[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Publius, and thank you for Rachmaninov’s “The Star Spangled Banner”. ((HUGS))

[Publius]

There are two arrangement of the "Star Spangled Banner" written by piano virtuosi for the beginning of recitals. The first, by Josef Hoffmann, was written around World War I in C Major, and it's totally bombastic. You can hear the bombs bursting in mid-air. I played that to begin a recital at age 10 because I had hands large enough to pull it off.

Rachmaninov's version is in B-flat, and he took a totally different approach, no doubt dismayed by Hoffmann's version. It's dignified, contemplative and even tender in parts. Sergei made his fortune here, as I showed when I did a retrospective of his music a few years ago at the Canteen. His version was a labor of love for him.