The circumstances surrounding the creation, premiere, and reception of Stravinsky’s 1941 harmonization of The Star-Spangled Banner are obscured by incomplete information, rumors, and even intentional obfuscation. Newly examined primary documents help to paint a more accurate and complete picture of the work and its origin. In August 1940, Stravinsky led a performance of Walter Damrosch’s (by then) standard harmonization of The Star-Spangled Banner, which had been officially declared the U. S. national anthem in 1931. This event, plus the influence of Earnest Andersson and James Sample, inspired Stravinsky to create his own harmonization. The premiere of Stravinsky’s version took place in October 1941, and although some critics praised the performance, many attacked Stravinsky’s harmonization as unpatriotic. The 1944 Boston premiere led to more notoriety due to a (false) rumor that Stravinsky had been arrested for breaking a Massachusetts law against rearranging the national anthem. While the orchestral harmonization is by far the best-known, Stravinsky produced several arrangements of The Star-Spangled Banner for different performing forces based on four distinct harmonizations completed between July and September, 1941: one in B-flat major and three in D major. While all of these harmonizations differ from the Damrosch harmonization, they are not as radical or modernist as many critical reviews suggest. The fourth harmonization, inked in an untexted fair copy for male choir, is the only version besides the first B-flat harmonization to be performed, but not until 1993. Besides the key, the fourth harmonization differs slightly in realization from the orchestral version (differing chord inversions for instance). However, both harmonizations share a well-developed contrapuntal technique. Stravinsky also uses the anthem’s tune in a Christmas card sent in December 1941. The reception history of Stravinsky’s harmonization touches on many issues of American music culture. Much of the criticism surrounding the work stems not from its musical merit, but from malleable notions of American patriotism, perceptions of Stravinsky’s politics, and expectations for a “modernist” composer. Revisiting Stravinsky’s harmonization of The Star-Spangled Banner might revitalize it as a work of national importance.

Works: Stravinsky (arranger): The Star-Spangled Banner (Harmonization I) (371-386), The Star-Spangled Banner (Harmonization II) (386-88), The Star-Spangled Banner (Harmonization III) (388), The Star-Spangled Banner (Harmonization IV) (388-92)

Sources: Francis Scott Key (lyrics), John Stafford Smith (melody), Walter Damrosch (arranger): The Star-Spangled Banner (371-92)

Index Classifications: 1900s

Contributed by: Matthew Van Vleet