great a genius this man was. I would be interested in discovering more of his personality. 

Wagner - Probably the most arrogant man of all time - and certainly one of the most influential men of the 19th century. I'm sure we'd find much to debate. (Again, It amazes me how disliked Wagner is, even after all this time - he is the greatest romantic composer by a huge margin and thoroughly ignored by the layperson.)


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## Herzeleide (Feb 25, 2008)

Bach said:


> Wagner - Probably the most arrogant man of all time -


Not arrogant at all. His opinion of himself was wholly justified. 

I wouldn't chose Wagner, since I would be bombarded by his torrential loquacity and thus would not get a word in edgeways.

I'd probably choose Liszt and Stravinsky. Both highly competent, very cosmopolitan, multilingual, well-read and interesting characters, as well as mighty musicians. Liszt used to hand out cigars to all his guests, and I would enjoy having a smoke with him. Both were open-minded and had great musical culture, so we could talk about music, literature and life in general.

Bach, whilst having a profound knowledge of the music throughout Europe of his time and before, would still nonetheless be a bit provincial, and I'd be buggered if I had to chat about Luther.


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## marval (Oct 29, 2007)

Chopin, and a piano. I would ask what inspired him to write such lovely music

Schubert, again a piano. I would ask him if he would like to finish his symphony, and where his inspiration for The Trout came from


Bach and an organ. I would ask if he was content with all the music he wrote.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Mozart - probably the one composer that has meant the most to me over the years. If I can pick a specific time I'd love to watch him during the rehearsals for Figaro or Don Giovanni or see/hear him play one of his piano concertos. And I'm sure that I would faint if I'd hear him play one of those string quartets with his friends Haydn, Dittersdorf and Vanhal.

Bach - as (the other) Bach has said, not much is known about the guy as a person. It would be interesting to get to know not just the composer but also the man.

Bernstein - I can't imagine there ever be a boring moment in the presence of this guy. Everything about the man oozes passion for music and an irrepressible desire to share that passion with others.


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## Herzeleide (Feb 25, 2008)

jhar26 said:


> Bach - as (the other) Bach has said, not much is known about the guy as a person. It would be interesting to get to know not just the composer but also the man.


Actually, I've just remembered that Bach liked brandy (he'd take a glass of it to his composition studio  ) and liked to smoke a pipe. It also appears he liked food too. Traits that I take to be those of a generous and humane person, when in combination with all his hard work and musical greatness.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Herzeleide said:


> Actually, I've just remembered that Bach liked brandy (he'd take a glass of it to his composition studio  ) and liked to smoke a pipe. It also appears he liked food too.


I don't know about the brandy and the pipe, but I could have guessed that he liked food.


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## Rondo (Jul 11, 2007)

Interesting thread! 

Beethoven- to learn more about what inspired him to write such magnificent music such as the 9th symphony, and many others.

Stravinsky- not necessarily to talk about music, but to just meet the guy.

Malcolm Arnold- based on his output, I can imagine that a conversation with him would prove to be pretty interesting and informative.


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## Herzeleide (Feb 25, 2008)

Rondo said:


> Beethoven- to learn more about what inspired him to write such magnificent music such as the 9th symphony, and many others.


He'd have trouble hearing you.


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## Rondo (Jul 11, 2007)

Herzeleide said:


> He'd have trouble hearing you.


Yeah, and the language barrier. But, for Ludwig, I would have no reservations about sacrificing a wish or two for a German stenographer.


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## Elgarian (Jul 30, 2008)

marval said:


> Schubert, again a piano. I would ask him if he would like to finish his symphony, and where his inspiration for The Trout came from


Dare I ask what you'd choose for the fish course, Margaret?


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

marval said:


> Bach and an organ. I would ask if he was content with all the music he wrote.


Please ask him if the final fugue in the Art of the Fugue was a quadruple and if it wouldn't be too much trouble could he please finish it.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Rondo said:


> Malcolm Arnold- based on his output, I can imagine that a conversation with him would prove to be pretty interesting and informative.


Based on videos I have seen of the man, he was quite a pleasant person too.


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## Gorm Less (Dec 11, 2008)

To Whom It May Concern

My dinner guests would be:

1. *Henry Purcell*. I have become quite hooked on this composer's works of late. I know that he has long been regarded (by many) as England's best composer, with the possible exception of Handel, but until lately I had rather taken little notice of his works. Because it is now the 350th anniversary year since his birth, the BBC radio service has been playing quite a lot of his works, and I have fallen for it hook line and sinker. It is marvellous stuff and I cannot recommend his works more highly. It is Baroque, yes, but English Baroque, the best type! The dinner date would be quite late in his short life, say about 1694.

2. *Franz Schubert*. I would have to be careful about choice of date because althought the quality of his music inproved with age his general health clearly, and very sadly, did not. So I guess a date around mid-late 1827, after Beethoven's death, would be about ideal, when he entered into a kind of frenzied race to produce as much as he could in the time he had left. In fact, I would be quite happy to skip dinner altogether and merely turn up incognito to one of his last Schubertiads. Schubert is my overall favourite composer.

3. *Robert Schumann.* His beautiful and talented wife, Clara, could come too if that were allowed. He is another great hero of mine. I think that a date around 1840 would be ideal as he had recently got married, he was in a good happy mental state, it was his year of "song", and he had fairly recently completed his wonderful Opus 1-28 piano solo works. I regard Schumann as one of the best rounded composers in terms of the range of output, overall scale of his achievements, and his consistently high quality, some of it truly oustanding. He was also a magnificent writer and promoter of good music. We owe Schumann a great deal, not only for his music but for his unstinting support for other composers including especially his re-discovery of Schubert, his famous recommendation of Chopin, and his encouragement to the young Brahms.


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## nefigah (Aug 23, 2008)

Weston said:


> Please ask him if the final fugue in the Art of the Fugue was a quadruple and if it wouldn't be too much trouble could he please finish it.


Just saw this... hilarious


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## Lisztfreak (Jan 4, 2007)

I'd pick not those who I like best, but those who would be the most talkative and pleasant to dine with. So no Beethoven and Shostakovich for me...

1. *Liszt* - he was, I gather, a nice guy, open and good-natured. We'd go to a pub somewhere in Weimar, or perhaps I'd come to his Budapest flat, where we could have some pörkölt or halászlé soup with a bottle of Tokay, and I'd ask him a lot of things. For example: Why didn't you write an absolute symphony? Why didn't you compose at least 10 piano concertos, bearing in mind your brilliant talent and love for the instrument? Did you like it when you visited my town back in 1840, to see your friend Ferdo Livadić? How's Wagner doing? 
Naturally, I would then listen to his acrobatic playing on his Chickering.
The question is in what language we would converse. Only if he spoke Italian might I be able to pick up most of his responses.

2. *Janáček* - I'd like to know everything about him and Kamila Stösslová! With a pint of good Czech beer and some svíčková na smetaně. Then we would sit by a piano and he'd play some pieces from the Overgrown Path to me.

3. *Tippett* - definitely an awesome man to talk to! You can feel the delight he took in conversation through his books and interviews. I'd just ask him about his life and everything. And how he got to be a composer, having decided to become one only in his twenties. In the background, a recording of his Double Strings Concerto. And an open window with a brilliant garden outside. A knot garden, perhaps.


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

Lisztfreak said:


> I'd pick not those who I like best, but those who would be the most talkative and pleasant to dine with. So no Beethoven and Shostakovich for me...
> 
> 1. *Liszt* - he was, I gather, a nice guy, open and good-natured. We'd go to a pub somewhere in Weimar, or perhaps I'd come to his Budapest flat, where we could have some pörkölt or halászlé soup with a bottle of Tokay, and I'd ask him a lot of things. For example: Why didn't you write an absolute symphony? Why didn't you compose at least 10 piano concertos, bearing in mind your brilliant talent and love for the instrument? Did you like it when you visited my town back in 1840, to see your friend Ferdo Livadić? How's Wagner doing?
> Naturally, I would then listen to his acrobatic playing on his Chickering.
> The question is in what language we would converse. Only if he spoke Italian might I be able to pick up most of his responses.


I visited that Budapest flat a few years back. Very nice in my opinion and with the music school right there, he didn't have to travel far to go to work!
If one visits Budapest, a visit to this apartment/museum is essential. Just beware the roving eyes of the ladies watching everything you do while there. We seem to have been followed ALL the time. As if we might steal his piano or something 

Jim


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

1. Sibelius. If you have read about SIbelius as much as I have, you know how many great quotes the Finnish master has uttered during his lifetime. Though he was known in his later years as sort of aloof, I think he'd still be interesting to talk to. His wit and ideals about music fascinate me.

2. Ifukube. My other favorite, a famous Japanese composer and former president of the Tokyo College of Music. Many who knew him said he was like a walking encyclopedia and knew anything about music, ethnography, wood acoustics, ancient Japanese history, and so on. This composer was known for being gregarious and loved good food with good company...count me in!

3. Stravinsky. The ultimate musical innovator. I've read portions of his autobiography; he comes off as quite the genial storyteller. To get into his head to really see how he thought up the Rite of Spring would be amazing.


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## JTech82 (Feb 6, 2009)

Man, this is such a hard question. I would be happy talking to Vaughan Williams, Ravel, Delius, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, RImsky-Korsakov, Copland, Debussy, Langgaard, etc.

There are too many to choose. Let me try and narrow it down later. I have to think about this.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Berlioz. I would ask him how he gets his hair like this:


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## JTech82 (Feb 6, 2009)

Okay, I believe I know the three I would like to meet:

1. Mahler: An extraordinary composer and an excellent conductor in his own right. It would be interesting to hear his thoughts about his music, the philosophy behind them, etc.

2. Ravel: One of my personal favorite composers. I would love to sit down with him at his piano and for him to demonstrate ideas and talk about how he came up with them and the ideas behind them.

3. Stravinsky: A revolutionary composer and one of the most prominent figures in the history of classical music. I would love to know his thoughts behind the premiere of his "Rite of Spring" in Paris and also his general approach to music and how assembles his ideas.


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## JoeGreen (Nov 17, 2008)

1. *Giuseppe Verdi:* No surpise there, everybody wants to meet their heroes. Maybe a nice porchetta with a nice dry red wine. And piano ask him what a _King Lear_ from would have sounded like.

2. * Igor Stravinsky:* He lived in the Beverly Hills, so I figure he knew american food quite well, maybe I'd serve Barbecue  And a piano would probably be there too.

3. *Erik Satie* Amost interesting guest I would assume. A _Boeuf Bourguignon_ I think would be in order. And a piano, again.


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## Lisztfreak (Jan 4, 2007)

handlebar said:


> I visited that Budapest flat a few years back. Very nice in my opinion and with the music school right there, he didn't have to travel far to go to work!
> If one visits Budapest, a visit to this apartment/museum is essential. Just beware the roving eyes of the ladies watching everything you do while there. We seem to have been followed ALL the time. As if we might steal his piano or something


Thank you, this is interesting! I'm going to Budapest for the Labour Day holidays, and I have been planning to visit the flat, so other people's experiences are welcome.


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## Edmond-Dantes (Mar 20, 2009)

handlebar said:


> My sincere apologies!!
> 
> Chopin with his piano would be an amazing evening i agree.
> 
> Jim


No problem handlebar. ^_^ I'm going to bump Mahler and stick Tchaikovsky there instead. lol I forgot about him for a moment. So now it's....

Chopin and His Piano
Tchaikovsky and His Piano
Haydn

Now, what I'd REALLY love is if I could get Chopin and Tchaikovsky togather and here them talk about music. I wonder what they'd talk about...


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## andruini (Apr 14, 2009)

i had a hard time deciding on just three, but here they are:

Stravinsky: many of the reasons already mentioned.. of course, it'd be quite amazing listening to all his stories, all the people he met, all the stuff he saw.. the instrument, i guess, would be the piano, but i wouldn't be so interested in hearing him playing as in hearing him speak, or telling me about his scores..

Bernstein: again, such an interesting speaker, i could just listen to the man for hours and hours.. plus, i imagine that, if i tried to give my opinion on something, he would just get up and hold me and say "my boy, you have discovered the _very essence_ of music!!!" and i'd like that 

i tried coming up with someone who hasn't been mentioned, even though i sure would like to spend an evening listening to Chopin or Rachmaninoff, or Liszt..

so i pick maybe an afternoon lunch with Charles-Marie Widor just before one of his recitals at St. Sulpice.. i'd of course sit right behind him during the whole thing!


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