The composer Florence Price faced significant barriers as a Black woman writing classical music in early twentieth-century America. Despite these obstacles, in 1933 she became the first African American woman to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra. Her Symphony in E Minor blends European concert forms with melodies and rhythms drawn from the African American spiritual tradition.
Which choice best describes the function of the first sentence in the text?
- A
It compares Price with a contemporary composer.
- Bcheck_circle
It introduces the historical context against which Price's achievement is understood.
- C
It questions whether Price actually composed her symphonies.
- D
It defines the term 'classical music'.
Explanation
The first sentence frames the context (barriers) that makes the second sentence's "first" achievement significant. A captures this contextualizing function.