- Thu Feb 09, 2023 7:50 pm
#99193
Sure, rjulien.
This passage is about a recent anthology of music from a specific time period and place---the London Pianoforte School. Because the LSAT doesn't expect us to have independent knowledge of this school nor of the development of the piano, the passage must provide us with a significant amount of background information. Often this is a good thing on the test! You might feel as though an unfamiliar topic is a bad thing. However, because the passage has to provide the information you need to understand the passage, the argumentation is often simpler and more direct.
Overall, the passage begins with an introduction to the London Pianoforte School. It then goes on to explain why traditionally it has been hard to study the school because there had not been a lot of coverage in scholarly works. The next paragraph unsurprisingly continues with an introduction to the new anthology by Temperly. The paragraph explains what the anthology contains, and why it has value. The third paragraph moves into some critical views of the idea that the London Pianoforte can be understood in a unified manner. Finally, the last paragraph how it came to be understood as a school, and the different potential ways to define that school. Ultimately the passage concludes by endorsing Temperly's view of the school as defined by the time period.
Viewpoints: There's Temperly's view, the traditional view, Ringer's view, and the author's view (which tracks close to Temperly's).
Structure: Introduction to a musical school, discussion of recent anthology covering the school, criticisms of the delineation of the school as a unified form, and defense of considering the works as a school
Argument: Because of Temperly's anthology's uniquely comprehensive treatment of the London Pianoforte School, it allows for the study and scholarly analysis of the time period that was previously unavailable.
Tone: Appreciative toward Temperly's work
Main Point: Temperly's anthology provides a meaningful and important contribution to the understanding of the London Pianoforte School.
Hope that helps!
