Official Guide RC question .. kindly help

[karthiksms]

In Official Guide 2nd edition GRE

Page number : 47

Sample Question Set:

Reviving the practice of using elements of popular music in classical composition, an approach that had been in hibernation in the United States during the 1960s, composer Philip Glass (born 1937) embraced the ethos of popular music in his compositions. Glass based two symphonies on music by rock musicians David Bowie and Brian Eno, but the symphonies' sound is distinctively his. Popular elements do not appear out of place in Glass's classical music, which from its early days has shared certain harmonies and rhythms with rock music. Yet this use of popular elements has not made Glass a composer of popular music. His music is not a version of popular music packaged to attract classical listeners; it is high art for listeners steeped in rock rather than the classics.

Second question: The passage suggests that Glass's work displays which of the following qualities?

A. A return to the use of popular music in classical compositions
B. An attempt to elevate rock music to an artistic status more closely approximating that of classical music
C. A long-standing tendency to incorporate elements from two apparently disparate musical styles


I'm not sure about answer C. Official guide says answer is A and C. I agree with A but where does it imply in the passage that there is a "long-standing" tendency.

Kindly help.

Thanks,

[tommywallach]

Hey Karthik,

This is definitely a tough one. As you said, (A) is fairly easy to find, a restatement of "Reviving the practice of using elements of popular music in classical composition, an approach that had been in hibernation in the United States during the 1960s..."

As for (C), the key is very subtle. It's right here: "Popular elements do not appear out of place in Glass's classical music, which from its early days has shared certain harmonies and rhythms with rock music." This gives us the "long-standing" we need. As for the "two apparently disparate musical styles," that comes from the fact that his music still sounds "distinctly his."

Hope that helps!

-t