Party in a Cubist Roadhouse

Many years ago, I came across the phrase “Party in a Cubist Roadhouse” in a music review of the band Birdsongs of the Mesozoic. I was smitten by this expression, which evoked the image of a wild, surrealist party that transcended human comprehension.

The piece starts with sounds and ideas that I thought would populate the sound world of a surrealist party getting started. String boings, Nancarrow-like beeps and boops, and groans from the brass slowly congeal into a mysterious harmonic pad of sparkling, metallic resonance. Multiple themes and grooves percolate throughout the orchestra and soon culminate in a proud, cinematic brass moment that then sends us spiraling towards full-on party mayhem.

I started this piece with hopes of inspiring joy. Consequently, many parts feel less about being “cubist” and more about dancing or tearing the house down. This made me question keeping the title what it is – I think people could imagine many different storylines when listening and will hear influences from the likes of Leonard Bernstein and Carl Stalling (both figures who I wouldn’t necessarily call “cubist.”)

In the end, I chose to keep the title. It remains less a definition than an invitation: to step into a space where structure bends, energy takes over, and the party becomes whatever the listener imagines it to be.

This composition was written for Aspen Music Festival's 2025 Druckman Prize Commission.