It was written between 1914 and 1917 during World War I and may have been inspired by the death of Sohy's colleague Albéric Magnard.
[1] The symphony was possibly inspired by the death of Albéric Magnard, in September 1914, who was a family friend of Sohy and her husband Marcel Labey.
Around the same time, Sohy's husband Marcel was mobilised to fight in World War 1, and the symphony, whilst not programmatic, has a dark, anxious tone, taking the subtitle Grand Guerre (Great War).
It was premiered in June 2019 with the Orchestre de Besançon Franche-Comté conducted by Debora Waldman.
[2][3][4] The American premiere took place on 5 March 2024 at the Zilkha Hall of the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas.