Music historian Ana Ribeiro studied revisions to composer Tomas Varga's orchestral suite. A March 1911 draft contains sustained, overlapping woodwind lines in the finale. Varga first rehearsed the suite in Maren Hall in June, and the final score, dated July, replaces those lines with short brass chords. Because Maren Hall was known for long reverberation, Ribeiro argues that the revision was a targeted response to the hall's tendency to blur sustained, overlapping sounds, not evidence of a general change in Varga's compositional style.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support Ribeiro's argument?
For a command-of-evidence question involving a causal interpretation, identify both the proposed cause and the alternative explanation the author rejects. Then select the finding that most directly links the outcome to the proposed cause while also distinguishing it from the alternative through timing, comparison, or another controlled contrast.
Hints
Separate claim and alternative
Identify both the proposed cause of the revision and the competing explanation that the historian rejects.
Look for a controlled comparison
Consider what evidence from another venue during the same period could distinguish a venue-specific response from a broad stylistic change.
Check the complete evidence chain
Prefer a finding that addresses both the acoustic effect and the composer's treatment of comparable music elsewhere.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify both parts of the argument
Ribeiro proposes that the overlapping lines were revised because they became unclear in Maren Hall. She also rejects the alternative explanation that Varga was generally abandoning such lines.
Determine what evidence is needed
Strong evidence should connect the revision to the hall's acoustics while showing that Varga continued using comparable overlapping lines under different acoustic conditions. A same-period, different-venue comparison would address both parts directly.
Evaluate the strongest finding
The acoustical reconstruction shows that the lines became indistinct specifically in Maren Hall but remained clear elsewhere. Varga's decision to leave comparable lines unchanged at the other venue during the same summer also weighs against a general stylistic change.