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Alkan 's attachment to the music of his predecessors is demonstrated throughout his career , from his arrangements for keyboard of Beethoven 's Seventh Symphony ( 1838 ) , and of the <unk> of Mozart 's 40th Symphony ( 1844 ) , through the sets Souvenirs des concerts du Conservatoire ( 1847 and 1861 ) and the set Souvenirs de <unk> de <unk> ( 1862 ) , which include <unk> of music by Mozart , Beethoven , J. S. Bach , Haydn , <unk> , and others . In this context should be mentioned Alkan 's extensive <unk> for Beethoven 's 3rd Piano Concerto ( 1860 ) , which includes quotes from the finale of Beethoven 's 5th Symphony . Alkan 's <unk> , together with original music of Bach , Beethoven , Handel , Mendelssohn , <unk> and <unk> , were frequently played during the series of Petits Concerts given by Alkan at Erard .
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As regards the music of his own time , Alkan was <unk> , or at any rate detached . He commented to Hiller that " Wagner is not a musician , he is a disease . " While he admired Berlioz 's talent , he did not enjoy his music . At the Petits Concerts , little more recent than Mendelssohn and Chopin ( both of whom had died around 25 years before the series of concerts was initiated ) was played , except for Alkan 's own works and occasionally some by his favourites such as Saint @-@ <unk> .
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= = = Style = = =
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" Like ... Chopin " , writes pianist and academic Kenneth Hamilton , " Alkan 's musical output was centred almost exclusively on the piano " . Some of his music requires extreme technical virtuosity , clearly reflecting his own abilities , often calling for great velocity , enormous <unk> at speed , long stretches of fast repeated notes , and the maintenance of widely spaced <unk> lines . The illustration ( right ) from the Grande sonate is analysed by Smith as " six parts in <unk> counterpoint , plus two extra voices and three <unk> – eleven parts in all . " Some typical musical devices , such as a sudden explosive final chord following a quiet passage , were established at an early stage in Alkan 's compositions . Macdonald suggests that
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unlike Wagner , Alkan did not seek to <unk> the world through opera ; nor , like Berlioz , to <unk> the crowds by putting orchestral music at the service of literary expression ; nor even , as with Chopin or Liszt , to extend the field of harmonic <unk> . Armed with his key instrument , the piano , he sought incessantly to transcend its inherent technical limits , remaining apparently <unk> to the restrictions which had withheld more restrained composers .
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However , not all of Alkan 's music is either lengthy or technically difficult ; for example , many of the Op. 31 Préludes and of the set of Esquisses , Op. 63 .
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Moreover , in terms of structure , Alkan in his compositions sticks to traditional musical forms , although he often took them to extremes , as he did with piano technique . The study Op. 39 , no . 8 ( the first movement of the Concerto for solo piano ) takes almost half an hour in performance . Describing this " gigantic " piece , Ronald Smith comments that it convinces for the same reasons as does the music of the classical masters ; " the underlying unity of its principal themes , and a key structure that is basically simple and sound . "
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Some of Alkan 's music gives hints of the <unk> which some have detected in his personality . The Chant Op. 38 , no . 2 , entitled <unk> , repeats the note of its title incessantly ( in total 414 times ) against shifting harmonies which make it " cut ... into the texture with the ruthless precision of a laser beam . " In modelling his five sets of Chants on the first book of Mendelssohn 's Songs Without Words , Alkan ensured that the pieces in each of his sets followed precisely the same key signatures , and even the moods , of the original . Alkan was <unk> in his <unk> spelling , occasionally <unk> to keys containing double @-@ <unk> or double @-@ flats , so pianists are occasionally required to come to terms with unusual keys such as E @-@ sharp major , <unk> equivalent to F major , and the occasional triple @-@ sharp .
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= = = Works = = =
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= = = = Early works = = = =
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Alkan 's earliest works indicate , according to Smith , that in his early teens he " was a formidable musician but as yet ... <unk> rather than ... creative " . Only with his 12 Caprices ( <unk> – 13 and 15 – 16 , 1837 ) did his compositions begin to attract serious critical attention . The op . 15 set , Souvenirs : Trois <unk> dans le genre <unk> , dedicated to Liszt , contains Le vent ( The Wind ) , which was at one time the only piece by the composer to figure regularly in recitals . These works , however , did not meet with the approval of Robert Schumann , who wrote : " One is <unk> by such false , such unnatural art ... the last [ piece , titled <unk> ( Death ) , is ] a <unk> waste , overgrown with brush and weeds ... nothing is to be found but black on black " . Ronald Smith , however , finds in this latter work , which cites the Dies <unk> theme also used by Berlioz , Liszt and others , <unk> of Maurice Ravel , Modest <unk> and Charles <unk> . Schumann did , however , respond positively to the pieces of Les <unk> ( originally part published as Op. 8 in 1838 , later published as a complete set in 1840 as Op. 74 ) : " [ Here ] we find such an excellent <unk> on operatic music in no . 6 [ L <unk> ] that a better one could scarcely be imagined ... The composer ... well <unk> the rarer effects of his instrument . " Alkan 's technical mastery of the keyboard was asserted by the publication in 1838 of the Trois <unk> études ( originally without opus number , later republished as Op. 76 ) , the first for the left hand alone , the second for the right hand alone , the third for both hands ; and all of great difficulty , described by Smith as " a peak of <unk> <unk> " . This is perhaps the earliest example of writing for a single hand as " an entity in its own right , capable of covering all registers of the piano , of rendering itself as accompanied soloist or <unk> . "
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= = = = Early maturity = = = =
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Alkan 's large scale Duo ( in effect a sonata ) Op. 21 for violin and piano ( dedicated to <unk> <unk> ) and his Piano Trio Op. 30 appeared in 1841 . Apart from these , Alkan published only a few minor works between 1840 and 1844 , after which a series of virtuoso works was issued , many of which he had played at his successful recitals at Érard and elsewhere ; these included the Marche <unk> ( Op. 26 ) , the Marche <unk> ( Op. 27 ) and Le chemin de <unk> ( also published , separately , as Op. 27 ) . In 1847 appeared the Op. 31 Préludes and his first large @-@ scale unified piano work , the Grande sonate Les <unk> <unk> ( Op. 33 ) . The sonata is structurally innovative in two ways ; each movement is slower than its predecessor , and the work <unk> the practice of progressive tonality , beginning in D major and ending in G @-@ sharp minor . Dedicated to Alkan Morhange , the sonata depicts in its successive movements its ' hero ' at the ages of 20 ( optimistic ) , 30 ( " Quasi @-@ Faust " , impassioned and <unk> ) , 40 ( domesticated ) and 50 ( suffering : the movement is prefaced by a quotation from <unk> 's <unk> <unk> ) . In 1848 followed Alkan 's set of 12 études dans tous les tons <unk> Op. 35 , whose substantial pieces range in mood from the <unk> Allegro <unk> ( no . 5 ) and the intense Chant d <unk> @-@ Chant de <unk> ( Song of Love – Song of Death ) ( no . 10 ) to the descriptive and picturesque L <unk> au village <unk> ( The Fire in the Next Village ) ( no . 7 ) .
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A number of Alkan 's compositions from this period were never performed and have been lost . Among the missing works are some string <unk> and a full @-@ scale orchestral <unk> in B minor , which was described in an article in 1846 by the critic Léon Kreutzer , to whom Alkan had shown the score . Kreutzer noted that the introductory <unk> of the <unk> was headed " by Hebrew characters in red ink ... This is no less than the verse from Genesis : And God said , Let there be light : and there was light . " Kreutzer opined that , set beside Alkan 's conception , Joseph Haydn 's Creation was a " mere <unk> ( <unk> ) . "
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= = = = Internal exile = = = =
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During his twenty @-@ year absence from the public between 1853 and 1873 Alkan produced many of his most notable compositions , although there is a ten @-@ year gap between publication of the Op. 35 studies and that of his next group of piano works in 1856 and 1857 . Of these , undoubtedly the most significant was the enormous Opus 39 collection of twelve studies in all the minor keys , which contains the Symphony for Solo Piano ( numbers four , five , six and seven ) , and the Concerto for Solo Piano ( numbers eight , nine and ten ) . The Concerto takes nearly an hour in performance . Number twelve of Op. 39 is a set of variations , Le <unk> d <unk> ( Aesop 's Feast ) . The other components of Op. 39 are of a similar stature . Smith describes Op. 39 as a whole as " a towering achievement , gathering ... the most complete manifestation of Alkan 's many @-@ sided genius : its dark passion , its vital rhythmic drive , its pungent harmony , its occasionally <unk> humour , and , above all , its uncompromising piano writing . "
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In the same year appeared the Sonate de Concert , Op. 47 , for cello and piano , " among the most difficult and ambitious in the romantic repertoire ... anticipating Mahler in its juxtaposition of the sublime and the trivial " , and with its four movements showing again an anticipation of progressive tonality , each ascending by a major third . Other <unk> of Mahler ( who was born in 1860 ) can be found in the two " military " Op. 50 piano studies of 1859 <unk> <unk> <unk> and Le <unk> bat aux <unk> ( The drum beats the retreat ) , as well as in certain of the miniatures of the 1861 Esquisses , Op. 63 . The bizarre and <unk> Marcia <unk> , <unk> <unk> d <unk> <unk> ( <unk> march on the death of a parrot , 1859 ) , for three <unk> , <unk> and voices , described by Kenneth Hamilton as " Monty @-@ <unk> " , is also of this period .
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The Esquisses of 1861 are a set of highly varied miniatures , ranging from the tiny 18 @-@ bar no . 4 , Les <unk> ( The Bells ) , to the strident tone clusters of no . 45 , Les <unk> ( The <unk> ) , and closing with a further evocation of church bells in no . 49 , <unk> <unk> ( <unk> God ) . They were preceded in publication by Alkan 's deceptively titled Sonatine , Op. 61 , in ' classical ' format , but a work of " ruthless economy [ which ] although it plays for less than twenty minutes ... is in every way a major work . "
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Two of Alkan 's substantial works from this period are musical <unk> of literary works . <unk> , <unk> du <unk> , Op. 45 ( 1856 ) , follows a section of the poem La <unk> by Gabriel @-@ Marie <unk> ; while Super <unk> <unk> , Op. 52 ( 1859 ) , is a blow @-@ by @-@ blow recreation in music of the emotions and <unk> of <unk> 137 ( " By the waters of Babylon ... " ) . This piece is prefaced by a French version of the <unk> which is believed to be the sole remnant of Alkan 's Bible translation . Alkan 's lyrical side was displayed in this period by the five sets of Chants inspired by Mendelssohn , which appeared between 1857 and 1872 , as well as by a number of minor pieces .
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Alkan 's publications for organ or pédalier commenced with his <unk> , Op. 54 ( 1859 ) . In the same year he published a set of very spare and simple <unk> in the eight Gregorian modes ( 1859 , without opus number ) , which , in Smith 's opinion , " seem to stand outside the barriers of time and space " , and which he believes reveal " Alkan 's essential spiritual <unk> . " These were followed by pieces such as the 13 <unk> ( <unk> ) , Op. 64 ( 1865 ) , and the <unk> sur le Choral de Luther " Un fort <unk> est <unk> Dieu " , op . 69 ( 1866 ) . Alkan also issued a book of 12 studies for the <unk> alone ( no opus number , 1866 ) and the <unk> @-@ <unk> for <unk> duet ( four feet ) of 1872 .
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Alkan 's return to the concert platform at his Petits Concerts , however , marked the end of his publications ; his final work to be issued was the <unk> , Op. 75 , in 1872 .
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= = Reception and legacy = =
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Alkan had few followers ; however , he had important admirers , including Liszt , Anton Rubinstein , Franck , and , in the early twentieth century , Busoni , Petri and Sorabji . Rubinstein dedicated his fifth piano concerto to him , and Franck dedicated to Alkan his Grand <unk> <unk> op . 17 for organ . Busoni ranked Alkan with Liszt , Chopin , Schumann and <unk> as one of the five greatest composers for the piano since Beethoven . <unk> Philipp and Delaborde edited new <unk> of his works in the early 1900s . In the first half of the twentieth century , when Alkan 's name was still obscure , Busoni and Petri included his works in their performances . Sorabji published an article on Alkan in his 1932 book Around Music ; he promoted Alkan 's music in his reviews and criticism , and his Sixth Symphony for Piano ( <unk> <unk> ) ( 1975 – 76 ) , includes a section entitled Quasi Alkan . The English composer and writer Bernard van <unk> praised Alkan in an essay in his 1935 book , Down Among the Dead Men , and the composer Humphrey Searle also called for a revival of his music in a 1937 essay .
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For much of the 20th century , Alkan 's work remained in obscurity , but from the 1960s onwards it was steadily revived . Raymond Lewenthal gave a pioneering extended broadcast on Alkan on <unk> radio in New York in 1963 , and later included Alkan 's music in recitals and recordings . The English pianist Ronald Smith championed Alkan 's music through performances , recordings , a biography and the Alkan Society of which he was president for many years . Works by Alkan have also been recorded by Jack Gibbons , Marc @-@ André Hamelin , Mark <unk> , John Ogdon , and <unk> <unk> , among many others . Ronald Stevenson has composed a piano piece <unk> d <unk> ( referring to Alkan 's Op. 39 , no . 12 ) and the composer Michael <unk> has also written piano pieces referring to Alkan , e.g. Alkan @-@ <unk> , no . 5 of The History of <unk> in Sound . Marc @-@ André Hamelin 's <unk> No . IV is a <unk> <unk> study combining themes from Alkan 's Symphony , Op. 39 , no . 7 , and Alkan 's own perpetual motion étude , Op. 76 , no . 3 . It is dedicated to <unk> Kovacs and François <unk> , respectively activists in the English and French Alkan Societies . As Hamelin writes in his preface to this étude , the idea to combine these came from the composer <unk> <unk> , the finale of whose Piano <unk> No. 5 ( 1994 – 95 ) includes a substantial section entitled " <unk> " .
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Alkan 's compositions for organ have been among the last of his works to be brought back to the repertoire . As to Alkan 's pedal @-@ piano works , due to a recent revival of the instrument , they are once again being performed as originally intended ( rather than on an organ ) , such as by Italian pedal @-@ pianist Roberto <unk> , and recordings of Alkan on the pedal piano have been made by Jean <unk> and Olivier <unk> .
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= = Selected recordings = =
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This list comprises a selection of some premiere and other recordings by musicians who have become closely associated with Alkan 's works . A comprehensive discography is available at the Alkan Society website .
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Piano Trio , Op. 30 – played by Trio Alkan . Recorded 1992 . <unk> , <unk> ( 2001 )
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Grande sonate , Op. 33 – played by Marc @-@ André Hamelin ( piano ) . Recorded 1994 . Hyperion , <unk> ( 1995 ) .
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Études dans tous les tons mineurs , Op. 39 – played by Ronald Smith ( piano ) . Recorded 1977 . EMI , <unk> <unk> [ 3 <unk> ] ( 1978 ) , partly reissued EMI Gemini , <unk> <unk> ( 2003 )
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Études dans tous les tons mineurs , Op. 39 and other works – played by Jack Gibbons ( piano ) . Recorded 1995 . <unk> , CD <unk> 227 [ 2 CDs ] ( 1995 )
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Concerto , Op. 39 , nos . 8 – 10 – played by John Ogdon ( piano ) . Recorded 1969 . RCA , <unk> @-@ <unk> [ LP ] ( 1972 ) . Great British <unk> , <unk> ( 1999 )
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Le <unk> d <unk> ( Op. 39 , no . 12 ) and other works – played by Raymond Lewenthal . Recorded 1966 . RCA <unk> <unk> [ LP <unk> ] , <unk> @-@ <unk> [ LP <unk> ] ; BMG High Performance Series <unk> ( 1999 )
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Sonate de concert , Op. 47 , for cello and piano – played by Steven Osborne ( piano ) and <unk> <unk> ( cello ) . Recorded 2008 . Hyperion <unk> ( 2008 ) .
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11 <unk> dans le style <unk> , et <unk> transcription du <unk> de <unk> , Op. 72 – played by Kevin Bowyer ( organ ) . Recorded 2005 . <unk> <unk> <unk> ( 2007 )
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Symphony for Solo Piano ( Op. 39 , no . 4 @-@ 7 ) – played by Egon Petri ( piano ) . c . 1952 – 53 . Symposium Records , CD 1145 ( 1993 )
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= = = About Alkan = = =
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Alkan Society , including complete and regularly updated discography
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Alkan web site of Sylvain <unk> , contains detailed listing of Alkan 's works , with some downloadable scores
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" The Myths of Alkan " by Jack Gibbons
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<unk> Alkan by David Conway
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Alkan @-@ Zimmerman International Music Association
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Pictures of Alkan
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= = = Scores and sheet @-@ music = = =
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Free Alkan scores and manuscripts – site of Sylvain <unk>
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<unk> der <unk> : many of Alkan 's piano works in <unk> performances
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Alkan Piano Trio @-@ <unk> of work and <unk>
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<unk> @-@ sheet @-@ <unk> – Free Scores by Alkan
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Free scores by Alkan at the International Music Score Library Project
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= = = Performances on the Web = = =
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Trois <unk> <unk> , Op. 13 , No 2 on YouTube , played by Lloyd Buck
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<unk> <unk> , Op. 34 on YouTube , played by Lloyd Buck
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" Allegro <unk> " , Op. 35 , No. 5 on YouTube , played by Jack Gibbons
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<unk> , <unk> , Op. 39 , No. 6 on YouTube , played by Jonathan Powell
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Last movement , <unk> , Op. 39 , No. 7 on YouTube , played by Jonathan Powell
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First movement , Concerto , Op. 39 , No. 8 on YouTube , played by Jack Gibbons
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Le <unk> d <unk> , Op. 39 , no . 12 on YouTube , played by Edward Cohen
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Four Esquisses from Op. 63 on YouTube , played by Edward Cohen
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" Trois <unk> <unk> de la synagogue " and " <unk> <unk> " on YouTube - <unk> <unk> ( soprano ) and Daniel <unk> ( piano )
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= Business School ( The Office ) =
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" Business School " is the seventeenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office , and the show 's forty @-@ fifth episode overall . Written by Brent Forrester , and directed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator Joss Whedon , the episode aired on NBC on February 15 , 2007 .
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In the episode , Michael is invited by Ryan to speak to his business school class . When many of the students question the usefulness of paper in a computerized world , Michael attempts to inform the class of how essential paper is . Meanwhile , a bat becomes trapped in the office , leading Dwight and Creed on a mission to protect the employees .
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= = Plot = =
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Ryan Howard ( B. J. Novak ) invites Michael Scott ( Steve Carell ) to speak at his business school class . Michael is excited , but Ryan admits in a talking head interview that he has only invited Michael because his professor promised to bump up the grade of any student who brings his boss into class . During his introduction of Michael to his classmates , Ryan predicts that Dunder Mifflin will become obsolete within five to ten years . However , Michael could not hear him and proceeds to ruin the event with his antics ( including tearing pages out of a student 's textbook to prove you " can 't learn from textbooks " ) . Michael is then taken aback when one of Ryan 's classmates asks for Michael 's opinion of Ryan 's prediction . <unk> and hurt , Michael <unk> Ryan by relocating his desk to the " annex , " where Kelly Kapoor ( Mindy <unk> ) works , who <unk> <unk> in excitement .
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Meanwhile , Dwight Schrute ( Rainn Wilson ) discovers a bat in the ceiling , and accidentally lets it loose into the office , sending the employees <unk> for cover . Stanley immediately goes home . As many of the employees hide , Dwight enlists the help of Creed ( Creed <unk> ) to expel the bat . Jim Halpert ( John Krasinski ) exploits Dwight 's paranoia , and pretends that he is turning into a vampire . Dwight eventually catches the bat with a garbage bag after it lands on Meredith 's head .
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Pam Beesly ( Jenna Fischer ) , in the meantime , invites her co @-@ workers to her art show after work , but few show any enthusiasm , leaving her feeling alienated and sad . The art show doesn 't go as planned , and she begins to doubt her abilities . When Oscar Martinez ( Oscar Nunez ) shows up with his partner Gil , they critique her art , and note that Pam 's art has been let down by her lack of courage , not realizing that she is standing right behind them . As she begins to take her work down , Michael appears and , in a moment of sincere kindness , <unk> her work and asks to buy her drawing of the office building . Pam <unk> him as her eyes tear up . Michael soon places Pam 's drawing on the wall next to his office .
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= = Production = =
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" Business School " was the second Office episode written by Brent Forrester . Forrester had previously written " The <unk> " . The episode was the first to be directed by Joss Whedon . Whedon , who is a friend of both producer Greg Daniels and Jenna Fischer , and also met most of the production staff prior to the episode , stated that he chose to direct the episode " because I already know the writing staff and a bunch of the cast , and I <unk> the show . " When informed that the episode was about a bat entering into the office and one of the characters pretending to be a vampire , Whedon thought that it was a joke , stating " <unk> 't I just leave this party ? " in reference to Buffy the Vampire Slayer . In an interview featured on the third season DVD , Whedon joked that the " Business School " episode and his former TV show were very similar because " Buffy [ ... ] was sad and depressing but ... it was funny . Especially when people died . And a lot of people do die in [ ' Business School ' ] . " But upon completing the episode , Whedon stated " That was just coincidence . But that 's how that happened . God , it was fun . " Whedon stated that he was surprised with the amount of input he was allowed with the script . " I wouldn 't say freedom to do things with it ... But way more input was asked for than I would have ever anticipated . " At Pam 's art show , the pieces which she was supposed to have painted didn 't suit Whedon . " I got to the set and saw Pam 's art , and I was like , ' This is not right . ' " Whedon said that he held up filming for over an hour until the staff was able create new pieces of art .
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For the scenes which involved filming with a bat , the production team used an actual bat , an animated bat , and a mechanical bat . When around the actual bat , Kate <unk> , who portrays Meredith Palmer , stated that " we had to be extremely quiet around [ it ] , basically pretending to scream . " California State University , <unk> served as the backdrop for Ryan 's business school and the art show .
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= = Reception = =
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The episode received generally good reviews from critics . Brian Zoromski , of IGN , stated that " ' Business School ' was an exercise in what works best in an Office episode . " Zoromski also praised Joss Whedon 's directorial debut for the show , stating that " Whedon 's direction and sense of humor was both <unk> put to use and alluded to in the scenes in which Jim <unk> pretended to become a vampire . " Zoromski went on to say that the acting of John Krasinski and Rashida Jones , who portrays Karen <unk> , helped to make the vampire scenes the funniest parts of the episode . He gave the episode a 9 @.@ 1 out of 10 . Abby West , of Entertainment Weekly , stated that " This show has always been able to turn on a <unk> and take the comedy to a soul @-@ stirring dramatic climax with just the lightest of touches , and last night was no different . " West went on to praise Michael and Pam 's scene at the art show as one of these moments .
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= M @-@ 81 ( Michigan highway ) =
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M @-@ 81 is a state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan . The trunkline travels from the city of Saginaw at the junction with M @-@ 13 to the junction with M @-@ 53 east of Cass City over the county line in <unk> Township in northwestern <unk> County in The <unk> area of the state . Outside of the cities and villages along its route , M @-@ 81 passes through mostly rural farm country . Near Saginaw it intersects the freeway that carries both Interstate 75 ( I @-@ 75 ) and US Highway 23 ( US 23 ) in an industrial area .
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A road bearing the M @-@ 81 designation has existed since at least July 1 , 1919 , when the state initially numbered its trunkline highways . Since that time , it has been extended , rerouted or shortened several times . These changes resulted in essentially the modern highway routing by 1926 ; the highway was fully paved in the 1940s . A change made in 1929 was reversed in 1933 , and an extension through downtown Saginaw in the 1960s was overturned in the 1970s . The last change was the construction of a pair of roundabouts at the I @-@ 75 / US 23 interchange in 2006 .
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= = Route description = =
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M @-@ 81 starts at a junction with M @-@ 13 , with the two directions of each highway separated by a median . This central feature ends for M @-@ 81 immediately east of the intersection as the highway runs east out of Saginaw . The trunkline follows Washington Road easterly through residential subdivisions to an interchange with I @-@ 75 / US 23 in an industrial area of Buena Vista Township . This interchange , exit 151 along the freeway , is built with roundabouts on either side of the bridge that carries Washington Road over the freeway in a variant of the diamond interchange design called a <unk> interchange . After leaving the industrial properties on the east side of I @-@ 75 / US 23 , M @-@ 81 follows Washington Road through a mixture of farm fields and residential subdivisions . North of the community of Arthur , the highway intersects M @-@ 15 ( <unk> Road ) . Further east , M @-@ 81 crosses out of Saginaw County ; across the border in Tuscola County , the highway follows Saginaw Road .
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In the village of Reese , M @-@ 81 crosses the Huron and Eastern Railway twice . East of town , the highway follows Caro Road through more farm fields through the community of <unk> . Near the south side of the Tuscola Area Airport , M @-@ 81 turns to the northeast running along the Cass River to Caro . In the city , the trunkline follows State Street past the <unk> . At the intersection with Ellington Street , M @-@ 81 crosses M @-@ 24 . The highway continues northeasterly out of town and through the community of Ellington . Northeast of <unk> , M @-@ 81 turns due east along Cass City Road . The trunkline runs to the village of Cass City where it follows Main Street through residential neighborhoods and the central business district . East of Cass City , the highway crosses the Cass River before crossing the county line into <unk> County . Approximately one mile ( 1 @.@ 6 km ) into the county , M @-@ 81 ends at the intersection with M @-@ 53 ( Van <unk> Road ) .
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M @-@ 81 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation ( MDOT ) like other state highways in Michigan . As a part of these maintenance responsibilities , the department tracks the volume of traffic that uses the roadways under its jurisdiction . These volumes are expressed using a metric called annual average daily traffic , which is a statistical calculation of the average daily number of vehicles on a segment of roadway . MDOT 's surveys in 2010 showed that the highest traffic levels along M @-@ 81 were the 17 @,@ <unk> vehicles daily between Van <unk> Road and Frank Street in Caro ; the lowest counts were the 3 @,@ 527 vehicles per day east of Cass City to the M @-@ 53 intersection . No sections of M @-@ 81 have been listed on the National Highway System , a network of roads important to the country 's economy , defense , and mobility .
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= = History = =
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When originally signed around July 1 , 1919 , M @-@ 81 ran from Bay City southeast and east to the <unk> area ; from there it ran south concurrently with M @-@ 31 to the Reese area before running northeasterly to the east of Cass City to M @-@ 53 . By 1921 , the eastern end was extended <unk> from Caro to <unk> along a highway that is now part of M @-@ 24 . In late 1926 , the western end was changed so that M @-@ 81 followed the former M @-@ 31 from Reese into Saginaw and the eastern end was rerouted from Caro northeasterly to the Cass City area . With the exception of the routing through downtown Saginaw , the highway followed the approximate routing of the current highway .
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In the latter half of 1929 , the highway was rerouted between Saginaw and Reese , using a set of parallel roadways to the south of the previous routing ; this change was reversed in 1933 . M @-@ 81 was fully paved when the last section between Ellington and <unk> in Tuscola County was finished in late 1946 or early 1947 .
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Starting in 1953 , the westernmost approximately one mile ( 1 @.@ 6 km ) of M @-@ 81 was also used for a US 23 concurrency . When the bypass of Saginaw was completed in late 1961 , M @-@ 81 was extended along M @-@ 13 southwesterly into downtown Saginaw where it turned west across the Saginaw River to Midland Road west of the city . This routing across the city was removed in 1971 when I @-@ <unk> was completed ; west of that freeway the highway became M @-@ 58 , the rest was either removed from the highway system and turned back to local control , or it had the M @-@ 81 designation removed . Since this truncation , M @-@ 81 has ended at its junction with M @-@ 13 north of downtown Saginaw . In 2006 , MDOT completed the reconstruction of the interchange between M @-@ 81 and I @-@ 75 / US to incorporate a pair of roundabouts along Washington Road .
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= = Major intersections = =
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= Common starling =
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The common starling ( Sturnus vulgaris ) , also known as the European starling , or in the British Isles just the starling , is a medium @-@ sized <unk> bird in the starling family , Sturnidae . It is about 20 cm ( 8 in ) long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic <unk> , which is speckled with white at some times of year . The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer ; young birds have <unk> plumage than the adults . It is a noisy bird , especially in communal roosts and other gregarious situations , with an <unk> but varied song . Its gift for mimicry has been noted in literature including the <unk> and the works of Pliny the Elder and William Shakespeare .
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The common starling has about a dozen subspecies breeding in open habitats across its native range in temperate Europe and western Asia , and it has been introduced to Australia , New Zealand , Canada , United States , Mexico , Peru , Argentina , the Falkland Islands , Brazil , Chile , Uruguay , South Africa and Fiji . This bird is resident in southern and western Europe and southwestern Asia , while northeastern populations migrate south and west in winter within the breeding range and also further south to Iberia and North Africa . The common starling builds an untidy nest in a natural or artificial cavity in which four or five glossy , pale blue eggs are laid . These take two weeks to hatch and the young remain in the nest for another three weeks . There are normally one or two breeding attempts each year . This species is omnivorous , taking a wide range of invertebrates , as well as seeds and fruit . It is hunted by various mammals and birds of prey , and is host to a range of external and internal parasites .
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Large flocks typical of this species can be beneficial to agriculture by controlling invertebrate pests ; however , starlings can also be pests themselves when they feed on fruit and sprouting crops . Common starlings may also be a nuisance through the noise and mess caused by their large urban roosts . Introduced populations in particular have been subjected to a range of controls , including culling , but these have had limited success except in preventing the colonisation of Western Australia . The species has declined in numbers in parts of northern and western Europe since the 1980s due to fewer grassland invertebrates being available as food for growing chicks . Despite this , its huge global population is not thought to be declining significantly , so the common starling is classified as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature .
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= = Taxonomy and <unk> = =
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The common starling was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema <unk> in 1758 under its current binomial name . Sturnus and vulgaris are derived from the Latin for " starling " and " common " respectively . The Old English <unk> , later stare , and the Latin <unk> are both derived from an unknown Indo @-@ European root dating back to the second millennium BC . " <unk> " was first recorded in the 11th century , when it referred to the juvenile of the species , but by the 16th century it had already largely <unk> " stare " to refer to birds of all ages . The older name is referenced in William Butler Yeats ' poem " The <unk> 's Nest by My Window " . The International <unk> Congress ' preferred English vernacular name is common starling .
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The starling family , Sturnidae , is an entirely Old World group apart from introductions elsewhere , with the greatest numbers of species in Southeast Asia and sub @-@ Saharan Africa . The genus Sturnus is <unk> and relationships between its members are not fully resolved . The closest relation of the common starling is the spotless starling . The non @-@ migratory spotless starling may be descended from a population of ancestral S. vulgaris that survived in an Iberian <unk> during an ice age retreat , and mitochondrial gene studies suggest that it could be considered as a subspecies of the common starling . There is more genetic variation between common starling populations than between nominate common starling and spotless starling . Although common starling remains are known from the Middle Pleistocene , part of the problem in resolving relationships in the Sturnidae is the <unk> of the fossil record for the family as a whole .
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= = = Subspecies = = =
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There are several subspecies of the common starling , which vary <unk> in size and the colour tone of the adult plumage . The gradual variation over geographic range and extensive <unk> means that acceptance of the various subspecies varies between authorities .
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Subspecies
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Birds from Fair Isle , St <unk> and the Outer Hebrides are intermediate in size between S. v. zetlandicus and the nominate form , and their subspecies placement varies according to the authority . The dark juveniles typical of these island forms are occasionally found in mainland Scotland and elsewhere , indicating some gene flow from <unk> or zetlandicus , subspecies formerly considered to be isolated .
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Several other subspecies have been named , but are generally no longer considered valid . Most are intergrades that occur where the ranges of various subspecies meet . These include : S. v. <unk> <unk> , 1891 and S. v. <unk> <unk> , 1904 , which are intergrades between vulgaris and <unk> from western Russia ; S. v. <unk> <unk> , 1905 and S. v. <unk> <unk> and <unk> , 1909 , intergrades between vulgaris and <unk> from the southern Balkans to central Ukraine and throughout Greece to the <unk> ; and S. v. <unk> <unk> , 1928 , an <unk> between <unk> and <unk> in northern Iran . S. v. <unk> <unk> , 1928 from southern Iran 's ( <unk> Province ) is very similar to S. v. vulgaris , and it is not clear whether it is a distinct resident population or simply migrants from southeastern Europe .
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= = Description = =
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The common starling is 19 – 23 cm ( 7 @.@ 5 – 9 @.@ 1 in ) long , with a wingspan of 31 – 44 cm ( 12 – 17 in ) and a weight of 58 – 101 g ( 2 @.@ 0 – 3 @.@ 6 oz ) . Among standard measurements , the wing chord is 11 @.@ 8 to 13 @.@ 8 cm ( 4 @.@ 6 to 5 @.@ 4 in ) , the tail is 5 @.@ 8 to 6 @.@ 8 cm ( 2 @.@ 3 to 2 @.@ 7 in ) , the <unk> is 2 @.@ 5 to 3 @.@ 2 cm ( 0 @.@ 98 to 1 @.@ 26 in ) and the <unk> is 2 @.@ 7 to 3 @.@ 2 cm ( 1 @.@ 1 to 1 @.@ 3 in ) . The plumage is <unk> black , <unk> purple or green , and spangled with white , especially in winter . The underparts of adult male common starlings are less spotted than those of adult females at a given time of year . The throat feathers of males are long and loose and are used in display while those of females are smaller and more pointed . The legs are stout and <unk> or greyish @-@ red . The bill is narrow and conical with a sharp tip ; in the winter it is brownish @-@ black but in summer , females have lemon yellow beaks while males have yellow bills with blue @-@ grey bases . <unk> occurs once a <unk> in late summer after the breeding season has finished ; the fresh feathers are prominently tipped white ( breast feathers ) or buff ( wing and back feathers ) , which gives the bird a speckled appearance . The reduction in the spotting in the breeding season is achieved through the white feather tips largely wearing off . Juveniles are grey @-@ brown and by their first winter resemble adults though often retaining some brown juvenile <unk> , especially on the head . They can usually be <unk> by the colour of the irises , rich brown in males , mouse @-@ brown or grey in females . <unk> the contrast between an iris and the central always @-@ dark pupil is 97 % accurate in determining sex , rising to 98 % if the length of the throat feathers is also considered . The common starling is mid @-@ sized by both starling standards and <unk> standards . It is readily distinguished from other mid @-@ sized <unk> , such as <unk> , <unk> or small <unk> , by its relatively short tail , sharp , blade @-@ like bill , round @-@ bellied shape and strong , sizeable ( and rufous @-@ coloured ) legs . In flight , its strongly pointed wings and dark colouration are distinctive , while on the ground its strange , somewhat <unk> gait is also characteristic . The colouring and build usually distinguish this bird from other starlings , although the closely related spotless starling may be physically distinguished by the lack of <unk> spots in adult breeding plumage .
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Like most terrestrial starlings the common starling moves by walking or running , rather than hopping . Their flight is quite strong and direct ; their triangular @-@ shaped wings beat very rapidly , and periodically the birds <unk> for a short way without losing much height before resuming powered flight . When in a flock , the birds take off almost simultaneously , wheel and turn in <unk> , form a compact mass or trail off into a <unk> stream , bunch up again and land in a coordinated fashion . Common starling on migration can fly at 60 – 80 km / h ( 37 – 50 mph ) and cover up to 1 @,@ 000 – 1 @,@ 500 km ( 620 – 930 mi ) .
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Several terrestrial starlings , including those in the genus Sturnus , have adaptations of the skull and muscles that help with feeding by probing . This adaptation is most strongly developed in the common starling ( along with the spotless and white @-@ <unk> starlings ) , where the <unk> muscles responsible for opening the jaw are enlarged and the skull is narrow , allowing the eye to be moved forward to peer down the length of the bill . This technique involves inserting the bill into the ground and opening it as a way of searching for hidden food items . Common starlings have the physical traits that enable them to use this feeding technique , which has undoubtedly helped the species spread far and wide .
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In Iberia , the western Mediterranean and northwest Africa , the common starling may be confused with the closely related spotless starling , the plumage of which , as its name implies , has a more uniform colour . At close range it can be seen that the latter has longer throat feathers , a fact particularly noticeable when it sings .
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Subsets and Splits