In 1941, Igor Stravinsky was residing in Beverly Hills with his second wife, Vera Sudeikin. The couple had moved there two years earlier, joining many other émigrés fleeing the turmoil of war in Europe. As a show of gratitude to the country that had provided them refuge, Stravinsky created an orchestral arrangement of "The Star Spangled Banner." This arrangement also served a practical need. During a time when concerts typically began with the National Anthem, Stravinsky — who was frequently inv