#20 - Concept Reference, Must Be True

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (C).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):


This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[smm]

Hi,

I have a question about answer choice E. The question stem asks for something that is related to the tendency of the modern audience to withhold applause. From the passage we know that modern audiences withholding applause causes modern musicians to play the early movements slower. So isn't the withholding of applause related to the tendency to play the early movements faster, albeit negatively (i.e. it reduces the tendency of the early movements to be played faster)? With questions such as this one are we only looking for relationships with a positive correlation?

Any help here would be welcome. Thanks,

S

[AthenaDalton]

Thanks for your question!

The question asks us why the tendencies of modern audiences to save their applause until the end of a piece is mentioned by the author. You're correct that we're looking for a positive correlation, but we also know that the author is advocating for a particular viewpoint. So we want not just positive correlation but something that supports her argument about the flaws in the early music movement's reasoning.

The correct answer, answer choice (C), shows how the audiences that listen to symphonic works have changed since the 19th century, which undermines the argument that musical works should be played precisely as they would have sounded when they were composed. Essentially, even if a piece was performed precisely as it was in Mozart's time, a modern audience still wouldn't get the same experience because their expectations have changed.

By contrast, answer choice (E) is talking about something that happened in Mozart and Beethoven's time -- putting the flashiest bits of the piece early in the performance. Whatever Mozart and Beethoven's reasons were for doing this, it didn't relate to the tastes of modern audiences.

You're right that answer choice (E) indirectly relates to the modern trend of playing earlier movements slowly and later movements faster. But that's not what the answer choice actually says -- it talks about Mozart and Beethoven's stylistic choices.

I hope this helps clear things up.

Athena Dalton

[fleurgirl]

Hello,
I don't understand how we can conclude C is right any more than D is right. The passage specifically states "this difference can readily be explained by the fact that at that time audiences applauded at the end of each movement, rather than withholding applause until the end of the entire work" but there is no indication that could cause us to lean in C/D's direction over the other. In other words, how do we know for certain that there occurred (C) "a change since the early nineteenth century in audiences’ concepts of musical excitement and intensity." What if the audiences' changed their concept due to the music being performed differently? What evidence is there to suggest that the audience changing its concept is more plausible than the audience merely becoming more sophisticated and that, in turn, changes the way music is performed, thereby leading the audiences of the time to eventually applaud at the end; or perhaps that the audiences' increased sophistication simply caused them to withhold applause until after the entire piece was finished?

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Fleur,

The real problem with answer choice (D) is that there is nothing in this passage to support that modern audiences are more sophisticated than earlier audiences. In fact, the author's tone seems to suggest that we under appreciate the extent to which earlier times had similar sophistication and depth to now.

Answer choice (C) however, makes no similar judgement on the sophistication or enthusiasm of modern or early audiences. The only thing that answer choice (C) says is that there is a change. That's well supported by the passage, particularly the final sentence.

Hope that helps!