American composer Huck Hodge (b. 1977) utilizes intriguing soundscapes in his 2011 chamber piece, Aletheia. In terms of instrumentation, this features a plethora of pitched and unpitched percussion in addition to groups of woodwinds and strings and keyboard. What stands out to my ears, though, is how Hodge includes the accordion into this ensemble. While this instrument may seem like an odd choice, it makes sense aurally because of the ethereal atmosphere that the composer creates with the music.
This idea makes sense conceptually when one examines the introductory material to this score. The title, Aletheia, comes from the Greek word for “truth.” According to the score, the introductory material contains three quotes from Greek philosophy (Parmenides and Heraclitus) and twentieth–century science fiction (Philip K. Dick). All of these quotes carry themes about existence and the distortion of reality. Hodge incorporates extended performance techniques in order to musically depict distortion.
Aletheia reveals a series of creative (and complex) directions: both in the Performace Notes and throughout the score. Besides using instrumental harmonics and microtones, the composer calls for unconventional ways of performing traditional instruments in the ensemble. These approaches become especially noticeable in the piano and woodwind parts of the score. At certain points, the pianist hangs and jingles several keys against the pegs and small strings of the instrument (mm. 85). Other times, like in mm.39, Hodge asks for what he calls a “card bow” technique: indicated by a large, black card icon and wavy symbol. This process involves rubbing a small card against the strings in the middle register of the piano in order to produce high and low partials. The woodwind section of the ensemble also demonstrates several instances of extended techniques because the performers must create sound effects. In the opening measures, for example, the Alto Flute must perform a sound equivalent to a jet (mm.6-7) In mm. 68 Hoddge calls for the Flute to produce a sliding effect “like a record (or cartoon) starting.”
Another intriguing component of Aletheia stems from how he concentrates on time. Hodge alternates between using boxes and “real-time” markers in the music. The box approach often asks performers to lengthen or shorten some passages, like in mm. 4-5. Here, the Contrabass and Clarinet have to lengthen their entrances with the second cello. Although Hodge places the score in meters and measures, he also provides segments where he specifies moments in time (in seconds). Hodges shows these timeframes by using brackets with the total seconds listed above. These segments usually span from about six to thirty seconds. However, the composer does not specify how to derive this time (possibly with a stopwatch), nor does he stress doing so accurately.