#21 - Specific Reference, Must Be True

[Administrator]

Please post your questions below!

[sd6]

Hello,
Can you please explain why the answer is B?

I do not understand why a third kind of opera, aka one in which the music is subordinate and whose appeal is limited is evidence that the aesthetic value of an opera depends on the QUALITY of its music.

Passage B only says that a FULLER participation of music was required to ESTABLISH opera on a secure basis.

It seems that Passage B is categorizing the types of opera based on whether music or libretto is the primary factor. I did not understand that to reflect QUALITY.

Thank you.

[Lukelee]

Need to look bigger picture than narrow wordings.

33-38, essentially points out 3rd form didn’t appeal successfully, reconfirming participation of music is required.

Thus A au, most likely will say, all depends on quality of music B

[fashionlaw]

are you able to explain why E is wrong? Is the EQUAL elements statement?
- bre

[Adam Tyson]

To supplement lukelee's answer to sds, the music being subordinated to the libretto almost certainly means that the music was of lower importance, and that the greater emphasis was on the words being right to tell the story and convey the emotion. If music was of lower importance, it isn't that much of a leap to say that the quality of that music was less important than the quality of the words. Those early operas of that third kind didn't fail because they didn't have enough music, but because the music wasn't being given proper attention. Author A would likely point to that evidence of the third kind of opera failing, and say "see, I told you that you had to focus on making sure the music was good!" In other words, he would say it supports his claim at the very end of passage A that opera "depends for its aesthetic value not upon the poetry of the libretto ...but upon its emotional range—a region dominated by the musical element."

fashionlaw, you hit that one on the head! Author A doesn't think the music and words are equal elements at all, but thinks instead that the music matters much more than the words to convey the emotions and provide the aesthetic heavy lifting. Good work!

[lanereuden]

Why is answer choice A wrong? Also, if possible, can you give full breakdown of each answer choice?

[Adam Tyson]

The discussion in passage B of a third kind of opera (at the end of the first paragraph of that passage) indicates that while there were some early operas that treated the music as less important than the words, they were generally unsuccessful. Author A believes that the music is more important that the words. Thus, the author of passage A would likely view that discussion in passage B as evidence that he is correct about music being an important element. That's answer B, the correct answer.

Answer A is something that is close to what the author of passage A said in general about opera: "A striking effect
may be produced, but at the expense of the purity of each art." But this quote has nothing to do with what author A would say about the discussion of the third type of opera in passage B. We need an answer that captures how author A would respond to that discussion, and this quote about "purity" does not relate to that discussion. Also, I am not so sure that the author of passage A would agree that the lack of "purity" is the same as both forms being "diminished" - after all, he did say in his first paragraph that words can gain by being set to music!

Answer C is something that author A might actually disagree with, given that he says about opera "an opera is largely independent of words". But again, this has nothing to do with the discussion in passage B of the third kind of opera, the kind that failed.

Answer D is one that the author of passage A would surely disagree with, vehemently, as it directly contradicts his entire argument. He believes that music is greater alone than when combined with words.

Answer E would also be something that author A disagrees with, because he does not believe that all elements in an opera are of equal importance. He thinks the music is more important than the libretto. And once again, this answer has nothing at all to do with how the author of passage A would respond to the discussion in passage B of the third, failed kind of opera, where the words are more important than the music.

Focus on the question here. It's not just "what does Author A think" in general - it's "what does he think about a specific discussion in passage B". Your answer has to relate to that latter discussion, and how the author of passage A would respond to it.