Undernews: RECOVERED HISTORY: STRAVINSKY ARRESTED IN BOSTON FOR HIS ARRANGEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

May 23, 2010

RECOVERED HISTORY: STRAVINSKY ARRESTED IN BOSTON FOR HIS ARRANGEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

DC Musica Viva - On April 15, 1940, Stravinsky's unconventional major seventh chord in his arrangement of the Star-Spangled Banner led to his arrest by the Boston police for violating a federal law that prohibited the reharmonization of the National Anthem.

Wiki Answers - In Boston, Stravinsky conducted a performance of his arrangement of the American National Anthem, which he dedicated to the American people and allowed it to be used freely. Massachusetts had a law against the tampering of national property. They considered the anthem national property, and his genius arrangement "tampering." They seized his score and took him away. . . Luckily, he was released after he convinced authorities of his good intentions.

Vocal Version of Stravinsky's arrangement

2 comments:

Anonymous said...: What an absolutely Beautiful version of the Star-Spangled Banner!

-DaTheorist; May 24, 2010 at 11:36 AM
patrick said...: Great tidbit about a very large subject.; May 25, 2010 at 4:47 AM

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM

Your editor has been a musician for many decades. He started the first band his Quaker school ever had and played drums with bands up until 1980 when he switched to stride piano. He had his own band until the mid-1990s and has played with the New Sunshine Jazz Band, Hill City Jazz Band, Not So Modern Jazz Band and the Phoenix Jazz Band.

NOTES ON THE MUSIC

Here are a few tracks:

SAM SMITH'S DECOLAND BAND

MAMA'S GONE GOODBYE

SHINE

Bob Walter, trumpet; Jimmy Hamilton & Coleman Hankins, clarinet; Paul Hettich, bass; Sam Smith, piano. Bob Resnik, drums

PHOENIX JAZZ BAND led by Bob Walter