Benjamin Britten: Temporal Variations for Oboe and Piano

Antonio Urrutia, Oboe
Joana Gonzalez, Piano
I. Theme
II. Oration
III. March
IV. Exercises
V. Commination
VI. Chorale
VII. Waltz
VIII. Polka
IX. Resolution
Benjamin Britten was a man whose life was plagued by War, he lived through both world wars, and his most famous work is his monumental “War Requiem” commemorating the lives lost in WWII, but he had a lesser known work commemorating WWI. The Temporal Variations for Oboe and Piano is a work in 9 connected movements written in 1936. It starts off with a Theme, very simple, stating rumblings of war are coming. The Oration is a conversation, almost an argument, like a cry for help to god for the upcoming horrors. It is then followed by a military march, and a dramatic representation of war time training exercises. The theme is restated, this time more aggressive and direct, war has come. The choral is a homage to all the lives lost. A sarcastic waltz is played, showing the ignorance of those at home, and finally a jaunty Polka, to celebrate that the war is done. The work ends with a glorious, resolution, but ends in the same turbulent chord as it started, and concludes with the theme once again, asking the eternal question: why, for what, and will we ever learn?