GRE Question of the Day (January 26)

Verbal

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.

Consider each of the three choices separately and select all that apply.

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

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

Correct Answer - 1 and 3 - (click and drag your mouse to see the answer)

The passage addresses which of the following issues related to Glass's use of popular elements in his classical compositions?

A.How it is regarded by listeners who prefer rock to the classics
B.How it has affected the commercial success of Glass's music
C.Whether it has contributed to a revival of interest among other composers in using popular elements in their compositions
D.Whether it has had a detrimental effect on Glass's reputation as a composer of classical music
E.Whether it has caused certain of Glass's works to be derivative in quality

Correct Answer - E - (click and drag your mouse to see the answer)

Select the sentence that distinguishes two ways of integrating rock and classical music

Correct Answer - 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. - (click and drag your mouse to see the answer)

Question Discussion & Explanation

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