itar ian ” ▁tool ▁of ▁Soviet ▁commun ism ▁and ▁w art ime ▁German ▁and ▁Italian ▁fasc ism . ▁The ▁C CF ▁also ▁dist anced ▁itself ▁from ▁experimental ▁musical ▁avant - gar de ▁artists ▁such ▁as ▁Mil ton ▁Bab bit ▁and ▁John ▁C age , ▁prefer ring ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁earlier ▁European ▁works ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁b anned ▁or ▁condem ned ▁as ▁ ▁“ form al ist ” ▁by ▁Soviet ▁authorities . ▁ ▁Nicolas ▁N ab ok ov - ▁Secretary ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁C CF ▁ ▁Nicolas ▁N ab ok ov ▁was ▁a ▁Russian - born ▁composer ▁and ▁writer ▁who ▁developed ▁the ▁music ▁program ▁of ▁the ▁C CF ▁as ▁the ▁Secretary - General . ▁Before ▁gain ing ▁this ▁position , ▁he ▁composed ▁several ▁notable ▁musical ▁works , ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁bal let - or atorio ▁O de , ▁produced ▁by ▁Serge ▁Di agh ile v ' s ▁Bal let ▁Rus se ▁de ▁Monte ▁Carlo , ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 . ▁This ▁composition ▁was ▁shortly ▁followed ▁by ▁N ab ok ov ' s ▁L yr ical ▁Sym phony ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 . ▁N ab ok ov ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁lect urer ▁in ▁music ▁for ▁the ▁Bar nes ▁Foundation . ▁A ▁year ▁after ▁moving ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁N ab ok ov ▁composed ▁another ▁bal let , ▁which ▁was ▁entitled ▁Union ▁Pacific . ▁N ab ok ov ' s ▁career ▁then ▁leads