performance.
mihir0710
I was torn between Option E and C and finally chose E ...But OA says C..
What is wrong with E ?
Can someone explain ...
The critic's conclusion is that "we
must encourage more young musicians to enter the field "in order to "maintain classical music’s current meager popularity". How does the author reach this conclusion?
- Fewer and fewer musicians are studying classical music, and, as a result, it is becoming less likely that those with real aptitude for classical music will be performing it. This implies that the quality of classical music performances is declining.
- As the quality of the performances decreases, those performances will become less likely to showcase the greatness of classical music. Thus, audiences will become less likely to appreciate the greatness of classical music.
- If audiences do not appreciate the greatness of classical music, they will chose to listen to other types of music.
- To summarize: less qualified performers => weaker performances that do no showcase the greatness of classical music => audiences who do not appreciate the greatness of classical music => audiences moving away from classical music and opting to listen to other types of music instead
The author then concludes that "we
must encourage more young musicians to enter the field" in order to "maintain classical music’s current meager popularity". Notice the word
must; this implies that if we do NOT encourage more young musicians to enter the field, we will not be able to "maintain classical music’s current meager popularity".
We are asked, "Which of the following, if true, most weakens the music critic’s reasoning?"
Quote:
A. Musicians who choose to study classical music do so because they believe they have an aptitude for the music.
The critic's argument does not discuss
why fewer and fewer musicians are studying classical music. If fewer and fewer musicians
believe that they have an aptitude for classical music, that might explain why fewer and fewer musicians are choosing to study classical music. Choice (A) doesn't seem to weaken the critic's reasoning, so (A) can be eliminated.
Quote:
B. Classical music’s current meager popularity is attributable to the profusion of other genres of music available to listeners.
The author's argument is not concerned with
explaining classical music's current meager popularity. Rather, the author discusses what he/she believes must be done to maintain the current level of popularity. Choice (B) can be eliminated because it does not weaken the critic's reasoning.
Quote:
C. Most people who appreciate classical music come to do so through old recordings rather than live performances.
The critic reasons that audiences will move away from classical music as they listen to weaker performances of classical music. However, if most people who appreciate classical music come to do so through old recordings rather than live performances, it doesn't matter if the quality of the performances is in decline. Those people can still listen to old recordings and thus still appreciate the greatness of classical music. This breaks the critic's line of reasoning, so (C) is a solid choice.
Quote:
D. It is possible to enjoy the music in a particular genre even when it is performed by musicians who are not ideally suited for that genre.
The author does not argue that it will not be possible to enjoy classical music performed by musicians who are not ideally suited for that genre. Instead, the author argues that classical performances by musicians who are not ideally suited for that genre will fail to convey the
greatness of classical music and thus cause audiences to listen to other types of music. Choice (D) does not weaken the critic's reasoning, so it can be eliminated.
Quote:
E. The continued popularity of a given genre of music depends in part on the audiences being able to understand why that genre attained its original popularity.
The author does not claim that appreciation for the greatness of classical music is the ONLY necessary requirement for maintaining the current level of popularity. The popularity can certainly be affected by other factors, such as understanding why classical music attained its original popularity. Even if the continued popularity of classical music depends
in part on the audiences being able to understand why classical music attained its original popularity, the popularity of classical music might still be in jeopardy unless more young musicians enter the field. (E) can be eliminated, and we're left with (C).