If there were only one word to describe Russia in the 20th century, the best choice might be “transition”. The October Revolution in 1917 forced Russia to face its new political fate, while the aftermath led to the exile of countless artists. Rachmaninoff, from a family of Russian aristocracy, lost a large estate in the revolution and was placed under the censorship of the communist establishment which finally forced him to choose self-imposed exile. He eventually settled down in the United States and served as a soloist to earn a living. Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony which premiered in 1936 was the representative work written in his last years. With the distinctive melancholy which permeates all of Rachmaninoff’s compositions, blended with lyrical melodies and a humorous aura, the symphony has become a beloved work. On the other hand, Prokofiev and Shostakovich who chose to stay in the Soviet Russia, remained living in fear. They had to constantly fight against government bureaucracy that constantly misinterpreted their original artistic concepts. The Central committee requested that composers compose music that could be understood by the masses and uplift the Soviet people, and condemned works which were regarded as “avant-garde” and “unconventional”. Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, premiered in 1954, was written to mark the 37th anniversary of the October Revolution. Prokofiev revised his Cello Concerto, adding abundant folk elements, and gave it a new title of Symphony-Concerto which was premiered in 1952. Regardless of the differences in initial motivation for the composition of these works, both of them appeared to be compromises to the regime as “music that could be understood by the masses,” while hiding notes of “secret rebellion.”