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Edgard Varèse’s Octandre (1923) is arguably not trademark Varèse: missing are the menacing batteries of percussion that punctuate most of his important works. While the challenging idée fixe rhythmic unisons of works such as Ionisation are in evidence, in Octandre, melody is also to the fore.

The work is, to my ears, both clinical and expressive, and, after umpteen listenings, it remains modern and fresh. It is the one work above all others that I go to when seeking inspiration. So, as a means of perhaps peeling back a few layers of mystery surrounding Octandre and also as a way of demonstrating my gratitude to it, I have written this homage, using Varèse’s same instrumentation and three movement structure.

First Movement – a solo flute incites an angry mob.

Second Movement – ugly harmonies mingle with fairground-esque diversions and a sinking feeling.

Third Movement – whereas the first and the second movement used isolated, haphazardly-chosen fragments from Octandre to propel the discourse, this movement is anchored by motifs borrowed directly from the work, including the oboe, piccolo and bassoon openings of each of the first, second and third movements respectively and the brutal tutti rhythmic unisons of Varèse’s third.

As if to underline the composer’s reverence for Octandre, the final oboe note, taken from the stunning ending to Varèse’s first movement, is a semitone below that used by the Frenchman.

• Watson: Homage to Varèse's "Octandre"; computer-set 

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• Watson: Homage to Varèse's "Octandre"; computer-set 

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• Watson: Homage to Varèse's "Octandre"; computer-set 

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• Watson: Homage to Varèse's "Octandre"; computer-set 

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• NZ Premieres 2008 Vol. 3 

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• Watson: Homage to Varèse's 'Octandre' 

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The march of the crocodiles refers to the ongoing silliness caused by bureaucratic systems and how we all play our part in them.

We play a little tune, (this might be in the form of a phone call or a letter, a question, a request) the receiver does a little dance, a message gets passed along, someone else plays a tune, the next person does a little dance etc….until eventually a little tune comes back for us to do a little dance to.

I am fascinated by the amount of paperwork, human resources and time that can be involved in even the smallest and simplest of enquiries, not to mention the tedium. This silly game is so dreary it’s almost amusing!

The piece is played tutti then the ensemble divides into three groups and uses material from the composition to improvise. Eventually the ensemble becomes a choir.

• Rosie Langabeer: March of the Crocodiles 

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• Zirkus! – Sirius Music 

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