''Sunset Strip'' is an orchestral composition in three movements by the American composer

Michael Daugherty Michael Kevin Daugherty (born April 28, 1954) is an American composer, pianist, and teacher. He is influenced by popular culture, Romanticism, and Postmodernism. Daugherty's notable works include his Superman comic book-inspired ''Metropolis Sym ...

. The piece was composed in 1999 and premiered January 7, 2000 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with conductor Hugh Wolff leading the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Composition

''Sunset Strip'' has a duration of approximately fifteen minutes and is composed in three movements: #7 PM #Nocturne #7 AM

Inspiration

The composition is inspired by the eponymous

Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western border with Beverly H ...

, a culturally significant mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. In the score notes for ''Sunset Strip'', Daugherty wrote:

Instrumentation

The piece is scored for an orchestra consisting of

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...

, two oboes,

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...

, two

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

s, two French horns, two trumpets, one percussionist (two latin

cowbells The cowbell is an idiophone hand percussion instrument used in various styles of music, such as Latin and rock. It is named after the similar bell used by herdsmen to keep track of the whereabouts of cows. The instrument initially and traditio ...

; low, medium, and high Agogô bells; ride cymbal; splash cymbal; triangle; wind chimes; low and high

bongo drum Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...

s; maracas; claves; vibraslap; large

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

; tambourine; and bell tree), piano, and

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

( violins I & II, violas, violoncellos, and double basses).

Reception

Ivan Hewett of '' The Daily Telegraph'' lauded Daugherty as "the orchestral chronicler of American culture" and described the piece, in addition to Daugherty's ''

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

'', as "winning and affectionate." Hewett added, "In works such as ''Route 66'' and ''Sunset Strip'' he paints the hopes and dreams embodied in Interstate highways, wide-open spaces and all-night bars where

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

crooned." Mark Estren of '' The Washington Post'' called the piece "another nostalgia-tinged work, tunefully bouncy in its outer movements (whimsically titled '7 PM' and '7 AM') and warm in its central nocturne." David Gutman of ''

Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

'' called it "one of augherty'saccessible but diffuse postmodern collages of overheard shards and elegant juxtapositions." Alex Chilvers of ''

Limelight Limelight (also known as Drummond light or calcium light)James R. Smith (2004). ''San Francisco's Lost Landmarks'', Quill Driver Books. is a type of stage lighting once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illumination is created when ...

'' also praised the work, noting its development as "allowing for moments of ear-relieving sparsity."

Recordings

A recording of ''Sunset Strip'', performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...

Marin Alsop, was released January 4, 2011 through

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...

and features Daugherty's other orchestral works ''

'', '' Ghost Ranch'', and '' Time Machine''. The piece had also been recorded for the 2009 compilation album ''American Spectrum'' by conductor

Grant Llewellyn Grant Llewellyn (born 29 December 1960) is a Welsh conductor and music director of the North Carolina Symphony and Orchestre National de Bretagne. Biography Llewellyn was born in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales. He began developing his conduct ...

and the North Carolina Symphony. This album also featured the works of contemporary American composers

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...

, Ned Rorem, and Christopher Rouse.

References