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CONCERT PROGRAM

April 26-27, 2013

Bernard Labadie, conductor Scott Andrews, clarinet

MOZART (1756-1791)

Symphony No. 33 in B-flat major, K. 319 (1779)

Allegro assai Andante moderato Menuetto Allegro assai

MOZART

Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 (1791)

Allegro Adagio Rondo: Allegro Scott Andrews, clarinet

INTERMISSION

MOZART

Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 (1788)


Molto allegro Andante Menuetto: Allegretto Allegro assai

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Bernard Labadie is the Monsanto Guest Artist. Scott Andrews is the Sid and Jean Grossman Guest Artist. The concert of Friday, April 26, 10:30am, is underwritten in part by a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin W. Durham, Jr. The concert of Friday, April 26, 8pm, is underwritten in part by a generous gift from Dr. Mabel L. Purkerson. The concert of Friday, April 26, 8pm, is underwritten in part by a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. James L. Nouss, Jr. The concert of Saturday, April 27, is underwritten in part by a generous gift from Paul and Linda Lee. Pre-Concert Conversations are presented by Washington University Physicians. These concerts are presented by the Thomas A. Kooyumjian Family Foundation. These concerts are part of the Wells Fargo Advisors Series. Large print program notes are available through the generosity of Mosby Building Arts and are located at the Customer Service table in the foyer.

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FROM THE STAGE


Thomas Jstlein, associate principal horn, on Bernard Labadie and Mozart: Im so thrilled that the Symphony recognizes certain conductors that have an affinity with Mozarts music. With Bernard Labadie there is a sense of discovery, a freshness of exploration, a kind of childlike expectancy to the music. For me, playing Mozart is akin to playing jazzopen to improvisation in terms of colors, and in terms of phrasing, especially in relationship to different sections of the orchestra. Labadie gives license to musicians improvisations of color. He does not impose his will. He wants us to have this open sense of wonder, of exploration.

Bernard Labadie

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SWEETNESS AND PROFUNDITY


BY PA U L SC H I AVO

TIMELINKS
1779 MOZART Symphony No. 33 in B-flat major, K. 319 Luddite riots begin in Manchester, England in protest of increased industrialization of labor 1788 MOZART Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 Troops called out to quell food riots in Paris 1791 MOZART Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 French royal family arrested by revolutionary forces

This weeks concerts by the St. Louis Symphony are devoted entirely to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. None of the extrinsic reasons that often are used to justify such programs pertain in this case. Mozarts birthday passed by in January. There is no popular drama or film, like Amadeus, offering a convenient tie-in. 2013 is not a major anniversary year, as were 2006 (the composers 250th birthday) and 1991 (the bicentenary of his death). Yet, and at the risk of stating the obvious, such superficial excuses for performing Mozarts music are hardly necessary. The intrinsic virtues of his compositions are more than enough to command our attention. Those virtues are mostly self-evident and have been often noted: formal elegance, supremely graceful melodic lines, endlessly ingenious invention within a well-established harmonic vocabulary and compositional genres. But as the pieces we hear now remind us, perhaps the most extraordinary thing about Mozarts music is the seeming paradox of its ineffable sweetness and its profundity. Hardly any music falls so pleasingly on the ear as does Mozarts. At the same time, his greatest works intimate deep truths about human existenceour experience of both joy and sorrow, our struggles and moments of spiritual serenity. In view of this, the wonder is not that we continue to perform and hear Mozarts music as much as we do, but that we might ever imagine going long without it.

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WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Symphony No. 33 in B-flat major, K. 319 MOZARTS PASTORAL SYMPHONY The autograph score of Mozarts Symphony in B-flat major, K. 319, bears an inscription stating that it was composed in Salzburg in July 1779. We know nothing else of the origin of this work under what circumstances or for what occasion it might have been writtenexcept that it initially had only three movements. The composer added the minuet some years later, probably Born in 1785. It would be difficult to imagine a January 27, 1756, Salzburg symphonic composition of more uniformly Died bright countenance. Georges de Saint-Foix, the December 5, 1791, Vienna pioneering scholar of Mozarts symphonies, First Performance must have had the works cheerful aspect in Unknown, though it probably mind when he suggested that one could almost occurred in Mozarts native describe it as [Mozarts] Pastoral Symphony. city, Salzburg, in 1779 Certainly this music gives practically no hint of STL Symphony Premiere the tragic current in Mozarts art, a strain we will November 7, 1969, Jerzy encounter during the second half of our concert. Semkow conducting Mozart establishes the prevailing tone of the Most Recent STL Symphony symphony at the outset. The first movements Performance triple-pulse meter and buoyant melodies impart October 6, 2007, Nicholas a carefree, almost insouciant air. Mozart must McGegan conducting have been in high spirits as he wrote it. The Scoring development passage that forms the movements 2 oboes central paragraph does not, in fact, develop the 2 bassoons 2 horns materials already set forth. Rather, it introduces strings new thematic ideas, one of which will be instantly familiar to listeners acquainted with Mozarts Performance Time approximately 20 minutes mature symphonic output; for the second phrase of this section introduces the Jupiter motif, the four-note figure that Mozart would treat so brilliantly, and at far greater length, in the finale of his last symphony. Mozart bases the second movement on a pair of contrasting themes. The first proceeds leisurely and is broadly harmonized, whereas the second, beginning in the minor mode, has about it a rather operatic character. There follows the minuet, the movement that Mozart interpolated into the symphonys original design. The finale gives us Mozart at his most lively, each of the three themes announced during its initial section contributing to a general feeling of gaiety. The first subject juxtaposes bustling repeated-note figures and a skipping melody. The second, marked by its laughing grace notes, is very much in the spirit of comic opera, whereas the third, begun by the oboes, suggests a humorous rusticity.
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WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 LORDLY SOUNDS Mozart had a deep affection for the sound of the clarinet. In 1778, while visiting the city of Mannheim, which had perhaps the finest orchestra in Europe, he wrote to his father back in Salzburg: Oh, if only we had clarinets. You cant guess the lordly effect of a symphony with ... clarinets. As the frustrated tone of this passage suggests, clarinets still were not widely available, and it was some time before the composer could begin creating such lordly effects himself. Apart from the exceptional Paris Symphony, K. 297, clarinets first appeared in his orchestral writing in 1783, with the revised scoring of the Haffner Symphony, K. 385, and reappeared in the Masonic Funeral Music, K. 477, and the Piano Concerto in E-flat, K. 482, composed two years later. Thereafter, they formed a regular, if not inevitable, part of his orchestra. Mozart did not limit his use of the clarinet to orchestral duties, however. After 1785, he began to explore the instruments potential for assuming a more featured role in works ranging from chamber pieces to prominent accompaniment parts in opera arias. This more extensive exploration of the clarinets capabilities culminated in a concerto for the instrument, K. 622, completed only weeks before the composers death. It was the last concerto of any kind Mozart composed, and it differs noticeably from his earlier works of this sort. Instead of the extroverted tone and delight in virtuosity that mark his violin and piano concertos, Mozart here gives us music of grace, tenderness, and intimacy. Some commentators have also detected an autumnal sadness beneath its bright surface, particularly in the central slow movement. MUSIC FOR A FRIEND Mozart created the Clarinet Concerto for his friend and Masonic brother Anton Stadler. Stadler apparently was a superb clarinetist, for Mozart wrote for him not only the present concerto but also the Clarinet Quintet, K. 581, and perhaps the Clarinet Trio, K. 498. Moreover, Stadler was active in the technical development of the clarinet, which
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First Performance October 16, 1791, in Prague, Anton Stadler was the clarinet soloist STL Symphony Premiere December 11, 1970, George Silfies was soloist, with Walter Susskind conducting Most Recent STL Symphony Performance April 23, 2006, Diana Haskell was soloist, with Scott Parkman conducting, at the Leach Theatre in Rolla, Missouri Scoring solo clarinet 2 flutes 2 bassoons 2 horns strings Performance Time approximately 25 minutes

was in his day a fairly new instrument. Among other things, he had built an experimental clarinet with an extended range somewhat below that of the standard instrument, and it was for this that Mozart composed his concerto. But because Stadlers altered instrument never came into widespread use, the music was printed in a revised version that accommodates the slightly smaller range of the standard clarinet. The work unfolds in Mozarts standard concerto format of three movements. The music requires little comment. The opening Allegro seems more relaxed than the tempo indication usually implies, with music impressive for its eloquence rather than its athleticism. The central slow movement is exceptional in its quiet ardor, whereas the concluding rondo proves spirited but not unduly exuberant. WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 A MOZARTIAN MYSTERY In the summer of 1788, during the course of about six weeks, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed three extraordinary symphonies. Nothing in the composers biography has provoked more speculation and debate than the origin of this late symphonic trilogy. It was unusual for Mozart to create substantial works such as these three ambitious and beautifully wrought symphonies without having a certain, or at least probable, opportunity for their performance, but no such justification was discovered by his early biographers. The unexplained appearance of what proved to be the composers final symphonies consequently engendered a notion that he never heard these pieces, and perhaps he wrote them not for a specific occasion but out of some personal artistic need. This view was famously articulated by Alfred Einstein, the romantically inclined Mozart scholar, who proposed a desire by the composer to give free rein to his creative powers and make an appeal to eternity at a time when his worldly fortunes were in decline. Poetic as that idea may be, it runs counter to everything we know of Mozarts consistently practical approach to his profession. Modern scholars have therefore proposed several possibilities for explaining the composition of these three late symphonies. Unfortunately, their hypotheses, compelling though they may be, remain unproven for lack of definitive
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First Performance It is not known when or where this symphony was first heard, or whether a performance took place during Mozarts lifetime. STL Symphony Premiere January 16, 1908, Max Zach conducting Most Recent STL Symphony Performance March 7, 2009, David Robertson conducting Scoring flute 2 oboes 2 clarinets 2 bassoons 2 horns strings Performance Time approximately 35 minutes

Doris Stock

documentary evidence, and the mystery of the composers last three symphonies remains just that. Despite the best efforts of Mozarts biographers and other investigators, we simply do not know what prompted the concentrated outpouring of symphonic music that occupied the composer during the summer of 1788. A FUSION OF OPPOSITES The Symphony in G minor, K. 550, forms the centerpiece of the final trilogy. This work, which we hear now, reveals perhaps more of Mozarts essential nature than its bright major-key siblings, the Symphonies Nos. 39 and 41. Here we encounter the remarkable fusion of oppositesof passion and formal elegance, sorrow and exultation, darkness and lightwhich informs the composers greatest music and seems to reflect something of his character. It is interesting in this regard how various commentators have emphasized one or the other of these contrasting aspects when considering the work. For example, Robert Schumanns often-quoted description of the G-minor Symphony as filled with Grecian lightness and grace is countered by Otto Jahn, the great Mozart biographer of the 19th century, who declared it a work of pain and grieving. The varied perspectives of these and other summaries illustrate the psychological complexity of Mozarts finest music and the exceptionally wide emotional range this symphony encompasses during the course of its four movements. Nevertheless, a sense of agitation does seem to pervade much of the piece. Mozart establishes this quality in the opening measures. Here he dispenses with the type of formal introduction in slow tempo that he had used in each of his previous three symphonies. Instead, the composer begins straight off with an energetic Allegro and a famous theme that seems to suggest yearning and agitation. In developing this and the movements other subjects, Mozart employs his very considerable mastery of counterpoint, and his brilliant use of fugal echoes here, and in his other late symphonies, must be counted one of his greatest achievements. The initial theme of the Andante promises a movement of the seemingly effortless grace so frequently encountered in Mozarts music. The composer fulfills this promise but offers much more: a dark lyricism that suggests, if not sorrow, at least acquaintance with loss and heartache. The ensuing minuet is surprising in its power, which derives in no small degree from the stretto treatment, the contrapuntal piling up, of the minuet theme in its second paragraph. The finale recalls the symphonys opening in terms of both its sheer dramatic intensity and its use of pointed harmonic inflections to maintain a sense of restless urgency. The movements central development section commences with an extraordinary passage. Here, a statement of the main theme dissolves into a halting, angular utterance that steps, for a few tense moments, almost beyond any traditional sense of harmonic coherence. Although contrapuntal treatment of this subject again plays an important role in shaping the movement, the final impression we have is not one of learned compositional artifice but of passions barely contained.
Program notes 2013 by Paul Schiavo 30

BERNARD LABADIE
MONSANTO GUEST ARTIST

Bernard Labadie has established himself worldwide as one of the leading conductors of the Baroque and Classical repertoire, a reputation that is closely tied with Les Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Qubec, which he founded and continues to lead as music director to this day. With these two ensembles he regularly tours Canada, the U.S., and Europe, in major venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall (most recently in March 2012) and Lincoln Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Kennedy Center, Barbican, Concertgebouw, and the Salzburg Festival, among others. Ever since his triumphant debut with the Minnesota Orchestra in 1999, Labadie has become a regular presence on the podiums of the major North American orchestras, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Philadelphia Orchestra, the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, most of them on a regular basis. His debut with the Cleveland Orchestra occurred in early 2010. Testament to Labadies appeal with audiences around the world is the long list of re-engagements during the 2012-13 season. In the U.S., his itinerary takes him to the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Toronto Symphony, and Handel & Haydn Society. Overseas he goes on his third Australian journey to conduct the Melbourne Symphony and leads various European orchestras such as the Academy of Ancient Music, WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne, Hamburger Symphoniker, Northern Sinfonia, BBC Scottish Symphony, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, and the Brussels Philharmonic. For his achievements, the Canadian government honored him with the appointment as Officer of the Order of Canada in 2005 and Quebec made him a Chevalier de lOrdre National du Qubec in 2006.

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Francois Rivard

Bernard Labadie most recently conducted the St. Louis Symphony in February 2011.

SCOTT ANDREWS SID AND JEAN GROSSMAN GUEST ARTIST Praised as elegant in the Boston Globe and extraordinary by the New York Times, Scott Andrews has been critically acclaimed in solo and chamber music performances across the country. A sought-after collaborative musician, Andrews has performed with many of todays leading artists, and as an avid proponent of new music, he has performed with organizations such as Composers in Red Sneakers, the Auros Group for New Music and Boston Musica Viva. He has toured and performed with such ensembles as the Ying String Quartet, the Calyx Piano Trio, and the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, among many others. Andrews has been Principal Clarinet of the St. Louis Symphony since 2005. Before joining the STL Symphony, Andrews had been a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 11 years. He has also performed in the U.S. with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and with the Saito Kinen Orchestra and the Mito Chamber Orchestra in Japan. Andrews has lectured and given classes throughout the United States as well as in Europe and Japan. He was for many years the Woodwind Department Chair at Boston Conservatory and a faculty member of the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts. June 2013 marks his third season as co-Director of the Missouri Chamber Music Festival, an annual collaborative festival in Webster Groves, Missouri, which he founded with his wife, pianist Nina Ferrigno. He will join the faculty of the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, in July 2013. Originally from Virginia, Andrews studied piano and violin before discovering the clarinet, studying with Edward Knakal of Virginia Beach. He attended the Virginia Governors School for the Arts and also studied at the Interlochen Music Center in Michigan. He graduated with distinction from the New England Conservatory of Music where he was a clarinet student of Harold Wright.

Dan Dreyfus

Scott Andrews most recently performed as a soloist with the St. Louis Symphony in October 2010.

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A BRIEF EXPLANATION
You dont need to know what andante means or what a glockenspiel is to enjoy a St. Louis Symphony concert, but its fun to know stuff. For instance, what is a K number? K: In the listing of any work by Mozart, you see its identifying K number. Symphony No. 33 is K. 319. The Clarinet Concerto is K. 622. Symphony No. 40 is K. 550. Mozart wrote an incredible amount of music during his brief life, and he had neither the time nor the inclination to sort it all out. Hooray for the Austrian music historian Ludwig Kchel, who set to work and created the thematic catalogue of Mozarts works, which were first published in Leipzig in 1862.

MOZARTS HORNS
Associate Principal Horn Thomas Jstlein explains that in Mozarts day, He wrote for natural horns, which means they could not be played chromatically. Mozart was aware of what the horn could do, so his horn writing alternates between horn call and wind instrument. Horn players need to wear different hats when playing Mozart. We may play fanfares, or we may be used more as a lyrical woodwind.

A valveless horn from Mozarts era


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YOU TAKE IT FROM HERE


If these concerts have inspired you to learn more, here are suggested source materials with which to continue your explorations. William Cowdery and Neal Zaslaw, editors, The Compleat Mozart: A Guide to the Musical Works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart W. W. Norton Brief background and commentary on each of Mozarts more than 600 compositions H. C. Robbins Landon, Mozarts Last Year Schirmer Books A fascinating examination of Mozarts circumstances and activities during 1791 (the year he composed his Clarinet Concerto), by one of todays foremost Mozart authorities mozartforum.com A website devoted to Mozart and his music, including a concise biography, complete works list, sound clips, links and more

Read the program notes online at stlsymphony.org/planyourvisit/programnotes Keep up with the backstage life of the St. Louis Symphony, as chronicled by Symphony staffer Eddie Silva, via stlsymphony.org/blog The St. Louis Symphony is on

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CORPORATE DONOR SPOTLIGHT


BROWN SHOE COMPANY
Brown Shoe Company is a $2.6 billion, global footwear company whose shoes are worn by people of all ages, from all walks of life. Through our broad range of products, we serve three key markets. Our Family brandsFamous Footwear, Famous.com, and shoes.comare one-stop-shopping destinations for high quality, affordable styles for a familys every occasion. Active people who want comfort, style and performance can look to our Healthy Living brands Naturalizer, Dr. Scholls Shoes, LifeStride, Avia, and Ryka. Our Contemporary Fashion brandsVia Spiga, Vera Wang, Vince, Sam Edelman, Franco Sarto, Carlos, and Fergiekeep fashionistas in step with the latest trends. At Brown Shoe Company, we inspire people to feel good and live better... feet first! Brown Shoe has recently gone through a restructuring of its giving policyplease describe what came out of this process. Were very proud to have been a part of the fabric of St. Louis for nearly 135 years, and our charitable giving is an important aspect of our relationship with the community. Our new charitable trust mission is to support organizations, which are either strategically aligned with our corporate mission, vision, and values, or are focused on advancing the footwear industry, or benefit the overall St. Louis community in growing and attracting new businesses and residents. Our corporate mission is to feel good and live better... feet first! Feeling good means helping to develop stronger families by providing opportunities for enrichment. Living better encourages individuals to live better lives through health and wellness efforts. Feet first means we look to provide occasions for families and individuals to step feet first into the arts and cultural opportunities. Why does Brown Shoe support the St. Louis Symphony? Brown Shoe Company has been sponsoring the Symphony since 1960. Over that time, we have donated nearly $1.9 million to make music more accessible to the residents of our community. How does the Symphony fit into your overall charitable giving program in St. Louis? We hope residents of and visitors to St. Louis appreciate the opportunity to step feet first into all of the programs the Symphony has to offer. Why should other organizations support the St. Louis Symphony? Companies across St. Louis should work together to benefit the community in growing and attracting new businesses and residents. Having a world-class symphony is just one of the ways to help make St. Louis all within reach!

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CLASSICAL CONCERT: CHRISTINE BREWER RETURNS

Christian Steiner

MAY 3-5 David Robertson, conductor; Christine Brewer, soprano; Lucas Meachem, baritone Full of exotic themes, heartfelt yearning, and wild freedom, Zemlinskys Lyric Symphony receives its STL Symphony premiere with phenomenal soprano Christine Brewer. Paired with the stunning melodies and warming glow of Schuberts Unfinished Symphony. Another weekend in Vienna at Powell Hall. Presented by Mary Pillsbury

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AUDIENCE INFORMATION
BOX OFFICE HOURS
Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm; Weekday and Saturday concert evenings through intermission; Sunday concert days 12:30pm through intermission.

POLICIES
You may store your personal belongings in lockers located on the Orchestra and Grand Tier Levels at a cost of 25 cents. Infrared listening headsets are available at Customer Service. Cameras and recording devices are distracting for the performers and audience members. Audio and video recording and photography are strictly prohibited during the concert. Patrons are welcome to take photos before the concert, during intermission, and after the concert. Please turn off all watch alarms, cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices before the start of the concert. All those arriving after the start of the concert will be seated at the discretion of the House Manager. Age for admission to STL Symphony and Live at Powell Hall concerts vary, however, for most events the recommended age is five or older. All patrons, regardless of age, must have their own tickets and be seated for all concerts. All children must be seated with an adult. Admission to concerts is at the discretion of the House Manager. Outside food and drink are not permitted in Powell Hall. No food or drink is allowed inside the auditorium, except for select concerts.

TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Box Office: 314-534-1700 Toll Free: 1-800-232-1880 Online: stlsymphony.org Fax: 314-286-4111 A service charge is added to all telephone and online orders.

SEASON TICKET EXCHANGE POLICIES


If you cant use your season tickets, simply exchange them for another Wells Fargo Advisors subscription concert up to one hour prior to your concert date. To exchange your tickets, please call the Box Office at 314-5341700 and be sure to have your tickets with you when calling.

GROUP AND DISCOUNT TICKETS


314-286-4155 or 1-800-232-1880 Any group of 20 is eligible for a discount on tickets for select Orchestral, Holiday, or Live at Powell Hall concerts. Call for pricing. Special discount ticket programs are available for students, seniors, and police and public-safety employees. Visit stlsymphony.org for more information.

Powell Hall is not responsible for the loss or theft of personal property. To inquire about lost items, call 314-286-4166. POWELL HALL RENTALS
Select elegant Powell Hall for your next special occasion. Visit stlsymphony.org/rentals for more information.
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POWELL HALL
(TERRACE CIRCLE, GRAND CIRCLE)

BALCONY LEVEL

WHEELCHAIR LIFT
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(DRESS CIRCLE, DRESS CIRCLE BOXES, GRAND TIER BOXES & LOGE)

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(DRESS CIRCLE, DRESS CIRCLE BOXES, GRAND TIER BOXES & LOGE)

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TAXI PICK UP DELMAR

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