It is the mark of a superior conductor that he or she has the authorit

have to earn authority by getting orch. to respect your current vision-->
authority to demand more practice is something that can't be just claimed

(D) tells us that for this to make sense, the orchestra has to be able to appreciate the interpretation even though they need to practice harder to be good at it. Otherwise, the orchestra would never be able to appreciate the conductor's vision, and so by it's terms, he/she would never be able to insist on more practice.

(A) for EVERY orchestra they devise different interpretations?

(B) NEVER satisfied even by a TOP orchestra?

(C) They're ALWAYS ready to put in more work?

If you negate this, you're saying
"At least one time, a top orchestra was not willing to put in additional work even when the conductor considered it necessary".

This doesn't hurt the author's argument at all.

First of all, this answer doesn't specify we're dealing with a "superior conductor". The author would happily agree to the negation of (C). She would say, "Of course! When a mediocre conductor insists extra rehearsal is necessary, a top orchestra might not agree and not be ready to put in additional work."

Even with a top conductor, the author never made it sound like a guarantee that the top orchestra would ALWAYS agree to do the extra work.

Her specific point is that a top conductor can't just CLAIM "we need more rehearsals" (the idea being that simply claiming it wouldn't impel the orchestra to do the extra practice).

The top conductor gets the orchestra to believe in the interpretation the conductor is pursuing (with the idea being that once the orchestra believes in the interpretation, they will be self-motivated to put in the extra practice).

For me the answer is D.

(D) Top orchestras can appreciate the merits of an interpretation even before they have brought it to full realization.

It is the mark of a superior conductor that he or she has the authority to insist, even with a top orchestra, that rehearsal work must be intensified. This authority cannot simply be claimed, the conductor must earn it by winning the orchestra’s respect for the artistic interpretations he or she is currently pursuing.

Since the authority needs to be earned for artistic interpretation, the orchestra should know when the interpretation is good and hence can provide the authority.

D is the answer. But i feel the argument lacks a conclusion. Second sentence in the argument is just another statement and it presupposes D.

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