To what extent does Shostakovich draw on musical tradition in his chamber music? Your answer must be supported by a discussion of two or three appropriate pieces of chamber music by Shostakovich that you have studied in the module materials (please see attached file). GUIDANCE NOTE This question is aimed at the learning outcome for Music and develops skills of ‘close listening’ by assessing your understanding of some of the complexities of musical composition. In particular, it tests your understanding of the relationship between Shostakovich’s chamber music and the idea of musical traditions, and thus addresses one of the key themes of Book 2. Start by re-reading the introduction in Book 2, Chapter 6, taking careful note of the definitions of tradition and how they relate to specific musical genres. You may, for example, note down ideas about structures and instruments and then make a note of how Shostakovich treats those aspects in his chamber music. Bear in mind that the question asks ‘to what extent’. The additional study materials ‘Exploring music’ will provide further guidance on musical terminology and on using this vocabulary. Section 6.2, dealing with Shostakovich’s biography, will provide you with a context for this question, but the object here is not to write about his life but about the music. Your answer should be supported by reference to two or three specific pieces of Shostakovich’s chamber music, and should make use of appropriate musical terminology throughout. All the evidence necessary to answer the question can be found in the chapter and the supporting materials. VERY IMPORTANT! please follow the next essay plan: ESSAY PLAN This assignment asks us to explore to what extent does Shostakovich draws on musical tradition in his chamber music, so it makes sense to start by defining chamber music and traditional chamber music before writing about who Shostakovich was and how much his chamber music was inspired in the tradition. I am planning to divide my essay in the following sections: – What is chamber music? – Traditional chamber music. – Who was Shostakovich? – To what extent does Shostakovich draw on musical tradition in his chamber music? – Conclusion.