The Year 1941 was composed during the Second World War. Prokofiev was evacuated to the Caucasus along with other composers when Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941. It was under these circumstances that Prokofiev began work on this symphonic suite. At the same time, he was working on his epic opera War and Peace and on String Quartet No. 2, an orchestral suite in three movements, a poignant and impressive musical depiction of a turbulent period in history.

• I. In Battle - “a scene of heated battle that the audience sometimes hears as if they are far away and sometimes as if they are on the actual battlefield. ”
• II. At Night - “a poetic night scene, stirred by the tension of impending conflict. ”
• III. For the Brotherhood of Man - “a triumphant lyrical hymn to victory and the brotherhood of nations. ”