The Year 1941 (Prokofiev) The Year 1941 (Prokofiev) Sergei Prokofiev wrote the symphonic suite The Year 1941 (Op. 90) in 1941. Prokofiev, along with other composers, was evacuated to the Caucasus when Germany started attacking the Soviet Union in 1941. It was under such circumstances that Prokofiev began work on this symphonic suite. He was working on his epic opera "War and Peace" and the "String Quartet No. 2" at the same time. The whole suite lasts for around 15 minutes. The suite is scored for 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets,
Peter and the Commissar Peter and the Commissar Peter and the Commissar is a musical comedy album by Allan Sherman, with Arthur Fiedler conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra with 5 guest jazz musicians. It was recorded live on July 22, 1964. Originally released on RCA Red Seal, the album later saw its CD debut on Collectors' Choice Music in 2004. The title track pokes fun at communism in the Soviet Union, and is a spoof of "Peter and the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev, with Prokofiev's music, and original spoken rhymed verse by Allan Sherman. Peter creates a new melody (the familiar Peter's theme from