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Difficulty: MediumPoints of Disagreement

Read the following two passages regarding the historical transition from the harpsichord to the piano in Western music.

Passage A
The transition to the piano in the late eighteenth century was fundamentally an aesthetic revolution. Composers demanded greater expressive capability—specifically, dynamic variation—to convey the emotional depth characteristic of the emerging Romantic style. The harpsichord, with its plucked strings and uniform volume, was simply incapable of meeting this artistic mandate. Thus, the piano's hammer mechanism was embraced primarily as a tool for realizing new aesthetic ideals.

Passage B
It is romantic but inaccurate to view the piano's triumph as a purely aesthetic victory driven by composers' demands. The shift was primarily socioeconomic. As musical performance moved from intimate aristocratic courts to large public concert halls, musicians required an instrument with greater sheer volume to project sound over long distances. Furthermore, the burgeoning bourgeois market demanded robust instruments requiring less frequent maintenance than the delicate harpsichord. The piano's dynamic capabilities were a welcomed byproduct, but its widespread adoption was dictated by the practicalities of a changing musical economy.

Which one of the following most accurately describes a point of disagreement between the authors of the two passages?

  1. The demand for greater dynamic variation was the primary catalyst for the widespread adoption of the piano.Answer
  2. B
    The harpsichord was unsuited for musical performances held in large public concert halls.
  3. C
    The harpsichord's plucked string mechanism severely limited its ability to produce dynamic variation.
  4. D
    Aesthetic considerations and composers' preferences played absolutely no role in the piano's eventual dominance.
  5. E
    Bourgeois audiences demanded the emotional depth characteristic of the emerging Romantic style.

Answer

The authors disagree on whether the demand for greater dynamic variation was the primary catalyst for the widespread adoption of the piano.
The author of Passage A asserts that the transition was 'fundamentally an aesthetic revolution' driven by composers demanding 'greater expressive capability' and dynamic variation. Conversely, the author of Passage B directly argues against this, stating that it is 'inaccurate' to view it as an aesthetic victory and that adoption was instead dictated by socioeconomic practicalities, demoting dynamic capabilities to a 'welcomed byproduct.' Thus, they clearly disagree on whether dynamic variation was the primary catalyst.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Passage A to determine its core argument regarding the piano's adoption.
Passage A argues that the transition to the piano was an 'aesthetic revolution' driven primarily by composers demanding dynamic variation.
Identifying the first author's main thesis provides the baseline for finding a conflict.
2
Analyze Passage B to determine its core argument and directly compare it to Passage A.
Passage B states it is 'inaccurate to view the piano's triumph as a purely aesthetic victory driven by composers' demands,' arguing instead that socioeconomic factors (volume, maintenance) were the primary drivers.
Finding direct textual evidence where the second author refutes the first author's premise isolates the point of disagreement.
3
Evaluate the options to find the statement that one author affirms and the other denies.
The correct answer accurately reflects Passage A's thesis (dynamic variation was the primary catalyst) which Passage B explicitly rejects in favor of socioeconomic catalysts.
A true point of disagreement requires a clear 'yes' from one text and a clear 'no' from the other.

Key Concept

Identifying Points of Disagreement in Dual Passages
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Topics

Points of Disagreement

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