MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test 16

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The most famous sentence in Igor Stravinsky's autobiography reads: "Music is by its very nature powerless to express anything at all." When it appeared, this sentence surprised his audience. After all, Stravinsky had composed some of the most expressive music of the twentieth century, from the lyrical Petrouchka to the dramatic Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) to the elegiac Symphony of Psalms. But ever the polemicist, Stravinsky was in actuality blasting those whom he regarded as his aesthetic opponents, such as the followers of Richard Wagner; such "impurists" were always marshaling music in the service of extramusical ends, from national solidarity to religious freedom. Seeking to repair a perceived imbalance, Stravinsky portrayed the musician as a craftsman whose materials of pitch and rhythm in themselves harbor no more expression than the carpenter's beams or the jeweler's stone.

Stravinsky may have been right that in the absence of an externally imposed "program," music is simply music. He spoke of the "poetics" of music, which in its literal sense refers to the making (poiesis) of music. Unintentionally, however, Stravinsky vividly illustrated a different point through his own life: the extent to which the making of music is not possible without the externally triggered factor of politics. All creative individuals-and especially all musicians-must deal with a set of associates who not only help the creators realize their vision but also, eventually, with a wider public, determine the fate of the creators' works. Stravinsky's embroilment in personal and professional politics was extreme for an artist of any sort, yet by throwing the political aspects of creation into sharp relief, Stravinsky reveals the extent to which an artist must work with the field that regulates his chosen domain. Whether they do so well or poorly, eagerly or reluctantly, nearly all creative individuals must devote significant energies to the management of their careers.

Stravinsky's early training came in the form of an apprenticeship with Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, the dean of Russian composers. Rimsky-Korsakov guided Stravinsky in orchestration, teaching him how to compose for each instrument; they would each orchestrate the same passages and then compare their versions. Stravinsky was an apt pupil, whose rapid advances pleased his mentor; and, perhaps for the first time in his life, Stravinsky found himself in a milieu that fully engaged him.

A dramatic turning point in Stravinsky's career occurred shortly after his mentor's death when Stravinsky was approached by Serge Diaghilev to compose a nocturne for his theatrical project, The Firebird. Suddenly, instead of working alone, Stravinsky had almost daily intercourse with the ensemble-a new and heady experience for someone who had craved the companionship of individuals with whom he felt comfortable. Stravinsky turned out to be a willing pupil, one who learned quickly and reacted vividly to everything. He was sufficiently flexible, curious, and versatile to be able to work with the set designers, dancers, choreographers, and even those responsible for the business end of the enterprise. From Diaghilev young Igor learned two equally crucial lessons for ensemble work: how to meet a deadline and how to compromise on, or mediate amongst, deeply held but differing artistic visions. Yet, he may have learned Diaghilev's lessons too well. As Stravinsky gained in knowledge and confidence, he found himself engaged in strenuous disputes about characterization, choreography, and instrumentation.

The most notable creators almost always are perfectionists who have worked out every detail of their conception painstakingly and are unwilling to make further changes unless they can be convinced that such alterations are justified. Few intrepid creators are likely to cede any rights to others; and even if they are consciously tempted to do so, their unconscious sense of fidelity to an original conceptualization may prevent them from following through. Stravinsky was no exception in this, and his goals were well-defined and impassioned. Suppressing whatever revolutionary impulses may have existed in his own person and animated his earlier music, ignoring the rich emotional associations of his early masterpieces, Stravinsky stressed the importance of conventions and traditions, and the utility of self-imposed constraints. He loathed disorder, randomness, arbitrariness, the Circean lure of chaos. Music was akin to mathematical thinking and relationships, and one could discern powerful, inexorable laws at work. In the paradox-packed closing lines of The Poetics of Music, Stravinsky declared: "My freedom will be so much greater and more meaningful, the more narrowly I limit my field of action and the more I surround myself with obstacles. Whatever diminishes constraints, diminishes strength. The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one's self of the chains that shackle the spirit."

Material used in this particular passage has been adapted from the following source:

H. Gardner, Creating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity Seen Through the Lives of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, and Gandhi. © 1993 by Basic Books.

1. Which of Stravinsky's learning experiences or observations is most inconsistent with the author's statement in the last paragraph that the most notable creators are almost always perfectionists?

  • A. Orchestration techniques learned while working with Rimsky-Korsakov
  • B. Lessons learned from Diaghilev and involvement in the ensemble
  • C. The need to engage in protracted political battles
  • D. The observation that "the more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one's self of the chains that shackle the spirit"

2. The word political is used in paragraph 2 in order to refer to:

  • A. collaboration and artifice.
  • B. greed and expediency.
  • C. interpersonal relations.
  • D. cleverness and guile.

3. We can reasonably infer that the perceived imbalance that Stravinsky was seeking to repair was one of:

  • A. an over-dependence on inspiration rather than craftsmanship in making music.
  • B. some composers' tendency to inject extraneous elements into their music.
  • C. too great an involvement in the political side of theatrical staging and production.
  • D. an over-emphasis on choreography as compared to instrumentation in theatrical productions.

4. The author's discussion of Stravinsky's actions and statements suggests that which two aspects of Stravinsky's character or career may have been at odds with each other?

  • A. His desire to create music and his involvement with choreography and set design
  • B. The artistic independence expressed in The Poetics of Music and his dependence on others in managing his career
  • C. His desire to create and his inability to escape interpersonal politics
  • D. His desire for a strict approach to making music and his willingness to work in a highly collaborative setting

5. In the author's view, Stravinsky's collaboration with others in musical composition and theater can best be summarized as:

  • A. productive yet contentious.
  • B. accepted with reluctance.
  • C. onerous and ultimately destructive.
  • D. fruitful and harmonious.

6. According to the passage, Stravinsky believed which of the following to be a condition necessary for creativity in music?

  • A. A willingness to collaborate and compromise
  • B. Situations of total freedom
  • C. Openness to new and revolutionary ideas
  • D. Limitations to lend it structure