George Gershwin's 1924 composition "Rhapsody in Blue" emerged from a unique artistic partnership with conductor Paul Whiteman. Whiteman had commission...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
George Gershwin's 1924 composition "Rhapsody in Blue" emerged from a unique artistic partnership with conductor Paul Whiteman. Whiteman had commissioned the piece specifically for his orchestra's concert, and throughout the composition process, his insights about orchestration and performance shaped Gershwin's creative decisions. When the piece premiered, Whiteman's conducting interpretation further refined the work's identity. This collaborative process demonstrates how "Rhapsody in Blue" resulted from the combined creative vision of both artist and performer.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
"Rhapsody in Blue" was more influenced by Whiteman's conducting style than Gershwin's compositional skills.
The success of "Rhapsody in Blue" resulted from the collaborative creative partnership between Gershwin and Whiteman.
Whiteman's commission of "Rhapsody in Blue" allowed Gershwin to experiment with new musical forms.
"Rhapsody in Blue" demonstrated Gershwin's ability to work independently of external musical influences.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| George Gershwin's 1924 composition "Rhapsody in Blue" emerged from a unique artistic partnership with conductor Paul Whiteman. |
|
| Whiteman had commissioned the piece specifically for his orchestra's concert, and throughout the composition process, his insights about orchestration and performance shaped Gershwin's creative decisions. |
|
| When the piece premiered, Whiteman's conducting interpretation further refined the work's identity. |
|
| This collaborative process demonstrates how "Rhapsody in Blue" resulted from the combined creative vision of both artist and performer. |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: "Rhapsody in Blue" was the product of a collaborative creative partnership between Gershwin and Whiteman, not just Gershwin's individual work.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that "Rhapsody in Blue" emerged from a partnership, then provides evidence of how this collaboration worked during both the composition process and performance, before concluding that the piece resulted from their combined creative vision.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The main idea should capture the collaborative nature that runs through the entire passage
- It should acknowledge that both Gershwin and Whiteman contributed creatively to the final work
- The passage emphasizes partnership, combined vision, and how Whiteman's input shaped the piece both during composition and performance
"Rhapsody in Blue" was more influenced by Whiteman's conducting style than Gershwin's compositional skills.
✗ Incorrect
Claims Whiteman's influence was greater than Gershwin's compositional skills.
- The passage presents them as partners, not suggesting one was more important than the other
The success of "Rhapsody in Blue" resulted from the collaborative creative partnership between Gershwin and Whiteman.
✓ Correct
Emphasizes the collaborative creative partnership between both artists.
- Matches the passage's focus on "combined creative vision" and "collaborative process"
Whiteman's commission of "Rhapsody in Blue" allowed Gershwin to experiment with new musical forms.
✗ Incorrect
Focuses narrowly on the commission allowing experimentation.
- Misses the broader theme of ongoing collaboration throughout composition and performance
"Rhapsody in Blue" demonstrated Gershwin's ability to work independently of external musical influences.
✗ Incorrect
Suggests Gershwin worked independently, which directly contradicts the passage that explicitly shows external influences shaping Gershwin's work.