Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 8 has been the source of controversy and

Question

Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 8 has been the source of controversy and rumor for decades. A towering figure in his native Finland, the world-renowned composer worked on the piece for about a decade following the mid-1920s, but he destroyed the primary score around the end of the Second World War. Although Sibelius claimed periodically that he was continuing to work on the symphony, he refused to release it to the public in any form, and nothing but short fragments, probably sketches he drafted as he initially conceived the work, have ever been identified among his archived manuscripts. The symphony has long been considered completely lost, although some experts have suggested that someday it may be possible to reconstruct the entire work through interpolation, allowing it to be performed. Indeed, excerpts have already been recorded. Others say that, given the nature of the surviving fragments and Sibelius's own actions, this course is undesirable, since the composer suppressed the release of a work he clearly would have viewed as inferior.   1 
Based on the passage, which of the following does the author believe to be true about Symphony No. 8 by Jean Sibelius?

(A) Its publication in its entirety would ensure the international reputation of its composer.
(B) Sibelius claimed he was working on the symphony even when he was not.
(C) The work was never published in Sibelius's lifetime because the composer felt it lacked merit.
(D) The symphony will someday be performed once experts have been able to reconstruct it. 
(E) If a complete copy of the symphony were discovered, it would be found to be an inferior work.

Carcass · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

B

The author states that " lthough Sibelius claimed" to be working on the symphony, neither contemporaries nor later music experts examining his papers have ever seen it. The author's contrast of Sibelius's claim with evidence to the contrary allows you to infer that the author believes the composer was not in fact working on the piece. The correct answer is (B). The author states that Sibelius already has an international reputation, so Symphony No. 8 is not needed to establish one, and (A) is incorrect. (C) and (E) are the opinion of the " thers" mentioned in the last sentence, not the author. Likewise, while "experts" believe the symphony may be performed someday, the author expresses no opinion on this, so (D) is incorrect.

Vibhatu · Answer

Why not D? Author already says " Indeed, excerpts have already been recorded." The word indeed means he is supporting this. please clarify

Carcass · Answer

The passage discusses Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 8, which has been shrouded in mystery and controversy. Here's a summary of the key points:
1. Composition and Destruction: Sibelius worked on the symphony for about a decade starting in the mid-1920s but destroyed the primary score around the end of World War II.
2. Public Release: Despite claiming to continue working on it, Sibelius never released the symphony to the public. Only short fragments (likely initial sketches) remain in his archives.
3. Current Status: The symphony is considered lost, though some experts believe it might be possible to reconstruct it through interpolation (and some excerpts have been recorded). Others argue against this, citing Sibelius's own suppression of the work as evidence he viewed it as inferior.

Author's Beliefs
The question asks what the author believes to be true about Symphony No. 8 based on the passage. We need to identify which option aligns with the author's implied or stated views.

Analyzing Each Option
Option A: Its publication in its entirety would ensure the international reputation of its composer.
- The passage doesn't discuss the symphony's potential impact on Sibelius's reputation. It focuses on the symphony's loss and Sibelius's reluctance to release it.
- Relevance: Not supported by the passage.

Option B: Sibelius claimed he was working on the symphony even when he was not.
- The passage states that Sibelius "claimed periodically that he was continuing to work on the symphony" but doesn't imply he was lying or not working on it. It only notes he refused to release it.
- Relevance: Not directly supported; the passage doesn't suggest deceit.

Option C: The work was never published in Sibelius's lifetime because the composer felt it lacked merit.
- The passage mentions that Sibelius suppressed the work and that some experts argue against reconstruction because "the composer suppressed the release of a work he clearly would have viewed as inferior."
- This aligns closely with the idea that Sibelius didn't publish it due to perceived lack of merit.
- Relevance: Strongly supported.

Option D: The symphony will someday be performed once experts have been able to reconstruct it.
- The passage mentions that "some experts have suggested that someday it may be possible to reconstruct the entire work," but this is presented as a speculative possibility, not a certainty. Others disagree.
- The author doesn't express a definitive belief that reconstruction will happen.
- Relevance: Not a firm belief of the author.

Option E: If a complete copy of the symphony were discovered, it would be found to be an inferior work.
- The passage notes that some experts believe Sibelius viewed the work as inferior (hence his suppression), but it doesn't state that the symphony is inferior-only that Sibelius may have thought so.
- Relevance: Goes beyond the author's statements; the passage doesn't judge the work's quality, only Sibelius's possible opinion.

Why Option C is Correct
The author explicitly references the idea that Sibelius suppressed the symphony because he viewed it as inferior:
"the composer suppressed the release of a work he clearly would have viewed as inferior."
This directly supports Option C: the symphony was never published because Sibelius felt it lacked merit.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect
- A: Unrelated to the passage's focus.
- B: Not implied; the passage doesn't suggest Sibelius lied about working on it.
- D: Too speculative; the author doesn't assert this as a certainty.
- E: The passage doesn't claim the work is inferior, only that Sibelius may have thought so.

Final Answer

Option C is correct: the author believes the symphony was never published because Sibelius felt it lacked merit.

Correct Answer: C

riddhichothani11 · Answer

What is correct answer B or C?

Carcass · Answer

In my view should be C but the OA is B. I am a little bit buffled though

Carcass · Answer

In the same sentence we have both B and C in my view

Although Sibelius claimed periodically that he was continuing to work on the symphony,

(B) Sibelius claimed he was working on the symphony even when he was not.

Notice that the author CLAIMED to work on it but we do not have further info to sustain that he , indeed, worked on the symphony for real.

he refused to release it to the public in any form, and nothing but short fragments,

(C) The work was never published in Sibelius's lifetime because the composer felt it lacked merit.

On the other hand , we do know that he NEVER released his job in ANY form. Thsi is stronger than what we assert in B

probably sketches he drafted as he initially conceived the work, have ever been identified among his archived manuscripts.

For me, C is a better candidate as final answer than B

Perhaps  GMATNinja  could come in handy for the sake

Cryptic0coven · Answer

Sibelius claimed he was working on Symphony No. 8, but no one—neither experts nor contemporaries—has ever found a complete score or solid evidence to confirm this. The author highlights this contrast between Sibelius’s assertion and the lack of proof. When an author presents a claim alongside evidence that contradicts or fails to support it, readers naturally question the truthfulness of that claim. Because of this, we infer that the author believes Sibelius probably was not actually working on the symphony, even though he said he was.

For example, imagine a friend telling you, “I’ve finished writing a novel,” but when you ask for the manuscript or try to see it, no one has ever seen or heard of it. The contradiction between the claim and the lack of evidence would make you doubt your friend’s statement. Similarly, the author’s presentation suggests Sibelius’s claim is doubtful due to the absence of any concrete proof.

This inference supports answer choice B, which says that Sibelius claimed he was working on the symphony even when he was not. The author’s presentation leads us to doubt Sibelius’s statement because of the absence of any real evidence.

Also why others are wrong:

A:  This option says that publishing the symphony would ensure Sibelius’s international reputation. The passage clearly states Sibelius was already world-renowned, so the symphony wouldn’t be necessary to establish his reputation. Therefore, this option is incorrect because it contradicts what the author says.

C:  This suggests that the symphony was never published because Sibelius thought it lacked merit. While some experts believe this, the passage attributes this view to “others,” not the author directly. The author presents it as speculation, not a confirmed belief, so this choice doesn’t reflect the author’s stance.

D:  This option states the symphony will someday be performed once reconstructed. The passage only mentions this as a possibility suggested by some experts, not a certainty or belief held by the author. The author remains neutral on this point, so this answer overstates what the passage conveys.

E:  This claims that if a complete copy were found, it would be inferior. Again, this is an opinion attributed to “others” in the passage, not the author’s belief. The author does not confirm this view, so this option is incorrect.

Pls check

Regards

Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 8 has been the source of controversy and

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Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 8 has been the source of controversy and

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