Sentence:  Because of the authentic homogeneity of his early Nationalistic materials , and his flair for orchestrations - his brilliant Petruchka , his savage Sacre du Printemps , his incisive Les Noces - the world kept <WSD>hoping</WSD> that he could recapture the historical direction for which his native talents were predisposed . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  be optimistic; be full of hope; have hopes