Q14

[lhermary]

Why is the answer A and not b or even C?

A seems way to general

Is b wrong because of the word successful?

C is too specific?

Thanks

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Great question! Thanks for bringing this one to the forum...

The short answer is that answer choice (B) gives the early music movement too much credit with medieval and baroque music and answer choice (C) is actually contradicted (the opposite) of what's stated in the passage.

The author describes a movement and how they'd like music to be performed, and then spends two paragraphs describing some problems with performing music the way the early music movement suggests - best expressed in answer choice (A).

Let's look at the incorrect answers:

(B) suggests (although the author does not) that the early music movement has been successful in their approach to medieval and baroque music. The author does not concede this area to the early music movement.
(C) is contradicted by the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs which clearly represent situations in which composers did not perfectly tailor their music to the limitations of their time.
(D) is an interesting misrepresentation of the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs. The author never suggests that the advocates of early music just need better information about how the style of musical performances has changed. The author offers the fact that the styles have changed, but never says that the advocates of early music didn't have this information.
(E) seems to suggest the author would like to see more of the early music movement which is the opposite of the author's main point.

Hope that helps!

[tzyc]

Hi,
I'm a little confused...
So the author disagrees with the movement right?
And thinks the music should not be addressed in the same way as earlier time.
Because as Q17 says, s/he states criticism...but then why does s/he say "early music advocates often inadvertently divorce music and its performance..."?
If they distinguish the two, isn't it a good thing?
The examples seem to show the difference between the two, and seems support the author's point...
What does the first sentence of the last paragraph really mean?
Or s/he does not have opinions (since s/he only says it raises profound questions)?

Thank you

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

I would say that "disagrees" with the movement is a bit strong. The way the correct answer is phrased is a bit more accurate--raises some "troubling questions."

Because as Q17 says, s/he states criticism...but then why does s/he say "early music advocates often inadvertently divorce music and its performance..."?
If they distinguish the two, isn't it a good thing?

This actually a bad thing. The author means that the early music movement is not paying attention to the difference between the music and the way it was performed--they should not forget that the piano was simply to keep the orchestra together, but not meant to be heard.

The first sentence of the last paragraph is a concern that the author has that advocates of the early music movement should be more careful when they think about music and the performance of that music--for example, just because a piano was played to keep the orchestra together does not mean that the audience should be able to hear that piano.

Consider any performance--there are aspects of the show that the audience is not intended to see or hear. Advocates of the early music movement should take this into consideration according to the author.

[gaheexlee]

(C) is contradicted by the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs which clearly represent situations in which composers did not perfectly tailor their music to the limitations of their time.

Quick question: I thought C was correct because while the author provided evidence that the composers did not actually tailor their music to limitations of their time, the early music advocates' "early music approach" did in fact assume this.

So isn't C just describing what the latter group (the early music advocates) believed? But C is wrong because it is simply describing what that group believed without also describing the author's purpose in mentioning this fact? So for instance, if C had said "the early music approach to performance often FALSELY assumes that composers...", it would be more of a correct, if not the correct, answer.

Like the first poster, I believed A was too broad and eliminated it..