Temporal Variations for Oboe And Piano was first performed on 15th December 1936 at the Wigmore hall in London under the different name of Temporal Suite. Although Britten was pleased with the work no further performance took place in his lifetime. The piece now though has earned it's place among Britten's most favoured pieces for Oboe and continues to delight audiences to the present day.

The Unbeaten Tracks series has made a profound mark on the music world with its volumes of specially commissioned pieces for intermediate-level players. The eight pieces in this volume are written in a kaleidoscopic mix of styles by some of today's most talented composers and are undoubtedly destined to become standard repertoire. There are also small 'Biopics' about each composer. These give titbits of information about the composer's inspiration and intention for their piece and offer musicians a greater insight into the music.