A press release just received from the Met ends with what feels like a SAT question that didn’t quite make it out of the gate. The background on the company’s impending HD of Faust includes the following tantalizing paragraph: “The traditional setting for Faust is 16th-century Germany, a time when alchemists and philosophers were familiar characters in real life. Des McAnuff’s new Met production places the action in the first half of the 20th century.”

La Cieca feels like this one needs to be completed by the parterre commentariat. Thus,

“16th century Germany is to alchemists and philosophers as the first half of the 20th century is to _____________.”

Best answer by end of day wins a prize of recent CD/DVD releases.